NFL Complaints, Observations, Suggestions

[maz]

Anyone who doesn't believe that a "fix" is possible should watch a tape of Super Bowl XL. I have no horse in that race, but that was the most obviously fixed pro game I've ever seen.

Yep, the Seahawks werent guilty of any penalties called on them in that game, and had no chances to come back from them. They didnt lose to a better team or make any fatal mistakes all on their own, it was just the refs making sure the Steelers won.

[infrared41]

Anyone who doesn't believe that a "fix" is possible should watch a tape of Super Bowl XL. I have no horse in that race, but that was the most obviously fixed pro game I've ever seen.

Yep, the Seahawks werent guilty of any penalties called on them in that game, and had no chances to come back from them. They didnt lose to a better team or make any fatal mistakes all on their own, it was just the refs making sure the Steelers won.

No, it was just the refs making sure Seattle had to run uphill the entire game. There is a difference. A fix is predetermined. An advantage is what happened in Super Bowl XL.

[twi]

After watching the pregame show this week I have an addition to my list that I can't believe I forgot to include initially: Chris Berman. I know he's not exactly an 'NFL' complaint but goddam is he annoying.

[JamieRose]

After watching the pregame show this week I have an addition to my list that I can't believe I forgot to include initially: Chris Berman. I know he's not exactly an 'NFL' complaint but goddam is he annoying.

He's even worse as an MLB commentator. I remember a year or two ago, when ESPN was covering a Red Sox game. He kept calling David Ortiz "Big Pappy" which makes me think of some old guy in a rocking chair with a straw hat. Way to butcher the Spanish language BOOMER.

Anywho, back on topic people. NFL, love ya but way to be dumb.

[infrared41]

After watching the pregame show this week I have an addition to my list that I can't believe I forgot to include initially: Chris Berman. I know he's not exactly an 'NFL' complaint but goddam is he annoying.

He's even worse as an MLB commentator. I remember a year or two ago, when ESPN was covering a Red Sox game. He kept calling David Ortiz "Big Pappy" which makes me think of some old guy in a rocking chair with a straw hat. Way to butcher the Spanish language BOOMER.

Anywho, back on topic people. NFL, love ya but way to be dumb.

Not exactly a complaint against the NFL but since it took place in a thread about complaining about the NFL it's close enough. I'd like to add using "anywho" in any fashion.

And yeah, Berman is about as annoying as they come.

[TFoA]

I heard an interesting tidbit watching the Falcons game today...most referees prefer NOT to watch the slow mo replays, even though they have the means to watch it in slow motion. Therefore, most referees (and probably including the one that was working the game I watched today) watch the replays at full speed from one angle, instead of watching the angles and slow motion that we watch at TV.

WTF IS THAT ?! Seriously, what is up with that? The object is to get it right, they can easily get it right if they watch it at the right speed and angles, and instead they decide to challenge themselves, apparently. That's ludicrous.

[JamieRose]

I heard an interesting tidbit watching the Falcons game today...most referees prefer NOT to watch the slow mo replays, even though they have the means to watch it in slow motion. Therefore, most referees (and probably including the one that was working the game I watched today) watch the replays at full speed from one angle, instead of watching the angles and slow motion that we watch at TV.

WTF IS THAT ?! Seriously, what is up with that? The object is to get it right, they can easily get it right if they watch it at the right speed and angles, and instead they decide to challenge themselves, apparently. That's ludicrous.

Seriously? The NFL needs to enlist some good proctologists to help the referees find their heads.

[maz]

Anyone who doesn't believe that a "fix" is possible should watch a tape of Super Bowl XL. I have no horse in that race, but that was the most obviously fixed pro game I've ever seen.

Yep, the Seahawks werent guilty of any penalties called on them in that game, and had no chances to come back from them. They didnt lose to a better team or make any fatal mistakes all on their own, it was just the refs making sure the Steelers won.

No, it was just the refs making sure Seattle had to run uphill the entire game. There is a difference. A fix is predetermined. An advantage is what happened in Super Bowl XL.

What is the difference? Youre making it impossible, or near impossible for the other team to win. Either way, its still making sure one of the teams wins. That still doesnt change the fact that even with the bad officiating, Seattle had their opportunites to come back that they squandered.

[infrared41]

Anyone who doesn't believe that a "fix" is possible should watch a tape of Super Bowl XL. I have no horse in that race, but that was the most obviously fixed pro game I've ever seen.

Yep, the Seahawks werent guilty of any penalties called on them in that game, and had no chances to come back from them. They didnt lose to a better team or make any fatal mistakes all on their own, it was just the refs making sure the Steelers won.

No, it was just the refs making sure Seattle had to run uphill the entire game. There is a difference. A fix is predetermined. An advantage is what happened in Super Bowl XL.

What is the difference? Youre making it impossible, or near impossible for the other team to win. Either way, its still making sure one of the teams wins. That still doesnt change the fact that even with the bad officiating, Seattle had their opportunites to come back that they squandered.

The difference is that in a fix the outcome is set ahead of time. If Super Bowl XL was indeed "fixed" then Seattle was laying down on purpose. That clearly was not the case. If you decide to call more holding penalties on Seattle than you do on Pittsburgh then The Seahawks still have a chance to win the game. It will just be harder for them to do. Competitive balance would be a 50-50 shot for either team. I am saying that at times it looks like the officials are making it 60-40 instead of 50-50. They may not be doing that at all but it sure looks like it sometimes. Super Bowl XL was a prime example.

Think of it like a power play in hockey. You can still score goals short handed but it's not exactly easy.

[BBTV]

On a level playing field, the Steelers probably still beat the Seahawks. However, it is inarguable by any non-biased observer that the officiating was more eggregiously tilted in that game than probably any other game in recent NFL history. The Seahawks were not going to win that game. And on the other side of it, the Steelers were not going to win that game by less than four points.

Wasn't the Seattle QB called for "blocking below the waist" after throwing an interception? I've still yet to hear an explanation for that one. If anyone has it, I'd love to know what that was about.

[infrared41]

On a level playing field, the Steelers probably still beat the Seahawks. However, it is inarguable by any non-biased observer that the officiating was more eggregiously tilted in that game than probably any other game in recent NFL history. The Seahawks were not going to win that game. And on the other side of it, the Steelers were not going to win that game by less than four points.

Wasn't the Seattle QB called for "blocking below the waist" after throwing an interception? I've still yet to hear an explanation for that one. If anyone has it, I'd love to know what that was about.

He was indeed. It was the first time I'd ever seen such a thing. I'll just ask this question. If the game was called evenly then why do so many of us remember how bad the officiating was? What do we remember from the 2002 Super Bowl? I'm not even sure who won it. Mention SB XL and everyone not wearing black and gold will immediately talk about the bogus calls. The officiating is what that Super Bowl is famous for. I wonder why that is?

[maz]

Thats the shame of it. That season/championship run couldve been one of the great stories of the NFL, but its been marred by the controversial super bowl. Which is also why I really hope the Steelers can (clearly) win it all this year. Itd be nice to see one of my teams win a championship without everyone thinking the refs purposely helped us.

[infrared41]

Thats the shame of it. That season/championship run couldve been one of the great stories of the NFL, but its been marred by the controversial super bowl. Which is also why I really hope the Steelers can (clearly) win it all this year. Itd be nice to see one of my teams win a championship without everyone thinking the refs purposely helped us.

The Steelers won 4 of them without controversy. I think most everyone will agree that they were the best team each time. They were better than the Seahawks too. They just seemed to get a lot of help that they probably didn't need.

The "great story" angle is probably what caused the problems. The Bus wins it all in his last game in his hometown. Great stuff.

[twi]

Thats the shame of it. That season/championship run couldve been one of the great stories of the NFL, but its been marred by the controversial super bowl. Which is also why I really hope the Steelers can (clearly) win it all this year. Itd be nice to see one of my teams win a championship without everyone thinking the refs purposely helped us.

The Steelers won 4 of them without controversy. I think most everyone will agree that they were the best team each time. They were better than the Seahawks too. They just seemed to get a lot of help that they probably didn't need.

The "great story" angle is probably what caused the problems. The Bus wins it all in his last game in his hometown. Great stuff.

If you don't consider steroid induced early deaths and Terry Bradshaw's confession controversial.

[tBBP]

Thats the shame of it. That season/championship run couldve been one of the great stories of the NFL, but its been marred by the controversial super bowl. Which is also why I really hope the Steelers can (clearly) win it all this year. Itd be nice to see one of my teams win a championship without everyone thinking the refs purposely helped us.

The Steelers won 4 of them without controversy. I think most everyone will agree that they were the best team each time. They were better than the Seahawks too. They just seemed to get a lot of help that they probably didn't need.

The "great story" angle is probably what caused the problems. The Bus wins it all in his last game in his hometown. Great stuff.

And you know what the truly sad part of all that was?

Bettis wasn't the only Steeler from the D. Quiet as was (most definitely) kept, Lawrence Edward Foote also come from the 3-1-third. (To be fair, though, even Foote himself, prior to the game, told reporters on one of the local Pgh news affiliates he knew the magnitude of the storyline and as such as willing to let Bettis have the spotlight--or something to that effect. And it was at that point my curious mind got to wondering if something else was really going on...)

And yeah...that "blocking below the waist" thing on Hasselbeck was easily one of the absolute WORST calls I've seen in all my time of watching the Super Bowl. And no, I still don't think Ben broke the plane on that first "supposed" rushing TD. And yes, the Hawks did get a lot of "questionable" calls against them. And it's sho' hard to play catch-up when you're behind the 8-ball, the refs, and just about everyone from both Pittsburgh AND Detroit. HOWEVER, I will say this: the Hawks had a good game plan; they just failed to execute--namely, and chiefly, Jerramy Stevens. In the end, really, the Steelboyz ain't play a great game, either--they just made enough big plays to win that game.

[Sport]

Thats the shame of it. That season/championship run couldve been one of the great stories of the NFL, but its been marred by the controversial super bowl. Which is also why I really hope the Steelers can (clearly) win it all this year. Itd be nice to see one of my teams win a championship without everyone thinking the refs purposely helped us.

Whether it was accidental or not the Steelers run to the 2005 championship was marred long before the super bowl. You can't argue that the wild card game was a squeaky clean victory.

[mantleisthebest7]

Here's a few things that bug me.

First off, NFL "experts" like Mel Kiper and Todd McShay bug the crap out of me. They base all of thier analysis (primarily on quarterbacks) on the player's size and the system they play in and thats just about it. Here's all I hear about great college talent from them:

"Chase Daniel...great arm, too short."

"Tim Tebow...excellent leader, better suited at a different position."

"Graham Harrell.....that system could hurt him...."

For the love of all thats holy, couldnt they just shut up and give the guys a shot?

Dont they realize Chase Daniel is 6'0" just like Drew Brees, who just thappens to be one of only two quarterbacks to ever pass for 5,000 yards in a season? Do they realize he may actually bigger than Brees due to a stockier size? Can they not put that together and think "Chase Daniel...has Brees' size...has a great arm...accurate arm.....oh he could be another Drew Brees!" They really cant think to do that? I mean seriously, they cant even think outside thier little boxes and just consider things. Its for reasons like these that Kiper and McShay are useless, they just count people out before giving them a shot. Especially with Daniel, they say a few positive things here and there then just shoot him down with an avalanche of negatives. How are they supposed to know how he'll adapt if they havent even seen him and numerous others theyve counted out play in the NFL?

Do they realize Tim Tebow has won two national titles AS A QUARTERBACK? Do they realize Tim Tebow has won the Heisman AS A QUARTERBACK? Not only AS A QUARTERBACK, but perhaps college football's greatest dual-threat QUARTERBACK. I could care less if he's "too good a runner" (yes, Kiper said that), if I could have a QUARTERBACK who could gain 20 yards on the ground under pressure just as good as he could throw a 50-yard bomb for a TD, i'd take him anyday. Especially where his leadership, humility, smarts, and discipline are uncanny. But of course, Kiper and McShay would rather take a 7'0", 270 pocket hogger whos going to be a tremendous bust and make them look even more useless because thats just how they are. Yes I exaggerated the size because, again, thats how they are.

Do they realize teams like the Cardinals, Patriots, Saints and Colts run pas-oriented systems?? And with many new coaching jobs opening up, who knows if another team will adopt such a system? theres even other teams that rely on passing without such a system. I know there's that "spread offense system curse" that happens to hound many QBs, but evolution in football occurs. Spread offense domination in the NFL is bound to happen. And you mean to tell me guys like Graham Harrell wont find a place in the NFL? Forget about the past, just drop it. I dont care about the Andre ware's and the Ty Detmer's. Let's talk future here. Even in the present, weve seen the four aforementioned teams ride pass-orientation to success. Why cant it happen more? I'm almost certain it will, like the West Coast took storm. There was uncertainty with it, the "shallow passes will get gobbled up by linebackers" and "too easy for defenses to pick up on" complaints. Well, San Francisco just happened to winfour Super Bowls with it. Whos to say another pass-dominant system wont pull the same results in the future? Guys like Graham Harrell, with incredibly accurate and strong arms mixed with scary-smart field awareness and football IQ, I believe could ride such a system to success.

Now if only Kiper and McShay could just shut thier yapper and give the guys a shot....

[dfwabel]

Mantle,

Drafting a QB is one of the biggest crapshoots in all of employment.

The New Yorker ran a story recently written by Malcolm Gladwell, author of "The Tipping Point", who talked with a scout for the Eagles about drafting. Pretty interesting especially when you read who he thought were very can't miss.

The New Yorker Takes on the NFL Draft

[AJM]

Here's a few things that bug me.

First off, NFL "experts" like Mel Kiper and Todd McShay bug the crap out of me. They base all of thier analysis (primarily on quarterbacks) on the player's size and the system they play in and thats just about it. Here's all I hear about great college talent from them:

"Chase Daniel...great arm, too short."

"Tim Tebow...excellent leader, better suited at a different position."

"Graham Harrell.....that system could hurt him...."

For the love of all thats holy, couldnt they just shut up and give the guys a shot?

Dont they realize Chase Daniel is 6'0" just like Drew Brees, who just thappens to be one of only two quarterbacks to ever pass for 5,000 yards in a season? Do they realize he may actually bigger than Brees due to a stockier size? Can they not put that together and think "Chase Daniel...has Brees' size...has a great arm...accurate arm.....oh he could be another Drew Brees!" They really cant think to do that? I mean seriously, they cant even think outside thier little boxes and just consider things. Its for reasons like these that Kiper and McShay are useless, they just count people out before giving them a shot. Especially with Daniel, they say a few positive things here and there then just shoot him down with an avalanche of negatives. How are they supposed to know how he'll adapt if they havent even seen him and numerous others theyve counted out play in the NFL?

Do they realize Tim Tebow has won two national titles AS A QUARTERBACK? Do they realize Tim Tebow has won the Heisman AS A QUARTERBACK? Not only AS A QUARTERBACK, but perhaps college football's greatest dual-threat QUARTERBACK. I could care less if he's "too good a runner" (yes, Kiper said that), if I could have a QUARTERBACK who could gain 20 yards on the ground under pressure just as good as he could throw a 50-yard bomb for a TD, i'd take him anyday. Especially where his leadership, humility, smarts, and discipline are uncanny. But of course, Kiper and McShay would rather take a 7'0", 270 pocket hogger whos going to be a tremendous bust and make them look even more useless because thats just how they are. Yes I exaggerated the size because, again, thats how they are.

Do they realize teams like the Cardinals, Patriots, Saints and Colts run pas-oriented systems?? And with many new coaching jobs opening up, who knows if another team will adopt such a system? theres even other teams that rely on passing without such a system. I know there's that "spread offense system curse" that happens to hound many QBs, but evolution in football occurs. Spread offense domination in the NFL is bound to happen. And you mean to tell me guys like Graham Harrell wont find a place in the NFL? Forget about the past, just drop it. I dont care about the Andre ware's and the Ty Detmer's. Let's talk future here. Even in the present, weve seen the four aforementioned teams ride pass-orientation to success. Why cant it happen more? I'm almost certain it will, like the West Coast took storm. There was uncertainty with it, the "shallow passes will get gobbled up by linebackers" and "too easy for defenses to pick up on" complaints. Well, San Francisco just happened to winfour Super Bowls with it. Whos to say another pass-dominant system wont pull the same results in the future? Guys like Graham Harrell, with incredibly accurate and strong arms mixed with scary-smart field awareness and football IQ, I believe could ride such a system to success.

Now if only Kiper and McShay could just shut thier yapper and give the guys a shot....

Being a great college football player has also proven to mean absolutely nothing in the NFL, especially at the QB level. Just to name a few NFL busts...

Andre Ware (Houston) - Heisman ('89)

Gino Torretta (Miami) - Heisman ('92) & Co-National Champs ('91)

Charlie Ward (Florida State) - Heisman ('93) & National Champs ('93)

Danny Wuerffel (Florida) - Heisman ('96) & National Champs ('96)

Chris Weinke (Florida State) - Heisman ('00) & National Champs ('99)

Eric Crouch (Nebraska) - Heisman ('01)

Jason White (Oklahoma) - Heisman ('03)

Troy Smith (Ohio State) - Heisman ('06)

[quantum]

Winning the Heisman, although a great accomplishment for a college player, means jack in the pros. These guys may very well be suited at a different position. I always thought Michael Vick would have been better as a receiver than as a QB. Of course, just like Kiper and McShay, it is only an opinion.