Let the Officials officiate

[GX624]

"Let the players play the game," an announcer gripes. Sure, but I say let's add this: "Let the Officials officiate!"

I believe one way for the NFL to stop the outcries of football fans across the nation on so-called "bad calls" by the Officials is to stop the telecast commentators' rambling, often-times mis-guided speculations when a flag is thrown. Sometimes they are not even sure what the official rule is and they go off speculating on the potential ruling.

Perhaps the NFL doesn't realize this, but the commentators' comments and reactions have an even greater influence on the television/radio audience than actual slowmotion replays. The average fan watches a replay with total bias and without the benefit of personal experience as a coach/player in the NFL. More than most have probably never even played a single organized officiated game in their entire lives. I dare to presume that not a single commentor watches that same replay with a single *day* of actual NFL officiating experience, and we all know for a fact that the commentator is not down on the field and in the field of play. Yet what he says while we watch the Slow-Mo Zapruder of the flagged play is highly influential.

Live television and radio annoucers/commentators/analysts/play covers/pundits/etc. should let the Officials officiate the game. Period.

If they must continue these speculations, for nationally televised games especially, the networks should, at the very least, complement the announcers' booth with an actual retired (or at least fully officially trained) NFL Official.

[ZornToLargent]

This thread would have a grain of merit if this has been a Super Bowl problem of years past....but it has never been like this before.....for the fact that the officiating has never been this poor as it was this year. According to you, we should all just keep quiet and not hold the officials accountable for their actions?? And after that Steelers Colts game....you'd think the Steelers Nation would have a completely different opinion. You are just sad because the Super Bowl you just won is being tainted by bad press on the refs. But, if the refs were that bad (and they were), this needs to be discussed and looked at for the better of the NFL....sorry.

[PittsburghGirl]

You know what- yes the officiating this season has been terrible- But WE overcame bad officiating in past games- IF your team was the better team - you should have pulled out every stoip to win- you didn't- Therefore you lose- end of story! I really wish you guys would get that point!

[bozz723]

Originally Posted by ZornToLargent

This thread would have a grain of merit if this has been a Super Bowl problem of years past....but it has never been like this before.....for the fact that the officiating has never been this poor as it was this year. According to you, we should all just keep quiet and not hold the officials accountable for their actions?? And after that Steelers Colts game....you'd think the Steelers Nation would have a completely different opinion. You are just sad because the Super Bowl you just won is being tainted by bad press on the refs. But, if the refs were that bad (and they were), this needs to be discussed and looked at for the better of the NFL....sorry.

Again, the calls that were made were the right calls with the exception of the Hasselbeck personal foul. No denying that wasnt offensive pass interference, and that was most certainly holding. Those are actual rules, just because it's the superbowl doesn't mean they should throw the rule book away. Ben got in the endzone, and if he didn't he would have the next play. No matter what is said, no matter how many mistakes you may think you made, the Steelers also made mistakes. The better, more talented, more complete team won the game. The refs were doing their job and they made the right calls. I can't stand when people don't know what they are talking about, I'm not saying you ZTL, but I'm talking about all the people that think the Seahawks were "jobbed". They just couldn't get it done, and the Steelers are the Champions.

[ZornToLargent]

I agree that the Seahawks didn't play well enough to win the game. That is not up for debate by me. I am not defending the Seahawks dropped balls or missed field goals.

I am however stating my distaste for the piss poor officiating that has gone on all regular season long, throughout the playoffs and into the Super Bowl.

[tony hipchest]

maddens rambling about the play where jackson kicked the pylon was totally uncalled for.

2 feet in bounds= a catch. how he could even speculate that that might have been a bad call was totally bogus, unproffesional, and showing he might have forgot the rules. then they try to bring up a totally different mike vick incident to support their view.

[drizze99]

Well according to Ram fans, SB36 was 10x worse than this one.

[CASTEEL]

Originally Posted by tony hipchest

maddens rambling about the play where jackson kicked the pylon was totally uncalled for.

2 feet in bounds= a catch. how he could even speculate that that might have been a bad call was totally bogus, unproffesional, and showing he might have forgot the rules. then they try to bring up a totally different mike vick incident to support their view.

Madden will find anything he can against the Steelers! He hates the Steelers, and you all should know that!!!

I am one who agrees that the officiating should be looked at, but I don't feel that it is an overwhelming problem, and I definatley don't feel that all of this talk about the Seahaks being robbed and blah blah blah has any merrit whatsoever.


ONE FOR THE THUMB!!!

[bmovierat]

Originally Posted by ZornToLargent

This thread would have a grain of merit if this has been a Super Bowl problem of years past....but it has never been like this before.....for the fact that the officiating has never been this poor as it was this year. According to you, we should all just keep quiet and not hold the officials accountable for their actions?? And after that Steelers Colts game....you'd think the Steelers Nation would have a completely different opinion. You are just sad because the Super Bowl you just won is being tainted by bad press on the refs. But, if the refs were that bad (and they were), this needs to be discussed and looked at for the better of the NFL....sorry.

Bad officiating is nothing new. This isn't something that just became a problem this year. And I don't think the Super Bowl calls were all THAT bad. A few of them were questionable, but nothing that was indisputably bad.

However, bad officiating been an issue for many many seasons now. Football is probably the most complicated major sport out there. We need full time officials. I dont care if they only work one game a week. The rest of the time they can study the game, study the rules so they won't have to consult the rule book every time something unusual happens. They will still make mistakes and they will still have to make questionable calls, but if the officials are full time, perhaps they will be able to foster a good reputation. And the next time they have to make a questionable call, fewer people will cry, "we were robbed!"