Bad Officiating | Righting The Wrong in Sports Officiating » NFL

Another Pick-6, another missed clipping Call

refpolice — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:15:18 +0000

Just as in last year Super Super Bowl, the game’s outcome hinged on a inception for a TD at a crucial situation in the game. Last night in Super Bowl between the Colt and the Saints, Peyton Manning was intercepted by Saints cornerback Tracey Porter with 3 plus minutes left in regulation as the Colt drove for the game-tying touchdown. Receiver Reggie Wayne appeared to give-up on the route, allowing Porter to step in and make the play. But what was overlooked was Peyton Manning getting pushed from behind as he tried to make a play on Porter. Even ESPN’s Bill Simmons agrees, ‘A clip is a clip’, and the refs missed this one, just they did last year in the Cardinal – Steelers Game. Now, manning didn’t exactly go all out in an effort to try and tackle Porter, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve the best opportunity to do so, and it looked like he was clearly interfered with.

Blue in Green Bay

refpolice — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:23:29 +0000

In an unfair ending to a great football game, Green Bay Packer quarterback Aaron Rodgers was fouled on a play that ended the game. Fans across the country watched in surprise as the officials kept their hankies in their pockets as Karlos Dansby carried a Rodgers fumble in overtime into the end zone propelling the Cardinals into the next round of the NFL playoffs. Replays show a clear face mask penalty on Rodgers, but in a season where unprecedented efforts have been made to protect quarterbacks, this one went uncalled. Officiating is about consistency, and this non-call is about as inconsistent as you can get this year in the NFL.

Cardinal Sin: Ref Deck Stacked Against Cards

refpolice — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 06:34:38 +0000

Don’t be mislead by the ‘exciting’ finish, this game was a series of blown calls and attempts to fix them with even worse calls. Starting with this missed clipping call on the 1oo yard interception for touchdown and ending with the inexplicable ‘non-review’, the second half was a manufactured comeback and orchestrated result. Here’s a list of the offenses:

1) Missed clipping call, cost the Cards 7 points

2) Bogus roughing the passer call which everyone thought was going to be grounding against Rothliesberger

3) Yellow Hankie Nominee: “Piling on the Holder” call against the Cards

4) Yellow Hankie Nominee: Why wasn’t the last play of the game reviewed??!! The NFL rules say all questionable calls inside of 2:00 has to be reviewed, but for some reason this one wasn’t.

Personally, I’m glad I took the time to record and watch the Mens tennis final (Nadal’s obsessive butt-picking notwithstanding) in Melbourne at the Australian Open because I saw more athletic brilliance in one point in the tennis match than in the entire 3rd quarter of the “McGruber Bowl”. And the fifth game of the fourth set was arguably more interesting and entertaining than anything the NFL produced all year. It had excitement, greatness, drama and efficiently managed officiating disputes, something the NFL still struggles to deliver. What’s more, tennis continues to perfect the officiating resolution process while the NFL continues to ignore the officiating elephant in the room. While entertaining, the Cardinals’ comeback wasn’t real, it was artificially manufactured with make-up calls in a terrible attempt to make for prior missed calls. Without the help of two absurd personal foul calls (presumably givebacks for the “piling on the holder” call and the rest), the Cardinals don’t score the first touchdown of the 4th quarter which pulls them to within 6 points. This Super Bowl stunk more than the Super Bowl Michael Phelps got caught smoking somewhere in the UK. Statistically, this has got be the most error-prone Super Bowl ever with 18 penalties for a combined 162 yards, 11 and 106 against the Cardinals and doesn’t count the two most glaring errors: the missed clip call on the interception for a 100 yard touchdown, and the non-review on the last play of the game. As a reference, 162 represents 23% of the 699 in total offense. Tonight’s team of officials collectively win the “Ed Hochuli Award” for officiating ineptitude, which is really too bad since sports is about the only thing any of us haveto look forward to these days.

Weddle You Gonna Do?

refpolice — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:30:38 +0000

While is was unlikely to change the outcome of the game, the pass interference call in the end zone against the Charger’s Eric Weddle on a 45 yard Hail Mary from Ben Roethlisberger violates every unwritten rule in the book. The Steelers were up by 10 at the time, and with 9 minutes to go this game was pretty much in hand. But I, like many others I’m sure, were hoping for a reason to watch the end of the game, and these refs took that away. The call put the ball at the one yard-line, and one play later the Steelers were up 17, game over. The Chargers scored right away, but the call had sealed the deal. But the absolute worse part about the call was that it was a bad call. Forget about timing and the fact that it was in the end zone; it was good defense and the call should not have been made under any circumstance, let alone the one in which is was called. Weddle’s nightmare game was completed when a punt bonked off his head during coverage. Let’s hope the officials do a better job this weekend.

Chargers Officiating Nightmare, Part Two

refpolice — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 04:33:02 +0000

I could not believe my eyes as I watched this. The Chargers first got robbed on a pick play that tied the game when Reggie Wayne freed up Anthony Gonzalez as the first half ended. But the real jam job occured in the beginning of the 4th quarter where a sequence of unbelievably horrendous calls cost the Chargers 3 points and the game as they ended up losing by 3. First, an uncatchable ball drew a pass interference call on Warren Cromartie as he defended Wayne. Relplays showed incidental contact and drew “I don’t like that call” and “You have to let them play” comments from John Madden, who rarely criticizes officials. The next play drew yet another pass interence play on number #54 Stephen Cooper, who was rushing the passer. The pass went to Dallas Clark who was expertly defended by #42 Clinton Hart and the bizarre play and penalty was never properly explained. But the icing on the bad call cake was on the very next play, where a complete pass to Gonzalez and subsequent fumble drew a quick whistle signaling an incomplete pass. But just like the Ed Hochuli disaster against the Bolts earlier in the year that cost them the game, this one could not be reviewed because of the quick whistle. Replays showed a catch & fumble and drew more comments from Madden and Al Michaels. Note to refs: on catch/fumble plays, keep the f***ing whistle in your pants!!! That way you can review it! Seriously the NFL needs to revisit all aspects of instant replay, bacause it is having the opposite effect by giving officials a fasle security that isn’t there.

Gift Pack-ed

refpolice — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 03:34:51 +0000

Anyone watching the Giants-Packers game on Sunday had to wonder about the legitimacy of the officiating. Three plays in particular, worth 17 points to Green Bay, stand out:
1) In the 2nd quarter on a failed 3rd-and-8 attempt, a questionable ‘illegal contact’ foul was called against a Giant defensive back giving the Packers a first down and eventually 3 points’ 2) On a crucial 3rd-and-10 where the Giants stopped the Packers, Sam Madison was called on a late flag for unsportmanlike conduct, giving the Packers a first down and eventually 7 points; 3) The most eybrow raing was calling back Ahmad Bradshaw’s 47 yard TD run on a holding call with less than 2 minutes to go in a game tied at 20. This sent the game into overtime and, at the time, seemed like the call that would save the Packers. All three calls were suspect, and all three gave Green Bay an enormous boost, and all three should be scrutized. Only Farve’s interception saved the NFL from a potentially ugly bit of explaining to do, because from where we sit, it certainly looked like the powers-that-be in the NFL wanted to send Farve to the Super Bowl for a fairy tale ending to a Hall of Fame career. The Gaints dominated this game, and only the officials kept it close.

Pats Dirty or Just Plain Great?

refpolice — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 05:11:38 +0000

No question the Pats are a great team with annoying efficiency in execution on both sides of the ball. But does Tom Brady really have that much time to operate without ANY holding calls against his offensive line? Is the defense really that tough or are they getting away with dirty play? How many times (not tonight) did Randy Moss get away with pushing off in the end zone? I saw it happen a lot, and I don’t even watch much NFL football. While impressive, the Pats are getting lots of help from the guys in stripes, and tonight it was no different. In the second quarter we saw Logan Mankins chop a defensive lineman engaged with another offensive lineman and it was called (albeit against the wrong guy). Replays showed an obvious, deliberate effort to inflict serious injury. This is the dirtiest play in football, and the league will fine Mankins $10,000 for his cheapshot, so why not eject him? We’d like to see more guys ejected for these kinds of deliberate cheapshots, but they never do. Later, in the third quarter we saw Brady get bumped after throwing a pass and drew a personal foul flag. Later, Garrard got flattened much worse but no flag, which may been because officlas were trying to decide how many spearing late hits to charge the Pats secondary after the tackle on the same play. This play should have been a double personal foul. Indeed, Rodney Harrison commits a personal foul on just about every play. Tonight we saw him fling a player out of bound by his horse collar and then go over and help him up, hoping to avoid the penalty (he did). It was Harrison who was flagged in the aformentioned late hit/spearing/helmet-to-helmet call after a pass play. Then shortly after, we saw one of Harrison’s teamates Assante Samuel pull a reciever out of bounds, hold him up while Harrison, full head of steam, drilled him in the back with his helmet. Flags flew and we were all treated to Harrison actually complaining about the call. It reminded me of those old tag team wrestling matches where on guy argues to the ref while behind his back his tag teammate clobbers some poor guy over the head with a fold-up chair. This all happened with 5 minutes left and the game well in hand. So in the your comments this week, please submit three guesses for next wee’s AFC Championship Game: How many peronal fouls (offense & defense) will the Pats get called for? How many will Harrison get? And how many did they deserve?

Ravens Robbery

refpolice — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 02:49:37 +0000

With just over 2:00 left in tonight’s NFL game featuring the Baltimore Ravens at the Cincinnati Bengals, a back judge called offensive pass interference on Todd Heap as he hauled in a touchdown pass from back-up Kyle Boller on fouth-and-goal that would have tied the game. Replays showed that if anything, it was defensive interference and the touchdown play should have stood. Both commentators agreed it was a mistake. On the very next play, fourth-and-goal from the 11 yard line, Heap was held and holding was called immediately. The phrase “Make-up call” was used by both commenators and with the automatic first down, it looked like two wrongs were going to made right. But an interception on a tipped ball gave the ball, and the game, back to Cincinnati. It’s only week one and a bad call has already cost a team a chance to win a game, and so begins the debate: when will the league finally realize that they need utilize instant replay for judgement calls? Next year we all hope.

Patriot Games

refpolice — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 01:38:10 +0000

Rarely do we get to applaud officials, but this is one of those time. On the opening weekend of the NFL season, Coach Bill Belichek felt like he might need an edge later on when the Pats face the Jets in Foxboro, so he did what he’s done before: order up the cheating video guy. That’s right, the Pats got caught video taping the Jet’s coaching signals Sunday at The Meadowlands, apparently a fairly big no-no in the NFL. Exactly how far down low on the embassment scale does this act of pathetic bush-league tactic fall? Well, Coach Belichek may get away with his no-personality, boring dolt sweatshirt routine in press conferences, but this one may actually affect his team (on top of the recent steroid accusations). Now let’s see the league give Belichek and the Patriots what they deserve.

New Website

refpolice — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 21:25:18 +0000

Hello all, welcome back to Bad-officiating.com. We have a new format and new template and are ready to talk about sports officials. Check back periodically for updates, new posts and comments from our users. We’ll be covering Major League Baseball, Winbledon and of course getting ready for NCAA Football this coming Fall. Our mission of righting what’s wrong in sports has not changed, and we will continue to try and drive thought-provoking and potentially policy changing commentary on subject the main stream media is afraid to touch. Thanks for visiting!