2012 NFL Season Thread

[BlueSky]

Another gem from Sunday as related in Peter King's column:

===

In Tennessee, the stunner of all stunners gave the Titans a crucial 12 free yards on what turned out to be the decisive field-goal drive in overtime, the drive that provided the winning points in Tennessee's 44-41 victory. Tennessee had 2nd-and-18 from its 44, and Jake Locker threw what was ruled a 24-yard completion to tight end Craig Stevens. At the end of the play, Detroit linebacker Stephen Tulloch was called for a 15-yard personal foul on Stevens. But the completion was reversed and ruled an incompletion.

Now the officials had to mark off the 15-yard penalty. Presumably, replay official Earnie Frantz or the officiating supervisor told the referee, Gerald Wright, to mark the 15-yard penalty from the Tennessee 44. But Wright marked it from the Detroit 44, giving the Titans a first down at the Detroit 29. If the crew had marked it from the Titans 44, the first down would have been from the Detroit 41. As it was, Tennessee, from the 29, was already in field-goal range. It's beyond inexcusable -- and to think the league office put an extra set of eyes in the replay booth to ensure debacles like a 27-yard personal foul wouldn't happen. It did anyway.

===

[pmoehrin]

It just sucks for the replacement refs, because like I said before the players and coaches can't go after anybody else besides the refs. And owners aren't exactly the most public bunch save for a handful of Jerry Jones' types out there. They can just sit behind a desk during the week and don't even have to be seen on gameday, so its hard to really pin their faces to what's going on even though their greed is probably the root cause of all of this.

There's nowhere for the replacement refs to hide though and they're the ones out there actually making the calls, so again it going to fall on them right or wrong. And that's not the media, that's the fans.

People are going to make a big deal about this and if your a fan of the NFL you should be making a big deal about this because you deserve better. When you have factors external to the ability of the two teams on the field deciding games, you cease to have a meaningful game and an argument could be made in at least a few of these games that's exactly what happened.

In terms of boycotting games that's up to people themselves. I'm still going to be watching the NFL come Sunday even though I'm not happy with this. I wouldn't blame anybody that did though. You feel that strongly about it then you have every right to say screw 'em, not watching anymore. Can take everyone else's money but your not getting mine at least. I don't feel that way but I could very easily see why somebody would.

[NEW.ERA]

Don't use that "insert more important team" crap.

Anyone who is a football fan knows what they saw last night, and know it was a bad call. Lambeau will be filled, it will be Nationally televised, the sun more than likely rose this morning.

I'm done being pissed.

[Brendan]

I wish Pete Carroll and the rest of the Seahawks would quit acting like they won the Super Bowl when all they did was undeservedly win a regular season game.

[BBTV]

I wish Pete Carroll and the rest of the Seahawks would quit acting like they won the Super Bowl when all they did was undeservedly win a regular season game.

How are they acting like they won the Super Bowl?

[Jimmy!]

At this point, they deserve their NBA team relocating for being such jack@$es.

This place has such an abundance of stupid comments that it takes real work to rise above the din and get noticed. So well done, I guess.

You didn't know, 'Red, that a few board-posting trolls represent the ENTIRE Seattle fanbase? ::sarcasm::

[Brendan]

I wish Pete Carroll and the rest of the Seahawks would quit acting like they won the Super Bowl when all they did was undeservedly win a regular season game.

How are they acting like they won the Super Bowl?

Their twitter posts. I would prefer to see them show some integrity and not pretend like they won that game fair and square.

[STL FANATIC]

The NFL just released this.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000066164/article/nfl-supports-decision-to-not-overturn-seahawks-touchdown?campaign=Twitter_news

In Monday's game between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks, Seattle faced a 4th-and-10 from the Green Bay 24 with eight seconds remaining in the game.

Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson threw a pass into the end zone. Several players, including Seattle wide receiver Golden Tate and Green Bay safety M.D. Jennings, jumped into the air in an attempt to catch the ball.

While the ball is in the air, Tate can be seen shoving Green Bay cornerback Sam Shields to the ground. This should have been a penalty for offensive pass interference, which would have ended the game. It was not called and is not reviewable in instant replay.

When the players hit the ground in the end zone, the officials determined that both Tate and Jennings had possession of the ball. Under the rule for simultaneous catch, the ball belongs to Tate, the offensive player. The result of the play was a touchdown.

Replay Official Howard Slavin stopped the game for an instant replay review. The aspects of the play that were reviewable included if the ball hit the ground and who had possession of the ball. In the end zone, a ruling of a simultaneous catch is reviewable. That is not the case in the field of play, only in the end zone.

Referee Wayne Elliott determined that no indisputable visual evidence existed to overturn the call on the field, and as a result, the on-field ruling of touchdown stood. The NFL Officiating Department reviewed the video today and supports the decision not to overturn the on-field ruling following the instant replay review.

The result of the game is final.

Applicable rules to the play are as follows:

A player (or players) jumping in the air has not legally gained possession of the ball until he satisfies the elements of a catch listed here.

Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3 of the NFL Rule Book defines a catch:

A forward pass is complete (by the offense) or intercepted (by the defense) if a player, who is inbounds:

(a) secures control of the ball in his hands or arms prior to the ball touching the ground; and

( touches the ground inbounds with both feet or with any part of his body other than his hands; and

© maintains control of the ball long enough, after (a) and ( have been fulfilled, to enable him to perform any act common to the game (i.e., maintaining control long enough to pitch it, pass it, advance with it, or avoid or ward off an opponent, etc.).

When a player (or players) is going to the ground in the attempt to catch a pass, Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3, Item 1 states:

Player Going to the Ground. If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball throughout the process of contacting the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.

Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3, Item 5 states:

Simultaneous Catch. If a pass is caught simultaneously by two eligible opponents, and both players retain it, the ball belongs to the passers. It is not a simultaneous catch if a player gains control first and an opponent subsequently gains joint control. If the ball is muffed after simultaneous touching by two such players, all the players of the passing team become eligible to catch the loose ball.

[STL FANATIC]

Some key points from the above that make this a little more outrageous.

? The officials DID have the ability to overturn the simultaneous catch ruling upon replay review. They do not have the option on a simultaneous catch on the field of play. They DO have that option in the end zones.

? While the replay official was a veteran NFL official, he is not the one that made or makes the ruling upon a review. I presume that he's in charge of stopping play for review. He probably discusses the review rules with the on-field official. But it is ultimately the on-field official that watches the replays and makes a determination on whether to change the call.

[BBTV]

I wish Pete Carroll and the rest of the Seahawks would quit acting like they won the Super Bowl when all they did was undeservedly win a regular season game.

How are they acting like they won the Super Bowl?

Their twitter posts. I would prefer to see them show some integrity and not pretend like they won that game fair and square.

Is this really something that's upsetting you? Please share some of these celebratory posts.

[NJTank]

Its a little douchebaggery from the Seahawks, but Pete Carroll and being a douche bad is as natural as the sun rising and setting

[TFoA]

The NFL just released this.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000066164/article/nfl-supports-decision-to-not-overturn-seahawks-touchdown?campaign=Twitter_news

While the ball is in the air, Tate can be seen shoving Green Bay cornerback Sam Shields to the ground. This should have been a penalty for offensive pass interference, which would have ended the game. It was not called and is not reviewable in instant replay.

HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA

[The_Admiral]

The Sacramento Kings get screwed in the Western Conference Finals? Shouldn't have left it up to the refs.

Imaginary, unless you only fraternize with Lakers fans. Everyone had Sacramento's back on that one. Even Ralph Nader popped out to complain about it.

[Brendan]

I wish Pete Carroll and the rest of the Seahawks would quit acting like they won the Super Bowl when all they did was undeservedly win a regular season game.

How are they acting like they won the Super Bowl?

Their twitter posts. I would prefer to see them show some integrity and not pretend like they won that game fair and square.

Is this really something that's upsetting you? Please share some of these celebratory posts.

Is it bothering you that it bothers me?

I'm not losing sleep over it but I would still prefer for my team to show a little more honesty and aknowledge that they didn't win in the cleanest way.

[rams80]

The NFL just released this.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000066164/article/nfl-supports-decision-to-not-overturn-seahawks-touchdown?campaign=Twitter_news

While the ball is in the air, Tate can be seen shoving Green Bay cornerback Sam Shields to the ground. This should have been a penalty for offensive pass interference, which would have ended the game. It was not called and is not reviewable in instant replay.

HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA

You know, maybe we should have penalties besides "Too many men on the field" reviewable.

[OnWis97]

I wish Pete Carroll and the rest of the Seahawks would quit acting like they won the Super Bowl when all they did was undeservedly win a regular season game.

How are they acting like they won the Super Bowl?

Their twitter posts. I would prefer to see them show some integrity and not pretend like they won that game fair and square.

I don't use twitter, so I don't know what they are saying. If they are acting all excited about it I agree they should shut up; acting excited on the field (when most probably had no idea how bad the call was) is one thing.... However (re: bolded part), I hope you don't expect them to say "yeah, we deserved to lose."

Bad calls have played key roles in games before and never once have I heard a player from the lucky team say "yeah, the refs gave us that one."

[NEW.ERA]

So they admit that there should have been Offensive PI, but we all know that is NEVER called in a Hail Mary situation. How they rule simultaneous catch when Golden Tate is on the ground, meaning as a player his life in that play is dead and then he proceeds to yank the ball out of MD Jennings hands well he was already on the ground. It's a farce, it's done.

NFL Lore name = Fail Mary, Incompetent Reception. Anything else?

[STL FANATIC]

For the record, we've seen this schtick before from the NFL.

Remember when the Lions beat the Bears a few years ago on a Calvin Johnson TD? But the refs ruled it incomplete because he let go of the ball after the play, so the Bears won instead?

The NFL cited a rule, and you all bought it as the right call, just a bad rule or an odd occurrence.

But even then, while the rule exists, it wasn't the correct call. The NFL just used their muscle and said it was and everyone moved on.

They're trying that again here, but I'm not sure it's going to work nearly as well.

[TheOldRoman]

Again, I guarantee when the regular refs come back that they'll blow some call that leads to a Patriot, Steeler, or Packer win and everyone else will be bitching again. The smart thing for Goodell to do is clean house and hire actually good refs. No Lingerie League rejects, no tired old biased crooks with agendas like Hochuli and Leavy.

Hochuli is very good at his job. I understand that he made an error which cost one of the teams you randomly root for a game four years ago, but that was an isolated incident and he isn't a crook with an agenda.

[Sport]

The "the regular refs are horrible too" crowd is missing the point. Yes, they make bad calls, but they don't make this many bad calls this often and they manage games so much better. Plus, the players actually have some modicum of respect for them. They have none for these guys and it's getting worse with each game. It's basically becoming a game of "how much can we get away with".

Saying, "well the regular refs make bad calls too so what's the difference" is akin to saying "yeah, the replacement players were bad, but regular NFL players fumble too so what's the difference."