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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/11/05/fisher-embraces-human-element-in-officiating/
Fisher embraces “human element” in officiating
Posted by Mike Florio on November 5, 2015
AP
At a time when some are clamoring for the NFL to revolutionize the officiating function, with more technology and possibly fewer on-field officials, a key member of the NFL’s Competition Committee feels differently.
“I would actually lean and go in the other direction,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said on Thursday’s PFT Live on NBC Sports Radio. “I would entertain and I think the league has entertained from an experimental standpoint the eighth official. We’re dealing with the human element in this game.
“When the quarterback makes the wrong decision and throws the ball across his body when he shouldn’t and the ball is intercepted, that’s a human element. And I think if we lose the human element in this game with respect to the officials then I think we lose the quality of our game. It’s very, very hard; their job is very hard. I mean, the game has changed. It’s fast . . . and we need to rely on them and so our feeling as a Committee is to do whatever we can to assist [V.P. of officiating] Dean [Blandino].
So we can become more consistent from crew to crew and week to week but knowing there’s always going to be decisions that are made that we’re going to disagree with, and that’s the good part for you guys because you guys get to talk about it every week.”
It definitely adds to the intrigue, the drama, and the controversy. But is that the kind of controversy the NFL wants?
Ideally, a system would be put in place to get all (or at least as many as possible) calls right. Technology could help get there, especially since the middle-aged human beings who officiate the game simply aren’t suited to process in real time the things that young, fast, large men wearing armor are doing — especially when the self-preservation instinct could make it harder for the officials to ignore the frenzy surrounding them and focus.
Still, the league is resisting a full embrace of technology.
“We don’t want to turn this game into a Star Wars game,” Fisher said.
There’s a balance between too much and too little technology. Ultimately, decisions should be based on striving to get every call right. While it’s fun to get salty over the latest bad call in a Monday night game, it would be more fun to have the games decided by the players and not by the folks in white and black stripes.
Fisher embraces “human element” in officiating
Posted by Mike Florio on November 5, 2015
At a time when some are clamoring for the NFL to revolutionize the officiating function, with more technology and possibly fewer on-field officials, a key member of the NFL’s Competition Committee feels differently.
“I would actually lean and go in the other direction,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said on Thursday’s PFT Live on NBC Sports Radio. “I would entertain and I think the league has entertained from an experimental standpoint the eighth official. We’re dealing with the human element in this game.
“When the quarterback makes the wrong decision and throws the ball across his body when he shouldn’t and the ball is intercepted, that’s a human element. And I think if we lose the human element in this game with respect to the officials then I think we lose the quality of our game. It’s very, very hard; their job is very hard. I mean, the game has changed. It’s fast . . . and we need to rely on them and so our feeling as a Committee is to do whatever we can to assist [V.P. of officiating] Dean [Blandino].
So we can become more consistent from crew to crew and week to week but knowing there’s always going to be decisions that are made that we’re going to disagree with, and that’s the good part for you guys because you guys get to talk about it every week.”
It definitely adds to the intrigue, the drama, and the controversy. But is that the kind of controversy the NFL wants?
Ideally, a system would be put in place to get all (or at least as many as possible) calls right. Technology could help get there, especially since the middle-aged human beings who officiate the game simply aren’t suited to process in real time the things that young, fast, large men wearing armor are doing — especially when the self-preservation instinct could make it harder for the officials to ignore the frenzy surrounding them and focus.
Still, the league is resisting a full embrace of technology.
“We don’t want to turn this game into a Star Wars game,” Fisher said.
There’s a balance between too much and too little technology. Ultimately, decisions should be based on striving to get every call right. While it’s fun to get salty over the latest bad call in a Monday night game, it would be more fun to have the games decided by the players and not by the folks in white and black stripes.
