To err is human (49'ers v. Giants)

Personal | 12/07/02 | Blabs

[Guillermo]

If any NFL team has a right to bitch about the referees, it's the Raiders.

But, I believe that poor/slanted officiating in the NFL comes from on high, and is not the result of poor decision making by the referees.

The NFL wants and needs an exciting product. There is no doubt in my mind (now) that the ref's will call a defensive hold or pass interference just to keep a drive going for a team which is down and trying to make a comeback. See: Miami-New England, Dec. 27th. Dolphin Jamar Fletcher was called for a pass interference which, if anything, was offensive interference. But, it made the game much more exciting.

[blabs]

He's on the NFL side.

[HELLRAISER II]

I'm really into racing so I don't follow the football games very much anymore but since they were the play off's I thought i'd at least watch a few of them and this just happened to be one that I watched. The pass interference was so obvious a 6 year old could have called the penalty, they really screwed up on this one.

[dfwgator]

whoever Sehorn was covering the entire 4th Quarter.

Blame it on Angie Harmon.

[Guillermo]

That doesn't show sh*t.

Defenders are given a 5 yard allowance, didn't you know this?

[Rubasoo]

He reported he was eligible before the game even started. It is allowed and normally practiced. He was eligible.

And, why the NY bashing?? The Giants were choaking, but they deserve as much as a chance as anyone else. The rules should have worked for them, not against them.

[gaspar]

NFL officials did not admit, nor would they review, the interception made by the 49ers Ahmed Plummer only three plays before the final snap. There are all sorts of errors made in a game, but we generally remember only the last one.

[Guillermo]

I didn't see it, so I can't comment, but, the NFL admitted it was a blown call, so I will assume it was.

It's too bad when the game is taken out of the hands of the players and put in the hands of the referees.

[My2Cents]

Not that I'm bitter or have a major grudge, but the 1978 AFC championship game (for the '77 season) between the Raiders and the Broncos (Raiders were defending Super Bowl champs) had a MAJOR boner on the part of the officials. Broncos clearly fumbled the ball on the Raider 2-yard line, it was scooped up by Dave Rowe, as I recall, of the Raiders, and he ran it back 98 yards for a TD...but the refs called the play dead before the fumble. The replay showed otherwise. Denver was given the ball back on the Raiders' 2, and the subsequently scored. A 14-point swing. The Broncos won my less than 14 points.

So, the Giants aren't the first team to be robbed. Besides, even if the got to re-kick the FG attempt, at 41 yards, what with the lousy snaps of the center, and the poor kicking of the kicker, there's no guarantee they would have made the FG anyway.

[Alberta's Child]

If the Giants had one, the NFL would not have been able to release the schedule for any games beyond next weekend because there was a remote possibility that both the Giants and the Jets, who play in the same stadium, could have hosted league championship games.

I heard that the NFL was actually prepared to schedule both of them in Giants Stadium on the same day, with an interval of 2-3 hours between games.

[smith288]

That doesn't show sh*t.

Defenders are given a 5 yard allowance, didn't you know this?

First of all...nice mouth...

Second, You are allowed to bump 5 yards of the line, not pull their jerseys down to make belts out of them... Keep crying, Ill be dancing over here...

[Alberta's Child]

Nice photos. What you don't see in the first one is that on that play the defensive back actually grabbed the receiver TWICE as he was cutting to the outside.

[amused]

The Giants played an overtime game against Philadelphia a few years back, and a similar thing happened. The Giants blocked the winning field goal attempt, but Philadelphia recovered the ball in their own backfield and ran it into the end zone for a game-winning touchdown.

A pox on thee for making me relive that one ;-)

[Mr. Mojo]

There is no doubt in my mind (now) that the ref's will call a defensive hold or pass interference just to keep a drive going for a team which is down and trying to make a comeback.

Yep, and I've been saying the same thing for years. Certain "penalties" - like holding, either offensive or defensive - can be called on almost any play without the refs drawing too much attention to their incompetence (or cheating), and this is how the league attempts to determine the outcomes of games.

[My2Cents]

I believe that poor/slanted officiating in the NFL comes from on high

Same could be said of the NBA officiating. I have noticed more consistency in actually enforcing NBA rules this year, which explains in large measure why the Lakers are mired near the bottom of their division.

[Guillermo]

Yep, another bandwagoneer.

All of the sudden, this board is loaded with OSU fans.

[ken5050]

Collingsworth today said that by spiking the ball he meant the holder could "throw a pass" 5 feet into the ground.....it would have worked...

Everyone forgets that the Bills gave the Jints a gift Super Bowl when Christie missed the last second FG.....so what go around comes around....

Jets kick Raider butt!!!!!

[NittanyLion]

And, why the NY bashing?? The Giants were choking, but they deserve as much as a chance as anyone else. The rules should have worked for them, not against them.

I admit that the Giants were the victims of bad officiating. I just don't think the league offices would've made a statement admitting it if the victims played in another city.

[Alberta's Child]

I remember that game not because of the ending, but because the ending was inevitable. Phil Simms got injured earlier in the game, and Jeff Rutledge was their quarterback in overtime. There was no way in hell the Giants were going to win that game unless their defense or special teams scored. I think they had something like 50 total offensive yards after halftime.

[smith288]

Yep, another bandwagoneer.

All of the sudden, this board is loaded with OSU fans.

So all you have is to accuse me of being an bandwagoneer? I was born and raised in Columbus with OSU as the football I followed... But ok, whatever you wish to think...

The team was supposed to lay a smackdown on OSU so dont focus on one play that didnt "win" it for OSU, it just didnt win it for Miami at the time. If I recall, UM had 4 chances to punch it in but OSU stopped them... Play again...