NFL decisions

[*pally*]

Let me start off by saying our team shot themselves in the foot last night. We made too many mistakes. I was also throughly embarrassed to be a Cincinnati fan because of the behavior of our people in the stands last night. If I had been a Pittsburgh fan or family member I would have been terrified. Even as a Cincinnati fan, if I had children with me I would have left in fear that my kids would get hurt. Boo, yell and scream all you want but its classless to throw things or boo injuries. As Sam Wyche once famously said " We're not Cleveland"

Having said that...the NFL got exactly what they wanted but lets put some of the blame for the overall situation right on their shoulders

1) The IDIOTIC decision to make this the prime time game. Lets give fans on both sides all day to drink before a game that is already a fraught with tension. The teams don't like each other, the fans don't like each other. Putting this game at night was the beginnings of the recipe for disastor.

2) Not assigning their top referees and team to this game. At best John Parry was the 8th best ref in the league but just judging his last Steelers-Cincinnati game he already showed he could not take control of these 2 teams. I don't know if post season assignments are contracturally mandated by NFL fans deserve better than they gave us last night. They set the tone for how last nights game was going to go by not ejecting Mike Munchak when he shoved Reggie Nelson. A MLB manager/coach or NBA coach who did the same thing would have immediately been ejected.

I don't know if everything played out exactly how the NFL anticipated but choices they made set things up for how things ended.

[Housh]

We have to take that blame as well then for having such a spineless coach. I don't think a team coached by billicheck is EVER gonna lose like that

[Emphasis]

The game was set in the evening, because it deserved to be a prime time game. It's up to the players, coaches, and fans to ultimately handle themselves.

With that being said, there were disgusting actions from both teams. Shazier's hit on Bernard, along with his celebrating afterwards, set the tone for fouls and dirty antics for the rest of the game. The officiating could have been much better.