Anyone who watched the Rams vs 49ers game last night knows about the questionable OPI call. Not to mention several other calls including the textbook tackle on the QB that was flagged. I just find it hard to believe there are no other angles on the PI play that basically decided the game. When a player fumbles we see multiple camera angles right away but I can't find anything on this play, they never showed another angle at the stadium either. So what in the heck is going on with this game. Should refs be held accountable for questionable or flat out bad calls. Would fining refs eliminate ticky tack calls that decide the outcome of a game. Would fining make refs more consistent with their calls. You see teams get killed with personal fouls yet teams like Pitt constantly get a pass to play on. It's frustrating and this lack of consistency is making the NFL harder than ever to watch. What are your thoughts. Also if anyone has another angle of that play last night please post it here thanks.

Also, should PI be reviewable in the future.

Absolutely. It only takes a couple calls. People don't want to believe it, but look at what the steelers were able to do with 14 holding no-calls in one game against, guess who...the Bengals. Then, Whit gets flagged for holding negating a huge first down in the same game. Hilarious. Why do I watch? Because they can't actually fix a game, but they can sure influence it.

Gene Steratore has lived in pittsburgh his entire life and grew up a steeler fan, but can call their games. How is that even possible?

Someone shared how the NFL has actually covered its own ass a while back with the definition of the league being "entertainment" industry, instead of legitimate business. We have seen countless examples of it. It frustrates the hell out of me. A large (much larger than Goodell and his dumbass cronies believe) % of the viewership is gone and an even larger % just watches for fantasy, which is nothing more than legal gambling. I have nothing against fantasy, but have you gone to a bar to watch a game? It is all geeks about fantasy. Hardly anyone is rooting for just one team, but I avoid steeler bars because I don't want to catch anything. Those dorks are too stupid to win at fantasy.

Regardless, it is largely influenced by officiating and it is a large part of why the league is dying.

I am close to throwing in the towel and focusing on college. Way more fun and much more legitimate, even if the playing field is tilted in favor of universities with next to no academic standards.

IMO yes, PI needs to be at least be able to be challenged if not automatically reviewed. Personal fouls also. It's ridiculous how much these things can affect the outcome of a game, especially when it's up to human judgement/bias.

(09-22-2017, 12:12 PM)ochocincos Wrote: IMO yes, PI needs to be at least be able to be challenged if not automatically reviewed. Personal fouls also. It's ridiculous how much these things can affect the outcome of a game, especially when it's up to human judgement/bias.

Also, offensive pass interference needs to have a larger penalty than 10 yards. I think it's absurd that DPI is spot of the foul and automatic first down but OPI is only 10 yards and replay of down.

You can't allow replay of subjective calls it is just a huge can of worms. No refs aren't fixing games, people somehow believe that watching a game live and making every call correct at field level is easy...it isn't. Some refs are bad, some are good, but it doesn't mean things are fixed just like it doesn't mean you are sabotaging your workplace when you screw something up.

While we are on the subject of people sucking at their jobs. The call should have never occurred because that WR shouldn't have been in the game. Earlier in the quarter he got clocked and was out as he fell to the ground yet no NFL spotter or ref pulled him to go through concussion protocol. That was the biggest travesty of the night.

I think some refs are very aware of the spread.

(09-22-2017, 12:03 PM)TKUHL Wrote: Anyone who watched the Rams vs 49ers game last night knows about the questionable OPI call. Not to mention several other calls including the textbook tackle on the QB that was flagged. I just find it hard to believe there are no other angles on the PI play that basically decided the game. When a player fumbles we see multiple camera angles right away but I can't find anything on this play, they never showed another angle at the stadium either. So what in the heck is going on with this game. Should refs be held accountable for questionable or flat out bad calls. Would fining refs eliminate ticky tack calls that decide the outcome of a game. Would fining make refs more consistent with their calls. You see teams get killed with personal fouls yet teams like Pitt constantly get a pass to play on. It's frustrating and this lack of consistency is making the NFL harder than ever to watch. What are your thoughts. Also if anyone has another angle of that play last night please post it here thanks.

AFAIK, refs ARE held accountable, it's just not made public when they are with very few exceptions. There was the head ref that was responsible for the "Toin Coss" moment and the Sanchez helmet TD who was soon demoted to like a line judge or something, but aside from that (and that wasn't made public, it was just obvious).

Honestly, what should happen is that they make penalties reviewable. Oh and make refs a full-time position. 

(09-22-2017, 12:11 PM)SHRacerX Wrote: Absolutely. It only takes a couple calls. People don't want to believe it, but look at what the steelers were able to do with 14 holding no-calls in one game against, guess who...the Bengals. Then, Whit gets flagged for holding negating a huge first down in the same game. Hilarious. Why do I watch? Because they can't actually fix a game, but they can sure influence it.

Gene Steratore has lived in pittsburgh his entire life and grew up a steeler fan, but can call their games. How is that even possible?

Someone shared how the NFL has actually covered its own ass a while back with the definition of the league being "entertainment" industry, instead of legitimate business. We have seen countless examples of it. It frustrates the hell out of me. A large (much larger than Goodell and his dumbass cronies believe) % of the viewership is gone and an even larger % just watches for fantasy, which is nothing more than legal gambling. I have nothing against fantasy, but have you gone to a bar to watch a game? It is all geeks about fantasy. Hardly anyone is rooting for just one team, but I avoid steeler bars because I don't want to catch anything. Those dorks are too stupid to win at fantasy.

Regardless, it is largely influenced by officiating and it is a large part of why the league is dying.

I am close to throwing in the towel and focusing on college. Way more fun and much more legitimate, even if the playing field is tilted in favor of universities with next to no academic standards.

Yea I've heard about the NFL being legally labeled as "Entertainment" I assume that's so they don't have to comply with any gaming regulations it's basically a license to manipulate games however the league wants, ability to flat out cheat and get away with it. It's just frustrating that with all the technology we are still having judgement calls decide games.

(09-22-2017, 12:03 PM)TKUHL Wrote: Anyone who watched the Rams vs 49ers game last night knows about the questionable OPI call. Not to mention several other calls including the textbook tackle on the QB that was flagged. I just find it hard to believe there are no other angles on the PI play that basically decided the game. When a player fumbles we see multiple camera angles right away but I can't find anything on this play, they never showed another angle at the stadium either. So what in the heck is going on with this game. Should refs be held accountable for questionable or flat out bad calls. Would fining refs eliminate ticky tack calls that decide the outcome of a game. Would fining make refs more consistent with their calls. You see teams get killed with personal fouls yet teams like Pitt constantly get a pass to play on. It's frustrating and this lack of consistency is making the NFL harder than ever to watch. What are your thoughts. Also if anyone has another angle of that play last night please post it here thanks.

That call last night was bad, bad, bad! It was not even close to offensive P.I. and that catch put S.F. in FG range and first down for the win....plus the flag was laaaaaaate the players were already running back to the huddle when the flag was thrown. Wonder what birdies are whispering in their ears?

(09-22-2017, 12:28 PM)TKUHL Wrote: Yea I've heard about the NFL being legally labeled as "Entertainment" I assume that's so they don't have to comply with any gaming regulations it's basically a license to manipulate games however the league wants, ability to flat out cheat and get away with it. It's just frustrating that with all the technology we are still having judgement calls decide games.

This has been a long time running conspiracy, but the wording is what confuses people. It was used as legal maneuvering in a lawsuit, but does not pertain to the events occurring on the field. The NFL, if it were pre determining games, would have to play a disclaimer after every game saying the outcome of the games are predetermined. If a ref were to fix a game they are subject to the same punishments Donaghy faced as an NBA official who was fixing games. People get so caught up in this stuff, but lets be real if it was true some fun hating senator on capital hill would already be holding hearings to make a name for themselves.

With the speed of the game and there being contact on nearly every play...it's hard to say if it's intentional or not. Lineman hold on basically every play too. Which ones do you call?

I don't think the NFL is fixed, nor do I think refs are paid (directly) to be one sided.

I do however believe there is a ton of bias ! Influence from where the money is coming from. Or in other words refs look the other way a whole more for the "GOLDEN" teams. And call the cellar dwellers for everything.

The Steelers are a giant cash cow for the NFL as are the few other top teams. It's all about the $$$$$$$$

Why not? It happened in the NBA:

http://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=3509440

The players knew something was up too:
http://www.espn.com/nba/columns/aldridge_david/1499153.html

I wonder what Goodell has to gain in all of this! Don't the owners vote on this or not ! Maybe the owners should held accountable as well!

I don't believe that and if I did I would quit watching all together. I mean might as well be watching WWE at that point.

How many refs have come out and talked about being asked to fix a game by the NFL?

Take the NFL out of Vegas no more betting on the games and the guy in New York making the calls on instant replay is as dirty as any refs you need an honest person in this job.

Awww , C'mon! You mean to tell us that a game with billions of dollars on the line with absolutely no laws prohibiting corruption is somehow corrupted? 
Why of course not. Rich people would MUCH RATHER be living in poverty than ever have the slightest idea of the stain of corruption!  There's no way the refs who are employees of the league would ever subject themselves to even the hint of corruption because.. Well, they're just too nice, decent, upstanding citizens with all the virtues of saints! 
Just you wait and see when Papa John's pizza goes out of business and goes to live in homeless shelters before EVER having to provide health insurance for their employees! They'd rather STARVE than be subjected to rules and regulations!  After all, who wouldn't rather be living in squalor and poverty than be rich and bend any rule? 
No, rich people have and have always been above reproach! That's how they got rich in the first place! Being good, wholesome and honest is the ONLY WAY of getting rich didn't ya know?
Arbeit macht frei and don't you forget it! 

(09-22-2017, 03:30 PM)grampahol Wrote: Awww , C'mon! You mean to tell us that a game with billions of dollars on the line with absolutely no laws prohibiting corruption is somehow corrupted? 
Why of course not. Rich people would MUCH RATHER be living in poverty than ever have the slightest idea of the stain of corruption!  There's no way the refs who are employees of the league would ever subject themselves to even the hint of corruption because.. Well, they're just too nice, decent, upstanding citizens with all the virtues of saints! 
Just you wait and see when Papa John's pizza goes out of business and goes to live in homeless shelters before EVER having to provide health insurance for their employees! They'd rather STARVE than be subjected to rules and regulations!  After all, who wouldn't rather be living in squalor and poverty than be rich and bend any rule? 
No, rich people have and have always been above reproach! That's how they got rich in the first place! Being good, wholesome and honest is the ONLY WAY of getting rich didn't ya know? 
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87)]Arbeit macht frei and don't you forget it! [/color]

No laws prohibiting it? It would fall under various parts of racketeering based on what would need to be done to keep it quiet. With the size and scope the whole league, and every owner, would be subject to RICO prosecution too.