Why can't we do something about the refs?

Originally posted by Dr_Bill_Walsh:

Originally posted by AXEGRINDER:
they should all be raped then shot after a bad call. That should fix the situation.

by Patrick Willis, naked....

Originally posted by Ninerzz:
Refs actually do a good job. Of course they are going to miss calls. The speed of the game alone makes their job almost impossible. If they continually make bad calls they will lose their job. Overall I think we have been the recipients of some unlucky calls this year, but most of them could of gone either way. The worst call was the chop block against Gore vs the Ravens. That call by itself may have cost us the game.

I think you're on the right track. Particularly, as the rules have become more stringent it's difficult, probably beyond human physiology, to make some of these "in the blink of an eye" calls. Especially when you have the fans watching these judgement calls in super slow motion, the refs are in an almost untenable position. Think about it: as a ref you see someone tee off on a guy up high and it looks as if the rule has clearly been broken, then the super slow motion replay shows that the shoulder arrived a tenth of a second before the helmet. There's simply no way the human eye can compete with that sort of post-hoc scrutiny. Rules of that sort are poorly constructed, they make the refs look incompetent, and should be revised to give the refs a fighting chance.

Another area where the refs get a bad rap is the League Office's penchant for issuing "penalty of the week" memos. Recently we've seen chop block fever sweep through the league, before that it was push offs, last year we had defensive holding calls on linemen, etc, etc. It's frustrating for the fans, it's a piss poor way of making the players aware of the seldom enforced rules of the game, and it puts the refs in a bad light.

The League's penchant for poorly written rules and penalty of the week memos serve to amplify the usual frequency of poor calls that we see over the course of a game. I know it's fashionable to say that this season has been one of the most poorly officiated seasons, League-wide. But, I'd wager that this season is really no different than most seasons on the botched call front, it's just the poorly written rules and penalty of the week memos that amplify our perception of a drop off in reffing competence. And if I'm right, the League's front office can do something about this--if it cares to.

Originally posted by BubbaParisMVP:
I think you're on the right track. Particularly, as the rules have become more stringent it's difficult, probably beyond human physiology, to make some of these "in the blink of an eye" calls. Especially when you have the fans watching these judgement calls in super slow motion, the refs are in an almost untenable position. Think about it: as a ref you see someone tee off on a guy up high and it looks as if the rule has clearly been broken, then the super slow motion replay shows that the shoulder arrived a tenth of a second before the helmet. There's simply no way the human eye can compete with that sort of post-hoc scrutiny. Rules of that sort are poorly constructed, they make the refs look incompetent, and should be revised to give the refs a fighting chance.

Another area where the refs get a bad rap is the League Office's penchant for issuing "penalty of the week" memos. Recently we've seen chop block fever sweep through the league, before that it was push offs, last year we had defensive holding calls on linemen, etc, etc. It's frustrating for the fans, it's a piss poor way of making the players aware of the seldom enforced rules of the game, and it puts the refs in a bad light.

The League's penchant for poorly written rules and penalty of the week memos serve to amplify the usual frequency of poor calls that we see over the course of a game. I know it's fashionable to say that this season has been one of the most poorly officiated seasons, League-wide. But, I'd wager that this season is really no different than most seasons on the botched call front, it's just the poorly written rules and penalty of the week memos that amplify our perception of a drop off in reffing competence. And if I'm right, the League's front office can do something about this--if it cares to.

You do know your on the webzone don't you? Your making way to much sense.

Originally posted by longtime49erfan:

Every week I watch games in which the refs make bad calls (it seems more often than not against the 49ers), frequently resulting in putting points on or taking points off the board. These are potentially game-affecting decisions, and it seems to me that something should be done about it.

For too long, officials have been untouched. Neither HCs nor players can speak out against officials or they could be fined or even suspended. This is also true in baseball (and I assume basketball).

Meanwhile, IMHO, refs are being paid off in some cases; bribed to tilt a game in one direction or another. I have no evidence of this, but doesn't it make sense? Consider the amount of money waged on football games every year. There are certainly those out there who would engage in unscrupulous behavior to win a bet; what would stop them from offering bribes to NFL officials? In such an event, do any of you really believe that there are no officials who would be tempted by such an offer?

I'm not saying this is happening; I am only saying it certainly could be happening. So why are NFL refs above reproach? Who oversees the refs (and I don't mean the officials' own organization)?

Your thoughts, please.

The refs are evaluated after every game but it doesnt make the headlines. If they blew calls they are downgraded and dont get any playoffs matchups. Its not bulletproof but thats the system

Originally posted by horsecore:

Originally posted by cwilson830:
If you find a way to bribe them I got 5 on it.

lol, I'll match that and the beer tab is on me...

Originally posted by TXNinerFan52:

Originally posted by longtime49erfan:
Every week I watch games in which the refs make bad calls (it seems more often than not against the 49ers), frequently resulting in putting points on or taking points off the board. These are potentially game-affecting decisions, and it seems to me that something should be done about it.

For too long, officials have been untouched. Neither HCs nor players can speak out against officials or they could be fined or even suspended. This is also true in baseball (and I assume basketball).

Meanwhile, IMHO, refs are being paid off in some cases; bribed to tilt a game in one direction or another. I have no evidence of this, but doesn't it make sense? Consider the amount of money waged on football games every year. There are certainly those out there who would engage in unscrupulous behavior to win a bet; what would stop them from offering bribes to NFL officials? In such an event, do any of you really believe that there are no officials who would be tempted by such an offer?

I'm not saying this is happening; I am only saying it certainly could be happening. So why are NFL refs above reproach? Who oversees the refs (and I don't mean the officials' own organization)?

Your thoughts, please.

Which call in particular are you referring to?

There are so many.

In the final game vs. Rams, for example, the pass interference call that placed the ball on the 49ers 1-yard line and gave the Rams their second rushing TD (and the 49ers 3rd given up in two weeks), should not have been called. The replay showed clearly that both players were going for the ball and the contact was incidental. That call almost changed the entire game! It should never have happened.

There have been numerous bad calls over the season. TDs called back due to a penalty that never happened; downfield passes called back for the same reason; the penalty called for illegal motion that wasn't a rule violation when we were threatening to go into the end zone in Detroit. The list is long.

Originally posted by 9ersLiferInChicago:

Originally posted by Furlow:
Refs need to be held accountable, the same as players and coaches. There is no reason that penalties can't be reviewed, at least certain penalties. The head to head collision (defenseless receiver) one is huge.

They should also be fined for bad calls. I have no idea why the NFL gives them so much unchecked power.

How do we know that they aren't already being fined, behind closed doors?

Perhaps they are, but if their bad calls affect the outcome of games, then fining them seems to be too little, too late.

It happened through wild card weekend. For example, in the Pittsburgh-Denver game, there was at least one game-changing pass interference call that should not have been called. It resulted in points being scored. Given the game went into overtime, that call of a non-penalty had significant game-affecting results.

Or the ref who blew the whistle, thinking that a pass was incomplete (eve though he was not the ref in the best position to see the play). In reality, it was a fumble, which was recovered and would have been a touchdown. Instead, it was ruled on the review as a fumble but the team that recovered the fumble was not permitted to advance... this because a ref incorrectly blew a whistle!

Considering that entire seasons rest on these calls, I think it is a real problem.

The refs simply have too much power for either crooks or incompetents to wield.

I agree make them full time employees. Also having a official upstairs in the booth that can immediately overwrite ALL calls, and maybe even some no-calls, by using video replay would make things better and more fair. For example, many of the "hitting a defenseless" calls this year shouldn't have happened. In this case the official upstairs can buzz down the ref and wave off the flag.

Originally posted by longtime49erfan:
It happened through wild card weekend. For example, in the Pittsburgh-Denver game, there was at least one game-changing pass interference call that should not have been called. It resulted in points being scored. Given the game went into overtime, that call of a non-penalty had significant game-affecting results.

Or the ref who blew the whistle, thinking that a pass was incomplete (eve though he was not the ref in the best position to see the play). In reality, it was a fumble, which was recovered and would have been a touchdown. Instead, it was ruled on the review as a fumble but the team that recovered the fumble was not permitted to advance... this because a ref incorrectly blew a whistle!

Considering that entire seasons rest on these calls, I think it is a real problem.

The refs simply have too much power for either crooks or incompetents to wield.

ITA. They also very nearly cost Denver that game. Should've been Denver ball at the Pitt 18, they probably go up 23-6 or 27-6 and it's very unlikely Pitt comes back to tie it.

In the Giants game, even ref apologist Mike Pereira admitted the replay assistant screwed up by not reviewing the spot on a drive before halftime that the Giants probably would've gotten 3 points out of.