01-12-2016, 08:06 PM
(01-12-2016, 05:58 PM)fredtoast Wrote: And you can't do that when hitting a defenseless receiver.
That is the rule. It will draw a flag everytime.
There in lies the major problem. This statement is simply not correct. If it were then the Shazier hit Gio is flagged. The UC on Joey Porter is flagged. The hit on Wheaton isn't flagged and ruled legal. If the UC is called on Porter as it should have been, then the Jones incident NEVER happens. The field goal then becomes about 63 yards, in the rain. If the call is made on Shazier, it's first on 10 or first and goal, depending on the spot, near the 10 yard line. Consistency on obvious calls and non calls is the issue. We're not even talking about judgement calls like a phantom hold or pass interference. Can you honestly say that if the roles were reversed, and it was the Bengals driving for the game winning FG against Pittsburgh, and Marvin Jones was hit by Ryan Shazier on the exact same play, that the ruling on the field would not have been an "unfortunate hit"? If the Shazier hit on Gio was with say a minute to go in the game , at the same spot on the field, with the Bengals driving to take the lead, it would STILL be an unfortunate hit, and NOT flagged.
The referee was there talking to Joey Porter on the field, and was fully aware of the rule regarding assistant coaches on the field. Yet he REFUSED to throw the unsportsmanlike conduct flag, and later rationalized by saying. "I felt he was out there out of genuine concern for Brown" Yet Porter was no where near Brown, but rather over by the Bengals players, and Brown was already up and being helped off the field before the incident with Jones ever happened. The officials do not have the authority to make that call a judgement call. Yet they refused to throw the flag.
If that play drew a flag EVERYTIME as you suggest, then this conversation isn't even taking place. The fact is one team is allowed to play dirty and have that ruled "unfortunate" while the other get's the flags EVERYTIME.
