nfl ok with refs helping pats - article

[trapezeus]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-jets-patriots-nfl-refs-20141017-htmlstory.html

ok a bit of a skooby headline, but still. why even have the penalty if refs are supposed to tell every team that the guy is lining up over center?

this is like the explanation the NHL tried to give on "no goal".

it's BS.

[imbondz]

Ha. I was just going to post that article. Is that common practice?


http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/10/patriots-jets-official-field-goal-move-penalty-donta-hightower-nick-folk-new-england-york

[feldspar]

I don't recall seeing this before, but I've never looked for it.

[trapezeus]

Ha. I was just going to post that article. Is that common practice?


http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/10/patriots-jets-official-field-goal-move-penalty-donta-hightower-nick-folk-new-england-york

on GR, Marrone was asked about this and he said, "there are certain things refs try to tell you in game to reduce the number of penalties and this one based on the proximity of the ref and what he's seeing isn't completely uncommon." but he never sited a video sent around about this.

the question 31 other teams have to ask themselves is do they think if the roles were reversed and the pats were attempting a 58 yard field goal for the win, would their ST unit be told to avoid a penalty?

after the pattern that is clear as day over 13 years, i think it's fair to say the 5 yard penlaty would have been called and the kick tried again.

[imbondz]

When was the last time that penalty was called? It should never be called again now. That's dumb to have a penalty in the first place if you're not going to enforce it.

[Fletch]

What else is new. I'm surprised that the NFL doesn't pay to have call girls in the Pats lockerroom after the game.

[Thurmal]

Blaming refs is such a poser fan move, but officiating in NE games has been, to put it conservatively, fishy for about a decade. It's wild how often they get bailed out by the refs.

Think of the first quarter last week. 3rd down, Nickell Robey comes off the corner untouched. He is going to nail Brady. They blow the play dead and call a false start on NE. No one on their team moved at all. It was obvious that the officials were ensuring that Brady didn't get hit, injured, fumble etc.

[justasportsfan]

the cowboys are supposedly americas team, the cheatriots are the NFL's team.

Pegula taking advise from Kraft : "get in the refs pockets"

[don137]

The problem with this is if the penalty ever gets called on a team and a ref never warns the defensive player then it will cause a stir because they did it before and it helped the Patriots win a game

[MikeInRoch]

I've absolutely seen refs come in and tap a player to have him move over. Multiple times.

If the guy lines up and the ball is snapped before the ref can tap him, then the penalty should still be called.

[feldspar]

How 'bout this?

<iframe class="vine-embed" src="https://vine.co/v/Oq2qzHKEgA6/embed/simple" width="600" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><script async src="//platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[BuffaloRedleg]

Unbelievable.

Wait a minute, totally believable.

Football is a great sport and I love my team, but the NFL is such a ****ing joke.

[EricStratton]

So if the ref wasn't quick to point it out he throws the flag but since he was quick he doesn't.

That makes such little sense it's comical.

[starrymessenger]

Player safety is the only thing that can justify the officials doing this sort of thing.
Even then they should simply blow the whistle when a defensive player lines up this way.
Officials are there to ensure that teams have the same opportunities so that the outcomes are valid. That's the reason for the rules that they are charged with enforcing.
This practice potentially interferes with the notion of equal treatment and, even worse, essentially makes the outcome a discretion of the officials which is not at all what the result of a game is supposed to be.
Lets assume that the Jets had previously been penalized for the same infraction (it does get called - NE lost a game last year because of it) and that the penalty allowed the Pats to kick a field goal with three or fewer points being the margin of victory (as was the case Thursday night).
i would have loved to see Rex's post game presser.

[Mr. Pink]

How 'bout this?

<iframe class="vine-embed" src="https://vine.co/v/Oq2qzHKEgA6/embed/simple" width="600" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><script async src="//platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Yeah how about that!

The Pats were flagged on that play.

[feldspar]

Yeah how about that!

The Pats were flagged on that play.

You sure know how to take the fun out of everything.

Totally beside the point.

[DraftBoy]

You sure know how to take the fun out of everything.

Totally beside the point.

What was the point then?

[MikeInRoch]

Player safety is the only thing that can justify the officials doing this sort of thing.
Even then they should simply blow the whistle when a defensive player lines up this way.
Officials are there to ensure that teams have the same opportunities so that the outcomes are valid. That's the reason for the rules that they are charged with enforcing.
This practice potentially interferes with the notion of equal treatment and, even worse, essentially makes the outcome a discretion of the officials which is not at all what the result of a game is supposed to be.
Lets assume that the Jets had previously been penalized for the same infraction (it does get called - NE lost a game last year because of it) and that the penalty allowed the Pats to kick a field goal with three or fewer points being the margin of victory (as was the case Thursday night).
i would have loved to see Rex's post game presser.

No, NE did NOT lose a game because of it. Their penalty was for something that was an action DURING the play (someone pushing the back of their own player). Good try, tho.

[starrymessenger]

No, NE did NOT lose a game because of it. Their penalty was for something that was an action DURING the play (someone pushing the back of their own player). Good try, tho.

Thanks for pointing that out. My memory failed me there.
The point though is that the penalty does get called (when the refs don't "interfere") and it therefore can influence the outcome of games.
For example, last just week when Zach Kerr was called for it - which just about led to a Texans comeback in their game vs the Colts.
So I think the point of my post is still valid.

[trapezeus]

While pats were called for crushing the jets player after the play, the flag took a long time to come out. As tensions rose, this video occurs and immediately its Brady looking for a flag by faking it. It's just horse**** all around in a pats game.