Officiating

[Djfan]

I kept saying that the officiating was just as bad with the real officials, but nobody listened to me. We are seeing more of the same awful calls, but as someone else said, they are made quicker.

I agreed and have been frustrated by it for a long time. The thing about the replacement refs is that they didn't get time to hear about how horrible the Steelers are, so they threw flags evenly for stuff that shouldn't get called.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Only reason people complained so hard against the replacement officials is because there was another option, the real officials. Now there is no other option so no other way to go. One thing I don't understand is you have 60 year old officials running around trying to keep up with huge players running super fast. The NFL makes so much money, can't they start an officials school where they can groom younger, more athletic officials that didn't have the talent to play in the NFL but can keep up and be right there in the action?

[NorthCoast]

I am one of the few that had little problem with the replacement refs. I thought their decisions were just as good as the regs, but maybe did take a little longer to get the decision. The regular refs gain legitimacy by name only, i.e. "regular" vs "substitute", imagine the media roar if the subs screwed up the clock like in the STL/SF game Sunday ... there would probably be rioting at Goodell's doorstep!!

[Northern_Blitz]

I agreed and have been frustrated by it for a long time. The thing about the replacement refs is that they didn't get time to hear about how horrible the Steelers are, so they threw flags evenly for stuff that shouldn't get called.

I think on a call by call basis the replacements were fine.

However, I think the big legit complaint was that they consistently called significantly more penalties on the visitors than the home team. I suppose the argument is that the bad calls by the regular refs even out (home vs. away), where the bad calls by the replacements were biased against the visitors.

[feltdizz]

No doubt.

When the regular officials were out on strike, I heard a lot of talk from the media about how bad the replacement refs were...Can anyone tell me exactly how the regular zebras are any better? Cause I sure don't see it.

They are better because the media and analyst cover for them when they screw up.

[lloydroid]

We got hosed on calls last week but got a lot of favorable calls today. KC has had some rough calls.

We definitely had some ticky tack calls go our way. I was thinking the same thing. If I were a KC fan I'd be ticked off. A few of those call were really BAD.

[hawaiiansteel]

If I were a KC fan I'd be ticked off.

oh, the KC fans are plenty ticked off but mostly at their GM Scott Pioli...

[DBR96A]

We definitely had some ticky tack calls go our way. I was thinking the same thing. If I were a KC fan I'd be ticked off. A few of those call were really BAD.

The thing about "ticky-tack" calls is that they're correct by the book, but there have been instances of worse going unflagged. On Dwayne Bowe's nullified TD, Branden Albert did indeed grab the back of Will Allen's jersey, which offensive linemen are taught never to do. It was the correct call, even though other offensive linemen have gotten away with worse before. The offensive pass interference was technically correct as well since the pushoff not only helped Tony Moeaki make his cut, but also made Lawrence Timmons slip and fall. I didn't have a problem with that call regardless of Mike Tirico's opinion. (By the way, people put too much stock in the announcers' opinions. They've been wrong before.)

[Shoe]

I kept saying that the officiating was just as bad with the real officials, but nobody listened to me. We are seeing more of the same awful calls, but as someone else said, they are made quicker.

To say the calls are as bad as the replacements is just ridiculous. The thing you want from referees, is consistency. With both referees, you are bound to get bad calls because as we all know, refs are blind. The BIG difference is the lack of consistency of the replacement guys. As I've said many times, it's not even really much their fault. They don't work as part of a team (because let's face it: they weren't), and so each guy made calls totally independently.

With these guys, there is a cohesion that goes along with working as a team or crew. It DEFINITELY lends itself to a better reffed game, putting aside the blown calls that happen regardless.

[Slapstick]

The offensive pass interference was technically correct as well since the pushoff not only helped Tony Moeaki make his cut, but also made Lawrence Timmons slip and fall.

If Timmons had pushed Moeaki in the same manner, it would have been a no-brainer defensive PI call...

Nonetheless, it was still a no-brainer PI call...just against the receiver...