Longest Week

[Whatever]

(01-30-2019, 03:53 PM)psychdoctor Wrote: The problem I have with this argument is that there have been many missed calls leading up to the Super Bowl.  The officials missed several calls that went in the Saints favor during the Dallas game.  It can be argued that those missed calls led to the Saint's victory over Dallas propelling Saints to the NFC championship game.  

A team cannot reasonably pick one call and say it cost them the chance to go to Super Bowl.  

The issue is that the language of the rule the Saints fans are trying to get Goodell to enact terms it as "extraordinarily unfair."  That would suggest that there can be blown calls in the normal realm of bad judgement, but an "extraordinarily unfair" call can be grounds for the commissioner to intervene.  Of course, what exactly is extraordinarily unfair is completely subjective.  The only precedent for use of the rule came from Tags in '01 in a regular season game between the Browns and Jaguars.  Instant replay overturned a successful Browns 4th down conversion and the fans started rioting and throwing things on the field.  With 48 seconds left on the clock, the Jags with the ball after the turnover on downs, and the Browns out of timeouts, the referees decided to call the game.  Tagliabue called the head ref and ordered him to restart the game and play out the final seconds.  The refs had to go to the locker rooms get each team to get 11 guys dressed and back on the field so the Jags could take 2 knees and run out the clock.

This game is never going to be restarted.  Sports betting places have already paid out, and there's no way they are going to be able to recollect all the money paid out to redistribute it assuming that the Saints win.  They will grease whatever palms they have to to keep it from happening.

Personally, what it does is shine a massive spotlight on the league's massive officiating problem.  When senators and lawsuits are involved, it's not so easy to just stand behind your officials no matter how bad they suck.  They are going to have to take steps to improve things to satisfy the public.