It is getting to where I don't want to watch football anymore - refs

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

I'm watching SF vs. Falcons.

Two absolutely vomit-inducing calls that change the nature of the game.

1st one a fantastic hit by a DB on a receiver who just caught the ball. Everything below the neck, blew the guy up, turned a long gain into an incomplete. YELLOW FLAG!!! Why I don't know, too rough? Is there some rule now that the DB can't hit the receiver till he catches it? They called UNSPORTMANSLIKE as well as penalty.

And now some absolutely bogus PI call on Falcons, gives the 49ers a new set of downs near the red zone.

This league, this GAME sucks now. It's maybe to the point where it's not worth watching, now that the outcomes of the games are as dependent on bad calls as on good play on the field.

And who knows if we make the playoffs next weekend, but that FRIGGING call where we blocked the FG yesterday but they gave the ball to GB could have made SURE we didn't see the post-season.

It sucks.

[papillon]

I'm watching SF vs. Falcons.

Two absolutely vomit-inducing calls that change the nature of the game.

1st one a fantastic hit by a DB on a receiver who just caught the ball. Everything below the neck, blew the guy up, turned a long gain into an incomplete. YELLOW FLAG!!! Why I don't know, too rough? Is there some rule now that the DB can't hit the receiver till he catches it? They called UNSPORTMANSLIKE as well as penalty.

And now some absolutely bogus PI call on Falcons, gives the 49ers a new set of downs near the red zone.

This league, this GAME sucks now. It's maybe to the point where it's not worth watching, now that the outcomes of the games are as dependent on bad calls as on good play on the field.

And who knows if we make the playoffs next weekend, but that FRIGGING call where we blocked the FG yesterday but they gave the ball to GB could have made SURE we didn't see the post-season.

It sucks.

Yup, I agree 100%, the rules are ridiculous and the refereeing is atrocious. Unless the Steelers are playing, I don't watch the NFL for the most part and certainly not an entire game. The exceptions are the playoffs, I like to watch the playoffs because the intensity level is turned up a notch.

Pappy

[thor75]

isn't this the first full season for the refs to do nothing but officiate NFL games? I thought Ed Hochilys (sp?) arms were smaller than usual. Did Goodells pussification of the league have an effect on the refs as well?

[Ernie]

isn't this the first full season for the refs to do nothing but officiate NFL games? I thought Ed Hochilys (sp?) arms were smaller than usual. Did Goodells pussification of the league have an effect on the refs as well?

I also noticed that Ed is not as massive as in year's past. Perhaps the refs are now subject to the NFL performance enhancing drug policies?

[Sure, Not]

I started this season only watching Steelers games. I havent even watched those for about 4 weeks. I'm becoming a bigger Pens fan than Steelers fan. 5 years ago, I would say Steelers 1st, Pens very close 2nd, but the way the league is today, the Steelers aren't even close to the Pens for my fandom. Between the league outlawing the physicality and arena football week after week, and Mike Tomlin's ineptitude in time management, coaches challenge, matchups, adjustments etc.... It is hard to watch Steelers football anymore. Go Pens.

[7 UP]

I'm watching SF vs. Falcons.

Two absolutely vomit-inducing calls that change the nature of the game.

1st one a fantastic hit by a DB on a receiver who just caught the ball. Everything below the neck, blew the guy up, turned a long gain into an incomplete. YELLOW FLAG!!! Why I don't know, too rough? Is there some rule now that the DB can't hit the receiver till he catches it? They called UNSPORTMANSLIKE as well as penalty.

And now some absolutely bogus PI call on Falcons, gives the 49ers a new set of downs near the red zone.

This league, this GAME sucks now. It's maybe to the point where it's not worth watching, now that the outcomes of the games are as dependent on bad calls as on good play on the field.

And who knows if we make the playoffs next weekend, but that FRIGGING call where we blocked the FG yesterday but they gave the ball to GB could have made SURE we didn't see the post-season.

It sucks.

I never thought I would see the NFL at the point where it is right now. The thing I dont understand is why there isnt more outrage over these penalties and fines. I keep waiting for someone to step up and take a stand, yet no one ever does. Until a group of players and coaches stand up and openly oppose Goodells agenda, things will continue to get worse.

[NorthCoast]

Yup, I agree 100%, the rules are ridiculous and the refereeing is atrocious. Unless the Steelers are playing, I don't watch the NFL for the most part and certainly not an entire game. The exceptions are the playoffs, I like to watch the playoffs because the intensity level is turned up a notch.

Pappy

The reason why playoff games are so exciting is that most refs tend to back off and let the players play. It is the closest thing to real football we see in a season.

Beyond officiating, the other thing I have noticed in many games this season is the general pathetic tackling. There was a Dallas game I watched seven guys miss the tackle on one play!! Seven! That's half the defense!
I suspect the CBA is a part of the culprit with limited contact practice allowed during the week. But this is professional football and I have seen better tackling in my kids HS games.

[squidkid]

actually the officiating is great. these guys catch the vast majority of the infractions that occur with only a split second to do so.
the problem arises with instant replay where the handful of call that they do miss get shown from every angle possible in slow motion.
even if there were full time referees, that trained 12 months of the year, they would still miss these calls.
what needs to be done is every snap of the ball needs to be reviewed by a panel of officials that can evaluate every facet of the play and then radio down to the field for the proper call.
there still would be some 'misses' but a lot of crap could be cleaned up and ref conspiracies could be squashed.

You know what I can agree with this 100%, if, they took the replay and review out of the game like back in the day. Let the players play, the coaches coach and the referees referee the game and I'd be onboard with the officiating being good.

The problem that I have is that even with the review they still manage to screw it up and there is so much subjectivity in PI and holding now that its nearly impossible to get those calls correct more than 70% of the time. I watch OLBs get hooked around the neck nearly every play and nothing, then I see an interior linemen get tripped or fall over a body on the ground and he lands on a player and they call that holding, its absurd what I see week in and week out.

Pappy

[pittpete]

Ryan Clark picked up the ball after the block and pitched it back to Gay.
What the f*ck were the refs watching if they weren't watching the ball?

[Dee Dub]

I'm watching SF vs. Falcons.

Two absolutely vomit-inducing calls that change the nature of the game.

1st one a fantastic hit by a DB on a receiver who just caught the ball. Everything below the neck, blew the guy up, turned a long gain into an incomplete. YELLOW FLAG!!! Why I don't know, too rough? Is there some rule now that the DB can't hit the receiver till he catches it? They called UNSPORTMANSLIKE as well as penalty.

And now some absolutely bogus PI call on Falcons, gives the 49ers a new set of downs near the red zone.

This league, this GAME sucks now. It's maybe to the point where it's not worth watching, now that the outcomes of the games are as dependent on bad calls as on good play on the field.

And who knows if we make the playoffs next weekend, but that FRIGGING call where we blocked the FG yesterday but they gave the ball to GB could have made SURE we didn't see the post-season.

It sucks.

I agree with you about how the game is being changed in the wrong way. However, your first example (unsportsmanlike conduct), was because of Donte Whitner's behavior after the call. He actually had two calls on that play. The first one was unnecessary roughness to a defenseless receiver (which was a BS call), the second was what he did after the call (unsportsmanlike like conduct).

[papillon]

Ryan Clark picked up the ball after the block and pitched it back to Gay.
What the f*ck were the refs watching if they weren't watching the ball?

That's a good question and one for which there is no good answer.

Pappy

[DukieBoy]

Lawyer(s) ru(i)n the league. Too many rules, too complicated. Too hard to officiate.

[thor75]

NFL officiating has been under a very exacting microscope this season, as it seems that there have been more errors than usual in 2013. And the league has been forthright in admitting at least some of its errors.

NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino went on NFL Newtork'��s Total Access on Tuesday, as he does every week, and admitted the officials in the Packers-Steelers game on Sunday made a major error on a crucial blocked field goal.

The Steelers blocked a Packers field goal in the third quarter, leading to a scrum for the loose football along the sideline. During the scramble, Steelers safety Ryan Clark briefly gained possession and, while still on the ground, pitched the ball back unsuccessfully toward his teammate. The ball ultimately rolled toward the sideline, where one Steelers player swatted it out of bounds. The swat earned the Steelers a penalty and, since the officials ruled that the Steelers never fully established possession, almost inexplicably gave Green Bay the ball back. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin tried to review the play, seeing as Clark appeared to have possession on the play, but was not allowed under NFL rules.

Despite the play, the Steelers won 38-31.

"Clark's going to gain control, and it actually looks like he throws a backward pass, so had this been reviewable, I think we could have overturned this," Blandino said.

The play is not reviewable under the leagues current replay review system, which is just another case for the system to expand and allow coaches more leeway in what plays they can challenge. Blandino seems to agree that the system needs to be changed, even acknowledging that the competition committee should reconsider what should and shouldn't be reviewable.

"It's important to remember that this is not reviewable,"� Blandino said of the play.The ruling on the field of whether Clark possessed it or not is not a reviewable aspect, and that's something the competition committee has looked at in the past, and I'm sure they'll continue to look at."

The competition committee won't meet until the offseason, meaning teams will need to deal with the current replay review standards at least until the end of this season.

[url]http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/our-bad-again-nfl-says-of-botched-call-in-steelers-packers-122413[/url]