Watch this. Not just about this game, but all NFL games at risk.

[oldnotdead]

You apparently aren't aware of how even the media is asking WTF is going on because it literally is most games every week. It has never been this blatantly bad. Even Gene Steratore felt compelled to publicly appologize for not reveiwing a blatantly bad call in the Colts game.

 

[Tano]

"Suddenly" the officiating has become a farce? I don't agree with that. How can people forget just how awful the officiating has been for years and years and years?

Remember the craziness of the "control to the ground" catch rules? That rule made the NFL nearly unwatchable. Dozens and dozens of games were decided by a crazy rule that was difficult to understand and wasn't enforced consistently and didn't make any sense! I honestly think the officiating in the NFL has dramatically improved compared to the dark days (approximately 2014 to 2018 or so?) with that "control through the ground" bullshit.

That was due to the rule not due to the Referee's being terrible.

I agree with OND that the officiating has gotten a lot worse in the last five years or so.

It never was this bad.

I would see a lot of close calls be called incorrectly but not this horrible not even touching a receiver interference call and being short by a good half foot and moving the ball up after the ref initially marked it a half foot short

Something is going on. I do not know if it is point shaving but something fishy is definitely afoot.

 

[FaulkSF]

View: https://x.com/colts_coverage/status/1716991142779043847?s=10&t=kNKSEWn61seFd5IamTdF_w

 

[Tano]

View: https://x.com/colts_coverage/status/1716991142779043847?s=10&t=kNKSEWn61seFd5IamTdF_w

Could have called holding also since the CB was holding just before the pass was thrown

 

[Loyal]

I'm in the minority on this, but...

I am constantly amazed at how players get better and better, and therefore how insanely and ridiculously close many of the calls need to be.

Take Puka Nacua's sideline catch, for example. I mean, what human on earth could have possibly seen that call ACCURATELY in REAL TIME without the aid of slo-mo AND close-up replay? Puka's right toe was BARELY inbounds by the tiniest hair just a SPLIT-SECOND before the rest of his foot rolled out of bounds. Cripes, his shoelaces were almost out while his toe was in!

My point being... I think many fans have lost perspective on how INSANELY CLOSE so many calls have become.

When I go to a game, from far away, it's easy ti lose perspective on how FAST these guys are. I move closer, and then I see, "wow, they're elite athletes". On the field itself, the speed of play must seem BLAZING fast to us mere mortals.

Refs have to make split-second decisions on split-second plays with super-elite players with the tiniest of margins. And then we sit in our recliners and watch the super-slo-mo replays on our big screens and say "it was obvious."

IMO, referees haven't gotten worse over the years. It's that the pace of the game has led to constant razor-thin calls, and technology exposes the mistakes.

Should extra consideration (review) happen at critical points in the game? Take the time and get it right if you are not sure.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

NFL balls have the telemetry in them Toto measure metrics on players. If they can do that then they could certainly figure out where to correctly spot the ball.

Too many times you see a ref look like he is going to spot the ball correctly but then places it a half a yard in either direction. It’s mind boggling that they can get that wrong unintentionally.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Fans would rather the extra 5 minutes to get the call right. The league knows this.

 

[FaulkSF]

Could have called holding also since the CB was holding just before the pass was thrown

Good observation Tano. I’d just let the play go. Here’s what I saw: Receiver pushes off and chucks the head and shoulder of the DB. DB grabs the WR’s hips. They’re both at fault, play on.

 

[Tano]

Good observation Tano. I’d just let the play go. Here’s what I saw: Receiver pushes off and chucks the head and shoulder of the DB. DB grabs the WR’s hips. They’re both at fault, play on.

Or do offsetting

 

[FaulkSF]

Or do offsetting

Yeah, I can see that too. It’s at the end of the game though, and I’d rather make the game about the players than the officials.

 

[Mackeyser]

You say, "eyewitness observation is less than 50% reliable", so I think we agree to a certain extent.

As to the question of why the NFL doesn't fully embrace technology to get every call right? That's a separate question and I'm not sure what to think on that one. Why hasn't MLB embraced a fully automated strike zone yet? Why doesn't the NFL used GPS location technology with a chip on the football instead of this antiquated system of "eyeballing it" with a ten yard chain?

Perhaps the NFL thinks that controversy SELLS. Fans get up in arms every damn week about various calls. Might the NFL not be in a particular hurry to reduce the fallible human element? I don't know. I personally don't believe the NFL tries to "rig" games. I personally don't believe the NFL tries to "guide" or "steer" outcomes either. But does the NFL recognize that ratings might actually go UP with all the attention and fan engagement from all the constant debating and controversies surrounding close calls? I don't know. Maybe they do.

MLB is working on implementing the HawkEye system for calling pitches, from the same company that makes the system for Tennis.

And there are already sensors in the football

As to does controversy bring in or lose fans? Short term more… long term significantly less.

But the USFL/XFL did it right by switching the camera to the “replay center” so we as fans could hear EXACTLY what the replay official was saying and why. Total transparency.

What’s missing from the “fan retention” debate is how many new fans aren’t staying because of the widespread perception that in some kind of way the fix is in? How many fans have given up because their team never seems to be on the league's radar? Ask a Detroit fan how the NFL goes versus a Pats fan… wildly different experiences and it’s easy to see why the Detroit fans struggle.

 

[FaulkSF]

MLB is working on implementing the HawkEye system for calling pitches, from the same company that makes the system for Tennis.

And there are already sensors in the football

As to does controversy bring in or lose fans? Short term more… long term significantly less.

But the USFL/XFL did it right by switching the camera to the “replay center” so we as fans could hear EXACTLY what the replay official was saying and why. Total transparency.

What’s missing from the “fan retention” debate is how many new fans aren’t staying because of the widespread perception that in some kind of way the fix is in? How many fans have given up because their team never seems to be on the league's radar? Ask a Detroit fan how the NFL goes versus a Pats fan… wildly different experiences and it’s easy to see why the Detroit fans struggle.

Fans like to complain, so the NFL hasn’t lost as much as we would think. It’s the same for other sports too: Flopping in futbol, traveling in basketball, Angel Hernandez in baseball, etc.

 

[dieterbrock]

I think both. The league values parity and they know that. Not like there are memos out there directing them but I think their calls favor parity in general.

But they also seem to be influenced by situation or teams at times. They were all in with the Steelers in that game. No way they don't pick up that PI otherwise.

Also I agree too much is on them. All are true to some extent I think.

And then you have Pittsburgh fans who think the refs were helping the Rams, insisting that the taunting fouls against Pickens and Johnson were BS and home town calls. Pitt had almost double the penalties and penalty yardage

 

[Tano]

The refs right now are so bad I almost want the replacement refs back .... almost

 

[Psycho_X]

View: https://x.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/1717221283417457076?s=20

 

[Tano]

View: https://x.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/1717221283417457076?s=20

I think Donald should have done a little more than yell that's a bad spot. he should have gotten in the referee's face and let him know just how displeased he was with that spot.

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

And then you have Pittsburgh fans who think the refs were helping the Rams, insisting that the taunting fouls against Pickens and Johnson were BS and home town calls. Pitt had almost double the penalties and penalty yardage

I was surprised at the loudmouth assholes on the Steelers, esp. that RB and WR that kept yelling in our guys’ faces after plays. That’s Niners level right there. Wish we’d have shut them down after that, but we didn’t.

 

[Ellard80]

I'm in the minority on this, but...

I am constantly amazed at how players get better and better, and therefore how insanely and ridiculously close many of the calls need to be.

Take Puka Nacua's sideline catch, for example. I mean, what human on earth could have possibly seen that call ACCURATELY in REAL TIME without the aid of slo-mo AND close-up replay? Puka's right toe was BARELY inbounds by the tiniest hair just a SPLIT-SECOND before the rest of his foot rolled out of bounds. Cripes, his shoelaces were almost out while his toe was in!

My point being... I think many fans have lost perspective on how INSANELY CLOSE so many calls have become.

When I go to a game, from far away, it's easy ti lose perspective on how FAST these guys are. I move closer, and then I see, "wow, they're elite athletes". On the field itself, the speed of play must seem BLAZING fast to us mere mortals.

Refs have to make split-second decisions on split-second plays with super-elite players with the tiniest of margins. And then we sit in our recliners and watch the super-slo-mo replays on our big screens and say "it was obvious."

IMO, referees haven't gotten worse over the years. It's that the pace of the game has led to constant razor-thin calls, and technology exposes the mistakes.

this is why everything needs to be reviewed upstairs - no more challenge flags.

College basically does this as ive said in the other thread.

 

[snackdaddy]

With today's technology, and billions the NFL has at their disposal, there is no reason they can't correct bad calls and/or spots in a short period of time. They're appeasing the refs because the don't want the refs to look bad. Why do you think the refs don't have to answer questions after a game like the players and coaches do?

 

[RamDino]

And there are already sensors in the football

I have heard this mentioned before. If true, what is the purpose, other than spotting the ball?