- Joined
- Feb 9, 2014
- Messages
- 20,922
- Name
- Peter
No, actually it's the refs that are throwing the penalty flags, along with Roger Goodell, that are ruining football. It's not the flags fault. :shades:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://mmqb.si.com/2014/12/04/penalty-flags-ruining-nfl-injuries/
Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
Are Penalty Flags Ruining Football?
Are there really more penalty flags this year, and is it affecting the way the game is played? That, plus some theories behind the increase in injuries and Week 14 notes on a Packers unsung hero and J.J. Watt's MVP campaign
By Greg A. Bedard
Your eyes are not deceiving you: Flags are on the rise, and so are NFL passing attacks. Should fans care? Do fans care? Will things change?
Hi Greg,
The rise in penalties this season due to the points of emphasis on illegal contact, holding, etc. have gone way too far in my opinion. Ticky-tack flags seem to be impacting every single game. I consider myself a pretty loyal NFL fan but the games are becoming almost unwatchable.
One of my buddies is a fantasy football freak and is loving the big passing numbers posted every week. What do you think? Is there any hope for this all to come to balance somehow, or is this going to be the NFL as we know it for good?
—Charlie from Glenshaw, PA
Let’s lay out the numbers first. According to NFLpenalties.com, the average number of penalties per team has gone from to 6.08 to 6.7. Penalty yardage has gone from 52.49 to 56.07. The officials have stayed fairly consistent all season as they called an average of 13.88 penalties the first two weeks of the season, and Week 13 had a season-high 14.33. As far as the points of emphasis calls, defensive holding has increased from 0.678 per game (fifth-most called penalty) to 0.901 (third-most called infraction).
Defensive pass interference has actually declined (probably as a result of holding) from 0.925 to 0.832. Offensive pass interference has risen from 0.247 to 0.387. And, finally, illegal use of hands has gone from No. 13 on the infraction list (0.281) to fifth (0.707).
As far as the effect on NFL passing games, the league is on pace to set records for yards (509.5 per game combined; 504.6 last season) and completions (44.2; 43.4 last season)—even though attempts have declined (70.2; 70.8 last season). Completion percentage (62.9; 61.2 last season) and TD-to-INT ratio (1.88; 1.62 last season), among others, are also on pace to be the highest ever.
So, yes Charlie, your eyes are not deceiving you. NFL games are being affected by penalties like never before, and they’re making life much easier for passing offenses, which makes some fantasy players happy.
What do I think about this? Personally, I think it’s terrible and it’s something that I railed against three years ago. The game has completely changed, and it has rendered the NFL record book completely meaningless. I don’t care about any historical markers anymore. Don’t tell me how many yards Andrew Luck has passed for, or how he set a record for consecutive 300-yard games. I don’t care how many touchdowns Peyton Manning has thrown. You can’t compare stats back to last season let alone 10, 20 or 30 years ago.
Basically, we’re in an era that’s akin to the steroid era in baseball, only this isn’t illegal—it’s been implemented and fully endorsed by owners who only care about money and not the game. And yes, it’s cheered on by many fantasy football players.
I understand and endorse the player safety rules outside the protections granted to quarterbacks (which have become a joke). I am completely against increasing rules that favor passing offenses that, in case anyone hasn’t noticed, has set new records every year starting with the 2010 season!
[Deep breath]
That being said, Charlie, nothing is going to change. The most we can hope for is for the refs to swallow their whistles in the playoffs like they did last season, giving us a small stretch of real football (you see, most fantasy football is done by then), but that’s about it. This is the way of the NFL. People can complain on Twitter all they want about flags and games dragging on, but it’s not going to change unless people like you actually start tuning out in droves. Are you going to do that?
That certainly hasn’t happened yet (ratings continue to climb), and I don’t see it happening anytime soon. What would make you, Charlie, finally say, Enough is enough, I’m done? I can’t envision that line. The owners know this, so the NFL has no incentive to change. We’re stuck with the game the way it is.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://mmqb.si.com/2014/12/04/penalty-flags-ruining-nfl-injuries/
Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
Are Penalty Flags Ruining Football?
Are there really more penalty flags this year, and is it affecting the way the game is played? That, plus some theories behind the increase in injuries and Week 14 notes on a Packers unsung hero and J.J. Watt's MVP campaign
By Greg A. Bedard
Your eyes are not deceiving you: Flags are on the rise, and so are NFL passing attacks. Should fans care? Do fans care? Will things change?
Hi Greg,
The rise in penalties this season due to the points of emphasis on illegal contact, holding, etc. have gone way too far in my opinion. Ticky-tack flags seem to be impacting every single game. I consider myself a pretty loyal NFL fan but the games are becoming almost unwatchable.
One of my buddies is a fantasy football freak and is loving the big passing numbers posted every week. What do you think? Is there any hope for this all to come to balance somehow, or is this going to be the NFL as we know it for good?
—Charlie from Glenshaw, PA
Let’s lay out the numbers first. According to NFLpenalties.com, the average number of penalties per team has gone from to 6.08 to 6.7. Penalty yardage has gone from 52.49 to 56.07. The officials have stayed fairly consistent all season as they called an average of 13.88 penalties the first two weeks of the season, and Week 13 had a season-high 14.33. As far as the points of emphasis calls, defensive holding has increased from 0.678 per game (fifth-most called penalty) to 0.901 (third-most called infraction).
Defensive pass interference has actually declined (probably as a result of holding) from 0.925 to 0.832. Offensive pass interference has risen from 0.247 to 0.387. And, finally, illegal use of hands has gone from No. 13 on the infraction list (0.281) to fifth (0.707).
As far as the effect on NFL passing games, the league is on pace to set records for yards (509.5 per game combined; 504.6 last season) and completions (44.2; 43.4 last season)—even though attempts have declined (70.2; 70.8 last season). Completion percentage (62.9; 61.2 last season) and TD-to-INT ratio (1.88; 1.62 last season), among others, are also on pace to be the highest ever.
So, yes Charlie, your eyes are not deceiving you. NFL games are being affected by penalties like never before, and they’re making life much easier for passing offenses, which makes some fantasy players happy.
What do I think about this? Personally, I think it’s terrible and it’s something that I railed against three years ago. The game has completely changed, and it has rendered the NFL record book completely meaningless. I don’t care about any historical markers anymore. Don’t tell me how many yards Andrew Luck has passed for, or how he set a record for consecutive 300-yard games. I don’t care how many touchdowns Peyton Manning has thrown. You can’t compare stats back to last season let alone 10, 20 or 30 years ago.
Basically, we’re in an era that’s akin to the steroid era in baseball, only this isn’t illegal—it’s been implemented and fully endorsed by owners who only care about money and not the game. And yes, it’s cheered on by many fantasy football players.
I understand and endorse the player safety rules outside the protections granted to quarterbacks (which have become a joke). I am completely against increasing rules that favor passing offenses that, in case anyone hasn’t noticed, has set new records every year starting with the 2010 season!
[Deep breath]
That being said, Charlie, nothing is going to change. The most we can hope for is for the refs to swallow their whistles in the playoffs like they did last season, giving us a small stretch of real football (you see, most fantasy football is done by then), but that’s about it. This is the way of the NFL. People can complain on Twitter all they want about flags and games dragging on, but it’s not going to change unless people like you actually start tuning out in droves. Are you going to do that?
That certainly hasn’t happened yet (ratings continue to climb), and I don’t see it happening anytime soon. What would make you, Charlie, finally say, Enough is enough, I’m done? I can’t envision that line. The owners know this, so the NFL has no incentive to change. We’re stuck with the game the way it is.
