What I said to my wife about that BS unsportsmanlike penalty call on Fowler

[Dxmissile]

Yeah I've heard Fowler's explanation.. Honestly it doesn't make sense.

Fowler said all he said was "That was a terrible call." But there wasn't any call....

If somehow that is the ONLY thing that Fowler said - then that official is hot garbage.

But Fowler's explanation is strange - he also said "I didn't call him by his name or anything..."

So yeahhhh.....

Terrible calls as to a terrible no call he was grabbing his neck line like hey I was being held and you see the ref say something to Fowler and Fowler responded then he got the flag

 

[Mojo Ram]

Teams are averaging 24.1 points per game right now, to date. So scoring is up, but again it's not a huge increase. And some might be because of the two point conversions increasing since they moved the extra point kick so far back compared to what it was.

2017 21.7
2016 22.7
2015 22.8
2014 22.6
2013 23.4

Yards per game are probably up, and causing this perception. But I'm not going to dig out those numbers right now.

It's not a perception that the game has changed. I don't believe that it's a coincidence that elite defenses appear to have been slowly neutered due to rule changes and officiating "style."

In years past one could look at the top 5 or 8 teams in any given season and find that the majority of those teams fielded an elite D to go along with a good or great O.

NONE of the best teams right now now are good defensively. Jacksonville, Denver, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Minnesota are great examples of teams with an established identity as elite or very good defensive teams that are quite frankly struggling to get wins simply because they aren't putting up 30 ppg on offense.

 

[Mojo Ram]

Here are your 2018 relevant teams. It's not rocket science how to find them.

 

[XXXIVwin]

IMO, there’s a clear line, and Fowler crossed it.

I blame Fowler, not the ref.

Better he learn his lesson now instead of the playoffs.

Complaining about a call is fine. But calling a ref a swear word is not.

Refs shouldn’t have to put up with verbal abuse, and they don’t.

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

But Fowler's explanation is strange - he also said "I didn't call him by his name or anything..."

He called him a Hussey?

 

[Mackeyser]

The players aren’t the kids of the refs and it’s not the job of the refs to be parents.

These are grown men playing a very violent game.

Forget throwing a flag, based on some of the things I’ve shouted at the TV, the ref would have to throw his flag, hat and then strip and throw everything down to his socks.

If these snowflake refs can’t take more than a “golly gee willikers!” then maybe they should get into Mr Peabody’s Way Back Machine and stop in 1953.

Or, they could grow up and realize that outside of church, swearing is a part of the vernacular and calling a ref “dickcheese” shouldn’t mean anything.

So damn tired of all this paternalistic nonsense. Focus on calling the game properly and there’s little reason for anyone to say anything.

 

[Ellard80]

He called him a Hussey?

We have all been there.. we leave out a word or rearrange a word in explaining what we said to someone to make it not sound so bad.

"Terrible call" as... opposed to "whatever, you're terrible" or "Whatever, that was terrible, as opposed to "whatever, you're terrible" ect ect.

 

[Ellard80]

The players aren’t the kids of the refs and it’s not the job of the refs to be parents.

These are grown men playing a very violent game.

Forget throwing a flag, based on some of the things I’ve shouted at the TV, the ref would have to throw his flag, hat and then strip and throw everything down to his socks.

If these snowflake refs can’t take more than a “golly gee willikers!” then maybe they should get into Mr Peabody’s Way Back Machine and stop in 1953.

Or, they could grow up and realize that outside of church, swearing is a part of the vernacular and calling a ref “dickcheese” shouldn’t mean anything.

So damn tired of all this paternalistic nonsense. Focus on calling the game properly and there’s little reason for anyone to say anything.

So you think the refs should just allow them player to swear at them?

 

[LesBaker]

Bell has said very little publicly about his holdout, directly or through his agent. Bell wants a long term contract and guaranteed money, so IMO it's more about how he gets paid than how much he gets paid. And maybe he just wants out of the Pittsburgh Steelers organization and choose where he works. He did say in a tweet that he holding out for what he believes is right for himself, his family and his peers, so maybe this is also a jab at the CBA and these various tags.

He was sticking to his principles about not getting paid what he thought he is worth.

FYI the contract offer had $17 mil in guarantees

Yeah fuck him I am sick of it already.

Good luck, earn as much as you get offered.

It's not a perception that the game has changed. I don't believe that it's a coincidence that elite defenses appear to have been slowly neutered due to rule changes and officiating "style."

I'm not claiming the game hasn't changed, it changes lots and has always changed.

I said scoring hasn't changed that much. And it hasn't overall.

In years past one could look at the top 5 or 8 teams in any given season and find that the majority of those teams fielded an elite D to go along with a good or great O.

Nah that's not true.

Unless you go back a few or at least a couple of decades.

Elite defenses have been invisible for a long time.........a long time.

NONE of the best teams right now now are good defensively. Jacksonville, Denver, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Minnesota are great examples of teams with an established identity as elite or very good defensive teams that are quite frankly struggling to get wins simply because they aren't putting up 30 ppg on offense.

Last year every single one of those teams were top defenses. Now not.

Shit changes.

 

[Mackeyser]

So you think the refs should just allow them player to swear at them?

Yep, that says exactly what I’m saying.

And they remove the swearing not by being flag fascists, but by being competent.

If the refs did their damn job and embraced every opportunity to get the call right versus fighting for their judgment at every freaking turn and insisting that everyone kiss their asses, the swearing wouldn’t be an issue.

This is a case where the refs want to address the symptoms rather than solve the problem.

“We want to suck, but want to be respected as if we cured cancer.”

Well, the respect is feigned and players take a umbrage to enduring violence and injury only to have some accountant determine the livelihoods of them and their teammates.

Here’s the TL;dr. Hey refs, git gud and no one has reason to swear at you in the first place.

 

[1maGoh]

Yep, that says exactly what I’m saying.

And they remove the swearing not by being flag fascists, but by being competent.

If the refs did their damn job and embraced every opportunity to get the call right versus fighting for their judgment at every freaking turn and insisting that everyone kiss their asses, the swearing wouldn’t be an issue.

This is a case where the refs want to address the symptoms rather than solve the problem.

“We want to suck, but want to be respected as if we cured cancer.”

Well, the respect is feigned and players take a umbrage to enduring violence and injury only to have some accountant determine the livelihoods of them and their teammates.

Here’s the TL;dr. Hey refs, git gud and no one has reason to swear at you in the first place.

Exactly this stuff right here. Own what you can own. The refs can help not pissing players off, and thus prevent swearing, by not being the worst people doing any job anywhere on the planet. They can't get mad and throw flags after choosing not to throw legitimate flags for 3 freaking quarters.

The players have the same responsibility. However, just because the players can change, doesn't mean the refs get to continue to be pure trash and act petty when people get upset. If McVay was in charge of the refs instead of the team, he'd be saying the same thing. "Yeah guys, we have to hold a line and we have to be respected. You have to earn that respect. Make the right call and the players respect you. Now get back out there and call the penalties the way we studied them."

Because that's how adults act. That's how professionals act. They look at what they can change to make it better and they act on it.

Too bad we don't have refs like that and I hope Fowler becomes like that. I have hope for the latter because of McVay.

 

[Ellard80]

Yep, that says exactly what I’m saying.

And they remove the swearing not by being flag fascists, but by being competent.

If the refs did their damn job and embraced every opportunity to get the call right versus fighting for their judgment at every freaking turn and insisting that everyone kiss their asses, the swearing wouldn’t be an issue.

This is a case where the refs want to address the symptoms rather than solve the problem.

“We want to suck, but want to be respected as if we cured cancer.”

Well, the respect is feigned and players take a umbrage to enduring violence and injury only to have some accountant determine the livelihoods of them and their teammates.

Here’s the TL;dr. Hey refs, git gud and no one has reason to swear at you in the first place.

Sorry but the "Get gud" and no one will swear at you argument is silly. I saw someone else post that earlier.

What''s "gud" to one team is often not "gud" to the other team.

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

So you think the refs should just allow them player to swear at them?

Do you think a ref should just allow opponents to hold our LBs?

 

[Mackeyser]

Well players have much less issue with straight calls than you imagine.

And all this is hypothetical because the refs have yet to focus on “gittin’ gud”

Players in thought word and deed have showed that they take issue with refs who want to control player’s behavior beyond the parameters of fair play in the game as well as inconsistent calls at critical game junctures.

 

[Ellard80]

Do you think a ref should just allow opponents to hold our LBs?

I already said earlier that I have done my fair share of bitching about the officials this year. I don't think they have been good at all. I also understand why Fowler was mad - he was clearly held.

Maybe he even didn't say anything that bad to the official - dunno.

All I'm saying is - If you are going to swear at the officials its within their rights to do something about it.

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

So damn tired of all this paternalistic nonsense. Focus on calling the game properly and there’s little reason for anyone to say anything.

Yeah, I think this was well said. I've seen plenty of times in various sports, refs just look the other way and move on with the game. You can tell by Hussey's facial expression he was triggered--when the ideal ref is dispassionate and would refuse to sway a game over it.

 

[dang]

A couple of observations:
- Fowler is being accused of committing 2 unsportmanslike conducts on 3rd downs leading to 2 TDs; the Play by Play transcript indicates Littleton committed a 3rd down roughing the passer that contributed to Seattle's first TD
- Someone needs to set the record straight on Fowler's unsportsmanlike conduct that contributed to Seattle's 3rd TD. If Fowler was guilty of "Using abusive, threatening, or insulting language or gestures to opponents, teammates, officials, or representatives of the League" - then he needs to own it and learn from his mistake. If he did none of the above - then that referee needs to be reprimanded. I only hope that it qualified as truly insulting language (vs an angry expression of disagreement) because it was a very impactful call. I am a biased Rams fan but it looked like the Ref followed Fowler almost daring him to say "anything that he didn't like".

 

[RAMblin Man]

So you think the refs should just allow them player to swear at them?

If they don't flag the guy swearing at me from across the line than they have no right flagging me for doing it to them. If I have to man up and take it, so do they.

 

[Mojo Ram]

Nah that's not true.

Unless you go back a few or at least a couple of decades.

Elite defenses have been invisible for a long time.........a long time.

I'll post what i found looking back just 10 years, which is IMO when the league decided to start moving in the direction we find the game in today.

 

[Mojo Ram]

Btw @LesBaker i'm not trying to change your mind. You've made it pretty clear that you don't believe there's anything "behind" the changes to the game in terms of league agenda and making the game more user friendly to the casual fan. I assume you believe it's just happened because "things just happen" am i right?