Officials and the NFL

[the addict]

Ok I watch football basically all day when it is available. I read as much as I can to try and learn more about the game.

I recently read a article that was an interview with an NFL official and basically said this is the best we are going to get in regards to officiating and player safety. ..


Lots of discussions come to be on each particular game...mostly about flags/refs...

Refs are consistently inconsistent. That is not my problem. But is this really the "best" we are going to get? Or was it just politics and saying what needs to be said?

I listen to people and also view posts on here where people think the league is "soft" and goddell is ruining the league. That is fine. I tend to agree. I played the game, albeit at a much lower level than these guys, but think that hitting is what makes the game unique and exciting. I think protecting the players should be a priority, but not at the expense of ruining the game.

Some people disagree. Protect these guys and throw flags anytime you think you should....my problem is that these pro players know what they are getting in to. They choose their career. Noone makes them play. I know many people who would trade places. That is why they make so much money and are a select few who get to be in the fraternity that is the NFL. Again protect them, but I think its to much at this point. Some games are becoming unwatchable. ..there are plenty of jobs that are unsafe and people risk far more in terms of injuries, and gain much less in terms of salaries and compensation.

I constantly see/hear people say that the league is soft and to many flags....but in the next instance these same people say that there are to many non calls. Just look at the pack/pats ingame from yesterday.


My question I suppose is will this combination of player protection and concussion saftey ever feel normal? Ever feel good enough?

It is almost a gaurantee that everyweek people will fight over calls/non-calls...

that article made me wonder if this is really the NFL we should come to expect for the next 20+ years....

 

[bvinnieb]

Great post and totally agree. It's sad to see players with the head injuries, etc. My company has a suite at met life and during one game this year I asked everyone in the suite, what they would give up to play? Some said they would sell their sole to be out on the field. Not one person said they wouldn't play. The love of the game is what all of them stated, with the money makes it that much more enticing. No one wants to see some of the issues players have endured, but in life, nothing comes easy without paying a price.

They know what they're signing up for and that's their choice.

 

[the addict]

Count me in. Id give up a lot of the privileges i have..... Even just one Sunday lacing em up.

Nothing better then strappin the lid knowing it is you or them

 

[bvinnieb]

With you on that! I too played and would give it all up to play one day.

 

[the addict]

Feeling like no other. ...couldnt imagine at that level

 

[tball]

the officials, being near close to as it it might get, as far as from a human standpoint, imagine is probably close to being correct.

the speed of players and how fast thing happen get quicker, which in turn makes harder to make ta snap decision, albeit - the correct one. im not sure what refs mke, though if they were able to work, make living through officiation only, might bring a higher level of quality to(?) perhaps? i mean, im not sure that thus last holdout/standoff that has us ending up with the GB/SEA (replacement refs) debacle years ago, wasnt about just that, pay wages.

i do imagine though, that advancements in technology will make it easier fro officials to make the right call (eventually get to it, if comes to that)

a for instance: that i imagine is not too far off. a chip of sorts, present in the actual football that allows 3d tracking of where it is in relation to the field. not unlike what they use to track the trajectory of a football player, when they show him, the exact path he took in his running on the field and such - that would take -in theory- the problem of ball placement out of the mix...somewhat. though too, at what expense would introducing sucha thing do to the flow of a game??

on another note, im not soo much a fan of goodell -AT ALL. im not wholly psyched about lengthening the season even more, nevermind the possibility of expanding to london. i think that fundamentals have suffered a ton, in a sort of, watered down level of play - albeit, an extremely high level, though sloppier than i guess, i expect it to be. is it the coaching, or players...or system, as it stands.

 

[the addict]

a chip in the football to show exactly where it went out of bounds and where to spot it is something that we have talked about prior



if they added another referee, who only had one purpose which was to communicate with someone upstairs via headset who was responsible for running the "tracking system"

this person on the field would get told almost simultaneously with the real life play where the ball went down/out of bounds....he would be in charge of getting the rock and placing it where it needs to be.....and as far as scoring plays, it would be able to show exactly when/if the ball broke the goalline



I think it would be nice in regards to accuracy/consistency.....but agree if not done quickly could def. change game flow....







I personally love the "human aspect" and think it is how the sport is meant to be....but I understand the world is changing.



good idea though for sure TBAll

 

[TouchdownJesus]

I agree with some of it...but at the same time, I just don't know. I have such a huge problem when I see and hear out-of-shape fans, some who have never played at any level, including pick-up games...act like the game is soft and its some form of "flag football"...

I played in high school and a couple years of club football in college. I simply can't fathom the level of violence that goes on in pro football.

I do despise rules that somehow makes a guy that catches or attempts to catch the ball--and he's called a "defenseless player"...no, that is garbage.

For the most part, I don't think anyone can survive the NFL w/o some form of steroids. I think most, if not all of them are on them in one form or another. And I also think these guys, for the most part, really do earn their money. I do hate that its overall, basically a league full of thugs...and I also hate that to play in it..."for the love of the game"...you've got to be willing to possibly end up with lifelong issues...brain issues or other....

At the NFL level, its a BUSINESS. Junior Seau at least seemed to be a model player....great player and great off the field.....he fucking killed himself....but it was his choice so he knew what he was getting into when he decided to play football. Granted, I agree, its a tough game that only a few can play....but it shouldn't be like that. And to have pussies call it "flag football" always makes me want to see how they'd react to some minor pain lol

 

[the addict]

I agree with some of it...but at the same time, I just don't know. I have such a huge problem when I see and hear out-of-shape fans, some who have never played at any level, including pick-up games...act like the game is soft and its some form of "flag football"...

I played in high school and a couple years of club football in college. I simply can't fathom the level of violence that goes on in pro football.

I do despise rules that somehow makes a guy that catches or attempts to catch the ball--and he's called a "defenseless player"...no, that is garbage.

For the most part, I don't think anyone can survive the NFL w/o some form of steroids. I think most, if not all of them are on them in one form or another. And I also think these guys, for the most part, really do earn their money. I do hate that its overall, basically a league full of thugs...and I also hate that to play in it..."for the love of the game"...you've got to be willing to possibly end up with lifelong issues...brain issues or other....

At the NFL level, its a BUSINESS. Junior Seau at least seemed to be a model player....great player and great off the field.....he fucking killed himself....but it was his choice so he knew what he was getting into when he decided to play football. Granted, I agree, its a tough game that only a few can play....but it shouldn't be like that. And to have pussies call it "flag football" always makes me want to see how they'd react to some minor pain lol

good stuff man


yea it is surely something that has no right or wrong.....player safety should always be a priority......but to what extent?

and yea even with the protocol and safety regulations they have in place, this is still a profession that 99.9 of the population couldn't handle....that is why they call it a fraternity.....because it takes a special type to form the group that is the NFL......


and as far as contact, I played at a d-3 college.....football was our 3rd best athletic department, behind wrestling and girls volleyball. so I was in no way anywhere close to the level they are at.......or even close to d-1 or d-2 athletes....whole different world......id be almost scared to realize what the impact of a hit from a 6-3 255 ILB would feel like......shit is so violent.....and they do have risks involved...



but again, ask people who climb water towers, or work with chemicals, or work for the Police/Firefighters....................they get paid a lot less, and in almost everyway risk far more then the NFL players do....I have never seen a NFL player die directly on the field from their profession..after they are done playing then yes there are huge risks if injuries are not treated correctly.....that is why I am glad that they are aware of player safety, and have concussion protocol, to prevent illness/death after careers end....but for police/chemical workers and other professions that are dangerous, they are risking death literally everyday for far less compensation....again, I want player safety to remain a priority, but just not to a point where it changes the game drastically.........all jobs have risks....that is why policeman wear bullet proof vests made of Kevlar......and firefighters where fire proof jackets........so while I feel terrible for situations like junior seau and others who suffer from concussion symptoms, my sympathy doesn't go much further when I see these guys making millions while dancing in the endzone and acting like idiots...they do what they love with little repercussions for idiotic behavior, and get paid a shit ton of Dinero. They have one real concern and that is concussions, which we now are more aware of and treat much differently....as long as they stay on top of it, they don't have a whole lot to worry about unless they are trying to figure out if they want to buy a 10 million dollar home, or a 20 million dollar home...



Overall I again want player safety to be either 1 or 1A in regards to the NFL's priorities.........but I wish there was more they could do off the field with doctors and medicine, rather then trying to change to much on the field...


I have heard guys say they would rather be hit high then hit low in the legs any day of the week........I have even heard stories of guys telling opponents to hit high and they will pay their fines, only to prevent serious knee/leg damage that will end a career far quicker then a helmet to helmet collision....



anyways good luck tonite everyone and go FINS

 

[TouchdownJesus]

Yeah, totally agree man. I played a couple years of club ball....and that was more like college guys playing football...don't get me wrong, we had some athletes and talent....but it was 3 short practices during the week and play ball on Sunday. No comparison to D3 football, which like you say, is a far cry from NFL.

In all honesty, I barely watch NFL. If not for fantasy and an occasional bet, I'd only watch playoffs. I do respect it...but at the same time, I see the league as mostly thugs combined with mostly dickhead owners....and such a copy-cat league....so much more boring than the college game.

There is still much I like (I loved NFL 25-30 years ago) but there's just too many teams, too many divisions, too much mediocrity....I'd much rather see, maybe 24 teams with each conference having 2 divisions of 6 teams each. These 4-team divisions are garbage.

 

[the addict]

you sir I agree with. I am not old enough to remember 30 years ago in NFL....I am 28 years old now....but I have much respect for guys like yourself who have watched the game and gotten to see how much it has changed and transitioned over the years and can be honest and evaluate how much it has changed.....and yea I tend to agree.....bunch of criminals and thugs in the game......and in no way do I use "thug" to describe the black players in the league compared to the white players before someone gets upset.....I think there are white thugs just like anyone else...look no further then Eminem. Back to the point though, I just find it funny that it is the only profession in the world where the commissioner and owners (boss or manager in normal work) allow their employees to celebrate and act like fools when they do their jobs...



can you imagine every time a mcdonalds worker made a burger correctly for a customer, if they then tried to spin it on the ground (never understood....is it to symbolize greatness? because last time I checked spinning a ball is something my 5 year old can do)


or a banker closes a mortgage loan and then that same said banker gets all co-workers together to form synchronized dancing to celebrate the job well done

or even better, every single time a doctor delivers a baby, in order to keep their jobs they then have to take that baby and spike it on the ground to remind people of who is the man!



I don't know, perhaps some of it is ok....makes it more interesting in blow out games.....and allows average football fans to get excited.....I never gave a shit about T.O or ocho-cinco trying to out-do each other in regards to their celebratory acts in the endzone.....to me, that takes it literally 100% away from the team and all on the individual....the O-line had to block for protection, the QB had to throw a Dime, and the RB's had to pick up a blitz package in which they get smashed in the face by a guy named JJ watt, but you go ahead and celebrate your catch and make the people believe it is all about you....

perfect example, the PITTSBURGH STEELERS....live an hour from the stadium so all games are televised....I watch almost every snap....AB and Leveon bell, who I believe to be both top 5 at their particular positions in the league, just do not seem to get it thus far. They both do it all the time, celebrating when they are down 7, 10, even 14 points......leveon gets up and points every first down run even if only 2 yards and down 10 points.....they were down 21-6 to the saints yesterday and LeVeon was still doing it....almost comical....and Tomlin just smiles...Cowher would have killed someone.



I don't know, I probably sound like a square, but I am more interested in the game.....Ray lewis every once in a while is ok, but the guy literally took a shit just to cry about it afterwards.....sometimes to much is just that....to much....


My dad always talks about old time football He would tell me about some of the greats who would punch you in the mouth, and then do nothing more then walk to the sideline and thank the offensive line and coaches for the opportunity....that is when it wasn't about me.....he hates most of the players today..

like I said Don't want to sound like I hate all of the NFL, I still love it for the most part, but couldn't go without fantasy/gambling....makes weekends fun....could def. go without the nonsense you see today...