[News] Late For Work 11/17: NFL Admits Mistake, So Why Can't Ravens' Game Result Be Reversed?

[rmcjacket23]

Yeah, the game should be called fairly, no matter what. Mistakes by a team do not validate bad calls by the officials. Last I checked, there is no rule that says the officials no longer have to call the game fairly if a team "should have played better." How well a team plays is completely irrelevant to the officials upholding the fairness of the competition.

Correct, it doesn't. But that's contingent upon fans understanding that an expectation of 100% accuracy in officiating is unrealistic and irresponsible on the fans part.

 

I don't expect NFL players to be perfect, so I'm sure not going to expect officials to do the same. I expect them to do better than they have been, and at the same time, I certainly expect our players and coaches to do better than they have been.

[Ravenshine]

Yeah, the game should be called fairly, no matter what. Mistakes by a team do not validate bad calls by the officials. Last I checked, there is no rule that says the officials no longer have to call the game fairly if a team "should have played better." How well a team plays is completely irrelevant to the officials upholding the fairness of the competition.

Truth! And if this goes unaddressed, this opens the door for ref-fixing games (some believe it's already been happening).

[WNC-Raven]

And how do you think the NFL sponsors would feel about having their commercials potentially cut out? What if there are no plays to review?

 

I can assure you there's no possible scenario where every play becomes review-able and the game doesn't take at least an hour longer. Keep in mind that if every play is review-able, you can very easily have a stoppage for review on every single play in the game.

 

You could cut out commercial breaks entirely and that would still take 4 hours. 

And what would be the problem with allowing every play within the final 2 minutes of the half and end of game reviewable?

There is nothing more infuriating than having a ticky tac play with 1:30 to go and hearing that the refs have to initiate the review but so seldomly do.

[Tenacious Faulker]

I never considered that the NFl would overturn its mistake despite the fact that the last 2 plays never get played if they called it right. These officiating mistakes are ruining my experience of the game and I'm rapidly losing interest. Goodell is a lame commissioner and worries more about overexposing the league than about the game itself. I may watch the Ravens games whenever possible, but it will no longer be a burning desire and I will certainly put the other games on the back burner. My NFL buddies all feel the same. This league is quickly getting to be a joke.

[rmcjacket23]

And what would be the problem with allowing every play within the final 2 minutes of the half and end of game reviewable?

There is nothing more infuriating than having a ticky tac play with 1:30 to go and hearing that the refs have to initiate the review but so seldomly do.

I'm fine with it... as long as fans are open to the idea of the ENTIRE PLAY being subject to review, not just the single aspect of the play you want to be removed.

 

If you want a late game penalty for DPI that was thrown or not thrown reviewed, I'm all for it... as long as you are reviewing what the OL/DL was doing that play, etc. 

 

So you'll probably get a call your way, followed immediately by the announcement of an additional penalty, such as offensive holding (largely recognized as a call you can make on every play).

[RavensBaltimore]

And how do you think the NFL sponsors would feel about having their commercials potentially cut out? What if there are no plays to review?

 

I can assure you there's no possible scenario where every play becomes review-able and the game doesn't take at least an hour longer. Keep in mind that if every play is review-able, you can very easily have a stoppage for review on every single play in the game.

 

You could cut out commercial breaks entirely and that would still take 4 hours. 

Commercials would not be potentially cut out. You wouldn't skip commercial breaks assuming there would be challenged calls. You skip commercial breaks AFTER the challenged calls, or after a certain amount of challenged calls to ensure their would still be at least as many commercials, but you're not adding significant time to the game. They already do skip commercial breaks after change of possession sometimes, so it wouldn't even be an entirely new idea. They could just skip a few more, but only if enough plays have been challenged. How hard is it to figure that out?

 

Also, making everything reviewable does not mean coaches get unlimited challenges, so you cannot have a stoppage after every play. You could give the coaches a couple more challenges, and/or have an official in a box somewhere call for a review if a blatant call was missed. Plus, you could still charge them a TO if they lose a challenge, it's not like they'd challenge everything.

 

So, you can't assure me that games would be at least an hour longer if everything was reviewable, but I can assure you that everything could be reviewable without adding significant time to them.

 

The only real problem I see with being able to challenge everything is that you can debate that holding and illegal contact happen on every play, so if they did make everything reviewable, I think they should make an exception with those penalties, as well as PI, but only making non calls for those penalties non reviewable.

[RavensBaltimore]

Correct, it doesn't. But that's contingent upon fans understanding that an expectation of 100% accuracy in officiating is unrealistic and irresponsible on the fans part.

 

I don't expect NFL players to be perfect, so I'm sure not going to expect officials to do the same. I expect them to do better than they have been, and at the same time, I certainly expect our players and coaches to do better than they have been.

I agree with that, but the difference is, you can't go back and fix a player's mistake, but you can fix an official's mistake. The officials aren't going to be perfect, but the league should do everything they can to make the games as fair and accurate as possible, and I think they have the technology and resources to do a much better job than they're doing. Using "the Ravens should have played better" as an excuse for the blatant failure of the officials is complete and utter nonsense. I think we can all agree that the Ravens should have played better, but that's a completely separate issue from the officiating.

[sami]

Flaccos fumble hurt us just as much as Ross's...or was it his two interceptions??

[WNC-Raven]

I'm fine with it... as long as fans are open to the idea of the ENTIRE PLAY being subject to review, not just the single aspect of the play you want to be removed.

 

If you want a late game penalty for DPI that was thrown or not thrown reviewed, I'm all for it... as long as you are reviewing what the OL/DL was doing that play, etc. 

 

So you'll probably get a call your way, followed immediately by the announcement of an additional penalty, such as offensive holding (largely recognized as a call you can make on every play).

You are right. Opening the entire play to scrutiny would be a nightmare as there will always be more than one violation found on a typical play. I guess we have the system we have and should just get used to the refs missing more calls as the game gets too fast for them. We as fans are probably just seeing more of them now that technology has shown us more.

[balfan23]

Flaccos fumble hurt us just as much as Ross's...or was it his two interceptions??

Not sure I get the point. Are you suggesting we cut or bench Flacco because of his 2 turnovers (The one INT - totally on Kamar) or are we're supposed to let Ross continue to fumble punts? 

 

Realize Joe has 101 opportunities a game to make such mistakes and is very often in a much more prone position to have the ball taken away ... vs calling fair catch and then muffing a punt.

 

A guy who has nothing else to bring to a team aside from fielding a punt, loses his job when he puts the ball on the ground. 

[EliteRavens]

These refs are just plain horrible this year

[balfan23]

Well, specifically, we want perfection in an incredibly imperfect sport in an incredibly imperfect world.

 

We will shrug off a fumble from one of our players (a mistake) because he did something correctly previously, but we will not once ever shrug off a missed/incorrect call (a mistake) because that same official made a correct call previously (in most cases, many, many, many correct calls).

 

That is what we as fans ask. When you really step back and look at it as we presently sound, it sort of makes us look bad as well.

Yes, refs are humans ... not robots. But many of the crews I've been watching lately are looking really human. 

 

I'm not alone and this isn't just coming from a disgruntled fan whose team seems to be getting more that their fair share of these human errors. Chris Carter stated on Mike and Mike - "I am not happy with the state of officiating in this league". I couldn't agree more. 

[rmcjacket23]

Yes, refs are humans ... not robots. But many of the crews I've been watching lately are looking really human. 

 

I'm not alone and this isn't just coming from a disgruntled fan whose team seems to be getting more that their fair share of these human errors. Chris Carter stated on Mike and Mike - "I am not happy with the state of officiating in this league". I couldn't agree more. 

I'm not happy with it either. But I don't apply team losses to officials practically ever, because its too narrow minded and short-sighted.

 

This is actually the textbook definition of not allowing the officials to determine the game, because we were given every possible opportunity to not allow them to decide the game. Like literally dozens of chances to not do that.

[TheConquerorWorm]

They get over 100K for their job a season. And an NFL season is not even year round. I think that is plenty to get so called eye surgery and glasses. The NFL needs to invest more training into these referees. More games this year than before they have changed the outcomes and it is frustrating to watch in every game.

Monday thru Friday, NFL refs work regular jobs. On Saturday, they travel to game, get together for an hour or so and then call the game on Sunday. Instead of working a 9-5 job Mon-Fri, they should be working for the NFL and using that time for training, reviewing game film/bad calls, etc. But the NFL doesn't want to pay them to do that. 

[salamander]

Happy Birthday Crockett. May you have many more in a Ravens uniform.

[MDguyCeCo]

Why waste time even caring about where we will pick... our history shows that we DO bust way too often... Kindle, Jimmy Smith, now Perriman... Thank God we got Mosley...

so now there's a First Round pick that will shut me up....

But we MUST get better at scouting and/or managing a Team....

[EddiOK]

Curse you, Pete Morrelli.

[catgirl54]

Jon Gruen always says it on MNF - TOO MANY FLAGS! IT'S A FLAG FEST! He always says he wishes they would let the players play the game.

Too many rules, maybe, for part-timers to digest. Get full-timers in there, if there's a penalty for even blinking your eye.

[FloridalovesRavens]

Sami Flacco said it right. We should not have put our selves in the position of one play making or breaking the game. Yes we are not good now but geez stop beating it to death. Two bad years out of eight wow are we spoiled!

[Jim Giampaoli]

Sami: I agree with your post. Both Ross and Jackson made mistakes, but half way through the season to can them both tells me that there is discontent, frustration and finger pointing brewing in the castle. These players are scapegoats that paid the price for a disastrous season that the coaches and FO won't except, mostly, as their fault.

[Ugly Ball]

Watch our games over.

Rediculously blatant missed calls.

(Pitt game) Our D linemen gets tackled just before hitting the runner.

Runner scores! Announcers mentioned it but after the initial review they don't show the beginning of the play again. Just Vick's block on Webby.

(Arizona game) Last play of game. Pass to Gilmore turns into an Int. to end the game. Another blatant no call on the DB pushing off to get the separation needed !

This non called ultimately change the outcome of the game.

There have been many other instances of bad calls/no calls favoring our opponents.

(Jags game) kamar Aiken gets hit helmet to helmet, on a play that ends in an Int.

No call. Jags receiver later gets hit shoulder to sholder, helmets may have grazed each other. Result instant penalty!

I am going to go backand rewatch all our games and document all these rediculous game changing Ref bungles from this year, just to have the info down.

Besides what else have I got to do during the playoffs this year?

Edited November 18, 2015 by Ugly Ball

[Ravensfolyfe]

4 turn overs costed us the game not the refs. We should know better than to leave our games in the refs hands.