Tweet
Let’s face facts, the referees this week in the NFL were flat out terrible. Missed calls, phantom penalties and inexplicable whistles reigned supreme. These guys were not fit to call a peewee game at your local playground. It is blatantly obvious that the bad and missed calls clearly affected the outcome of several games this weekend.
But wait! Sometime in the past 10 years legions of sports fans and sports talk radio hosts decided that fans cannot under any circumstance blame the referee’s for a loss. It has somehow become unwritten rule numeral uno in sports conversation. It happens in every post game conversation, someone will place the blame on the refs and a score of onlookers will look on you with pity like your some wayward homer and explain that the refs cannot be blamed. It’s a load of garbage!
The talent in the NFL today is spread around so much that it’s very possible that the sixth seed in the playoffs could win the Superbowl. It happened last year. 5 years ago it would have been unheard of. 5 years ago, the 6th place team couldn’t win a single playoff game, and if they did manage to get past the first round they were usually dominated in round 2. The difference in talent from the best team in the league to the worst team in the league is marginal at best. Sure, other things like coaching, play calling, confidence, chemistry and momentum play a very big role in determining the outcome of a game but the fact remains that there are only 32 teams in the league and the 32nd ranked team can give the 1st ranked team fits.
This is a professional sport played at breakneck speeds at the highest level. Teams prepare for months for the season to begin. They practice in 100-degree summer heat perfecting their play. Then the season begins and in game one they fight and scratch and claw their way against another group of pros that worked just as hard just to have the referee make a call that baffles everyone in attendance and everyone watching on TV. Why is it that the referees can’t be blamed?
There were numerous examples over the weekend.
Sean Taylor getting a phantom pass interference call on Monday night.
The Giants getting called for a non-existent offensive pass interference call on the potentially game winning touchdown drive on Sunday night.
The Bills getting flagged numerous times in one game including 3 blocking in the back penalties in crunch time while the Patriots get flagged once despite running over the punter twice and holding all game. Infractions occur on every play in the NFL and the referees choose when to call them. It’s inexcusable to think that one squad could have 7 penalties and the other could play a perfectly clean game.
All that being said, whatever you do, don’t blame the referees! The sports fans Gestapo can’t wait to let you know how wrong you are. It doesn’t matter how close the games are or how bad the referees have screwed up, it has been ordained by a higher power that we can never blame the referees for a loss. I just don’t understand why.
But wait! Sometime in the past 10 years legions of sports fans and sports talk radio hosts decided that fans cannot under any circumstance blame the referee’s for a loss. It has somehow become unwritten rule numeral uno in sports conversation. It happens in every post game conversation, someone will place the blame on the refs and a score of onlookers will look on you with pity like your some wayward homer and explain that the refs cannot be blamed. It’s a load of garbage!
The talent in the NFL today is spread around so much that it’s very possible that the sixth seed in the playoffs could win the Superbowl. It happened last year. 5 years ago it would have been unheard of. 5 years ago, the 6th place team couldn’t win a single playoff game, and if they did manage to get past the first round they were usually dominated in round 2. The difference in talent from the best team in the league to the worst team in the league is marginal at best. Sure, other things like coaching, play calling, confidence, chemistry and momentum play a very big role in determining the outcome of a game but the fact remains that there are only 32 teams in the league and the 32nd ranked team can give the 1st ranked team fits.
This is a professional sport played at breakneck speeds at the highest level. Teams prepare for months for the season to begin. They practice in 100-degree summer heat perfecting their play. Then the season begins and in game one they fight and scratch and claw their way against another group of pros that worked just as hard just to have the referee make a call that baffles everyone in attendance and everyone watching on TV. Why is it that the referees can’t be blamed?
There were numerous examples over the weekend.
Sean Taylor getting a phantom pass interference call on Monday night.
The Giants getting called for a non-existent offensive pass interference call on the potentially game winning touchdown drive on Sunday night.
The Bills getting flagged numerous times in one game including 3 blocking in the back penalties in crunch time while the Patriots get flagged once despite running over the punter twice and holding all game. Infractions occur on every play in the NFL and the referees choose when to call them. It’s inexcusable to think that one squad could have 7 penalties and the other could play a perfectly clean game.
All that being said, whatever you do, don’t blame the referees! The sports fans Gestapo can’t wait to let you know how wrong you are. It doesn’t matter how close the games are or how bad the referees have screwed up, it has been ordained by a higher power that we can never blame the referees for a loss. I just don’t understand why.
Comment