Bad Officiating vs. Rigged NFL

[SWAdude]

The more I see and hear the talk the more I understand how one can see how poorly the game was officiated.

Just like how the ball can bounce weird so can these calls. And all the questionable calls could be up for debate but they certainly leaned into the Chiefs favor. While watching the game I really did not notice them.

 

[Mackeyser]

No. They can totally do it through the refs. No player involvement needed.

I could run the league with 6 refs on different crews… the number needed is so few, it’s crazy to think about…

 

[jrry32]

The NFL needs to put a ref in the booth and have them correct bad calls and non-calls, more so than what they are doing now. It's a bad look for the league. And while I don't necessarily believe they're rigging anything, I can't dismiss the refs engaging in bad conduct after what happened with Tim Donaghy and the NBA.

 

[RhodyRams]

The NFL needs to put a ref in the booth and have them correct bad calls and non-calls, more so than what they are doing now. It's a bad look for the league. And while I don't necessarily believe they're rigging anything, I can't dismiss the refs engaging in bad conduct after what happened with Tim Donaghy and the NBA.

while I agree on the ref in the booth, let's look at this from the refs on the field perspective.

You're a 15 year vet and after all this time all of a sudden somebody else starts telling you you are doing your job wrong , reversing calls you have made hundreds of times. Their egos would take a big hit and
there would be a constant turnover in officiating personnel as the more experienced ones would start retiring.

 

[oldnotdead]

The problem IMO isn't institutional but to think that the proliferation of sports gambling hasn't had an effect is naive at best. Point shaving is a very real issue in that it's virtually impossible to prove. Refs are human and it only takes one "bad apple" that has a gambling problem to become a problem. Burying your head in the sand isn't very smart. Why wait until a major scandal breaks? Can the NFL do more in terms of being proactive in regard to building safeguards and enforcement to insure the integrity of the game? People didn't believe the accusations about the Saint's bounties until it blew up in their faces. Yet Payton is still in the league isn't he? The NFL found a suitable scapegoat and slapped Payton on the wrist and told to "go sin no more" yet it was impossible for him not to know about it. His silence condoned it even if he wasn't directly participating. Do you think there are no bad actors among the officials? Personally, I wouldn't take that bet. That's like saying every cop is a saint....no pun intended. Human nature is human nature.

Why aren't all plays reviewable and challengeable? Since the coaches have limited challenges the idea that the game would be horribly slowed down is the most ludicrous argument you could make. All the commercial timeouts slow the game down far more than a few challenges.

What is institutional about the problem in the NFL is their reticence to be proactive. Why no booth ref? Give me a break if you cite the cost. Ignoring the possibility of a problem only raises the suspicion level. I would like the NFL to take action to insure the integrity of the sport. There certainly is more they can do.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Too many athletes in the NFL with pride to participate in a scheme like that.

An officiating only conspiracy depends on the players being completely oblivious.

NFL steering officials. NASCAR did it for years.

Refs sign a non disclosure agreement. They cannot talk. TV money is insane. You think years ago when that exploded Craft didn’t promise some control to networks? They want viewers. That’s why the refs screwed the Rams against the Seahawks. Detroit won’t bring in as many viewers.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

The NFL needs to put a ref in the booth and have them correct bad calls and non-calls, more so than what they are doing now. It's a bad look for the league. And while I don't necessarily believe they're rigging anything, I can't dismiss the refs engaging in bad conduct after what happened with Tim Donaghy and the NBA.

That is what makes the league look worse. It would be so easy to do what you said, but they don’t do it.

 

[Flint]

The NFL needs to put a ref in the booth and have them correct bad calls and non-calls, more so than what they are doing now. It's a bad look for the league. And while I don't necessarily believe they're rigging anything, I can't dismiss the refs engaging in bad conduct after what happened with Tim Donaghy and the NBA.

Everyone is upset about officiating in the nfl and nba with the Lebron no call, but I really don’t think more people watching from headquarters is the answer. I think calling fouls after the fact is a terrible idea. Remember the PI debacle from a few years ago they couldn’t dump that rule fast enough. We keep thinking more technology and more reviews will solve everything, but sometimes there’s no perfect angle and you just can’t tell. Even if there’s a sky judge there will still be controversy and unhappy fans. Part of the problem is these post mortems where the league admits a mistake was made. All this does is undermine your officials. It doesn’t seem like we’re any closer to “getting it right” than we were before all the reviews and challenges.

 

[1maGoh]

Idon't think anybody is asking for perfect calls 100% of the time. I think all most people want is for the people sitting at home to not have a better view of fouls than the refs. The refs should have at least as good of a view. If we can spot a blatant foul at home but the refs can't, that's a problem.

 

[SteezyEndo]

Ouch Avenger. You may stop watching football sooner than you think…

What's a jabroni? Travis Kelce's insult of Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval was WWE 'smack'

"Hey, I've got some wise words for that Cincinnati mayor," Travis Kelce said after the Chiefs' win. "Know your role and shut your mouth, you jabroni!"

www.cincinnati.com

Lots of money involved XFL/NFL. Oh its highly plausible…

 

[Flint]

Idon't think anybody is asking for perfect calls 100% of the time. I think all most people want is for the people sitting at home to not have a better view of fouls than the refs. The refs should have at least as good of a view. If we can spot a blatant foul at home but the refs can't, that's a problem.

Most things are subjective, I’ve heard plenty of people complaining about the hit on Mahomes. If you look close enough you can find an infraction, like they say there’s holding on every play. You can’t call everything the sport would be unwatchable. So only call the ones that are obvious and give one team an advantage except that’s subjective too.
Sometimes I think it would be better to just let refs call the game and live with the results all the reviews and replays and challenges haven’t gotten us anywhere.

 

[Steve808]

I don't think there is one solid, coordinated effort to rig a game to match a pre-determined outcome. Goodell doesn't pencil in the Chiefs to the superbowl like he's Vince McMahon. But a ref being paid under the table, or a coach being paid to lose, sure that happens. Cheating happens. Pre-determined outcomes do not happen.

Right?

Then the commissioner reviews tapes of the cheating, says there was no cheating, but destroys said tapes without anyone else reviewing them.

 

[Malibu]

Ok I am wondering what was rigged this weekend? The catch on the deep ball early in Philly game down the sideline that replay showed it wasn't a catch? Well no one could see that wasn't a catch until after the commercial break and the angle was difficult to see. No ref would have made another call nor did the sidelines challenge even after the stupid wr was cluing every one in on that it may might be a catch by signalling hurry to do the next play usually a hurry up is called by the QB.

Or the pushing Mahomes out of bounds on the last play which was blatantly a penalty so no ref mistake there.

I didn't see anything egregious on any of the refs part.

 

[VegasRam]

I could run the league with 6 refs on different crews… the number needed is so few, it’s crazy to think about…

You need to spend more time with your grandkid.
Cuz that’s actually real.

 

[1maGoh]

@Flint I think if a rule, like holding, is so vague that it could be called on every play then they need to rewrite the rule. Why is there a rule that describes 5 guys' only job on every single play? Does that actually make sense to anyone?

 

[Corbin]

So do you think the league rigs outcomes? That’s the topic here…not whether the league tries to cover mistakes after the fact.

Are they not one of the same? Either way is an integrity issue. Whether they actively initiate rigging a game to steer it toward a narrative and storyline or covering up integrity acts to cover the integrity game being questioned.

The league has unquestionably looked the other way at the very least when finding integrity issues and actively covered them up. That gives you trend and pattern of behavior.

 

[Allen2McVay]

Are they not one of the same? Either way is an integrity issue.

I don't think they are the same at all Corbin but they do both reflect upon integrity.

 

[AvengerRam]

Are they not one of the same? Either way is an integrity issue. Whether they actively initiate rigging a game to steer it toward a narrative and storyline or covering up integrity acts to cover the integrity game being questioned.

The league has unquestionably looked the other way at the very least when finding integrity issues and actively covered them up. That gives you trend and pattern of behavior.

Not the same at all. That’s like saying first and second degree murder are the same because they both involve killing.

Covering up misdeeds (ie Spygate) is bad, and can certainly be described as demonstrative of a lack of integrity.

Rigging games is far worse, and would destroy the league.

 

[fearsomefour]

Steering a probable result.......certainly possible.
Not in an obvious way. Not a crucial bad call or non call (see Saints vs Rams) at a key moment late in the game.
More subtle than that.
A D holding call that extends a drive or bails a team out of a 3rd and long. An O holding that kills a drive or sets up a third and long.
Now, a team can overcome that and still win, but, it makes it much harder when done a couple of times a game.
Everyone remembers the missed blatant PI on a TD pass that was broken up......no one remembers a O holding call with 6 minutes left in the third quarter that moved a team out of FG range and results in a punt.
Who knows?
I could certainly see a crew chief getting a call from up above saying, your crew is going to focus on such and such this game......and that favors one team.

 

[NJRamsFan]

I’m so right that if you don’t agree with me you are useless in my eyes. What discussion was meant to be had in this thread? Weird and aggressive way to state your opinion.

P.s I don’t think the NFL is rigged but starting a thread while stating a different opinion than yours means you have no use for that poster is certainly arrogant and odd.