Football (The American Version)

So I don't think a football game has ever upset me this much. After seeing the highlights (I passed out before the game started with ESPN on) of last night's Packers/Seahawks game I may not bother watching any more NFL this season. These replacements refs are AWFUL, actually I am sure there are stronger words to describe them. But I cannot blame them. There is really one person to blame; Roger Goodell.

When he was first hired as commissioner of the league I was hopeful that he would elevate the integrity of the game and the NFL. Well after this season I have lost all respect for him and his role as commissioner. It all started with some of the rules that limit the hits that happen through the course of a game. I have always hated the rouging the kicker rules; they wear pads, they should be eligible to be hit hard. If they are not going to be hit they should not be issued pads. Then there was the no more "hard hits", which will be determined by the refs on the field. Its the NFL hard hits are what the game is all about. If I was ever told when I was playing that I couldn't hit my opponent too hard I would have quit. Hell I don't even like the no contact with receivers after 5 yards off the line of scrimmage. I played cornerback in high school, and used they physical contact to take receivers totally out of the play. There are so many new rules that simply take the fun and intensity out of the game. It really has become the No Fun League.

Then last year the players lock-out. I know we cannot only blame Goodell, the owners are to blame too. However, Goodell simply sided with the owners rather than taking a relatively unbiased stnace, as he should have. I think his personal integrity and the integrity of the league as a whole was put in to question after that lock-out.

Now its the refs being locked out, and Goodell just simply isn't even willing to talk with them. The calls are so damn horrible. I know the replacement refs are trying to do their best, but their best isn't even close to good enough, I am totally convinced I know the rules of the league better than these guys. The bad calls were only bad calls through the first two weeks of play but this weekend the bad calls absolutely changed the outcome of games throughout the league. This culminated is last nights awful call (and missed call) on the final play of the game to give the Seahawks a win they never deserved.

It was more than obvious that Golden Tate pushed one defender down, which is offensive pass interference, and never had an inkling of control of the ball the refs ruled he scored a touchdown. I strongly believe the league should retroactively change the call, remove the touchdown and award the win to Green Bay; this is the only way to keep the integrity of the league intact.

The integrity of the league and the sport has irreversibly been marred. Goodell needs to be ousted from his position as the owner's personal lackey. While I do understand it is the team owners who hired him and pay him, he is the only person in a position to actually uphold the integrity of the league. His loyalty to the owners has absolutely jeopardized the league. I am not suggesting the league will disappear, or the sport will no longer be played, but the NFL has truly lost the respect of its players, coaches, refs and fans. Goodell's job is to make sure the league is functioning properly, not to make sure the billionaire owners get richer; however he has shown is only loyalty is to the owners, not the league. It is time for Goodell to go before he ruins the league he was charged with governing.

DOWN WITH ROGER GOODELL!!!

Armball more like

Handegg, that sounds more correct.

can't really blame the officials, its kinda like putting a bum in a race car and tell him to go win a nascar race, theres just no fucking way its going to go well. when the greedy moneygrubbing owners decide they want to pay the real refs, this fiasco will end.

slightlysolid said:

can't really blame the officials, its kinda like putting a bum in a race car and tell him to go win a nascar race, theres just no fucking way its going to go well. when the greedy moneygrubbing owners decide they want to pay the real refs, this fiasco will end.

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That is why I am berating Goodell, not the refs in the post.

some blame has to go to the striking ref's.they are asking an aweful lot.
they even want 2million+ for games they are not even officiating.
that was before this weekends games. the more fiasco the replacement ref's cause the more the striking ref's want.
typical greed. get the upper hand and demand more.
fair pay and benes is all their really entilted to.
over paid retirement pensions are what killed the auto industry, i can't blame the nfl for wanting to make reitirement pay more reasonable.

Maybe the players just gotta quit playing (strike). I think they have cause for such an action but right now the players would likely split 50-50 on a strike vote because there are some clear winners and losers with these bad calls. Eventually, the odds are that all teams will end up being screwed by bad calls and when that 'eventually' happens is when there might be movement on this issue, not before.

IMO, there's many more games like last night to come and, for the record, fuck the NFL. It's now on a par with pro wrestling in my book.

bunch of talentless dead heads.. just think all the time effort and money wasted on that stupid "game"..

i say give em all the sack including the refs and get some college kids to run around on the cheap..

Weed-Luver said:

some blame has to go to the striking ref's.they are asking an aweful lot.
they even want 2million+ for games they are not even officiating.
that was before this weekends games. the more fiasco the replacement ref's cause the more the striking ref's want.
typical greed. get the upper hand and demand more.
fair pay and benes is all their really entilted to.
over paid retirement pensions are what killed the auto industry, i can't blame the nfl for wanting to make reitirement pay more reasonable.

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I have thought about this, and there is some blame on the refs, but at least they seem somewhat willing to talk. The owners and Goodell are just trying to stonewall them into giving in. Also, when negotiating you always ask for more than you are expecting. This gives some room for negotiations and allows each side to feel as though they have come to a compromise. So the refs asking for more than seems reasonable is just part of negotiating. Now, there is plenty of greed, it is absolutely rampant in the NFL, from all involved.

NotaProfessor said:

Maybe the players just gotta quit playing (strike). I think they have cause for such an action but right now the players would likely split 50-50 on a strike vote because there are some clear winners and losers with these bad calls. Eventually, the odds are that all teams will end up being screwed by bad calls and when that 'eventually' happens is when there might be movement on this issue, not before.

IMO, there's many more games like last night to come and, for the record, fuck the NFL. It's now on a par with pro wrestling in my book.

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Having more of these games is exactly what worries me, and why I may not bother watching. If the real refs aren't back by week 8 then I feel somewhere down the road this whole season will have an asterisk next to it, ultimately calling the integrity of the Super Bowl winning team.

A player strike will do nothing to solve this issue. After last year it became painfully obvious as to where the players stand in this league, and it is pretty far down on the totem pole.

lost in a sea said:

bunch of talentless dead heads.. just think all the time effort and money wasted on that stupid "game"..

i say give em all the sack including the refs and get some college kids to run around on the cheap..

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Um, you are aware college football is played every Saturday.? In fact the refs from the biggest divisions in college football are still reffing games in those divisions. They would be the best option for the NFL but it would ruin the college game. Over the past 10 years or so college football and basketball have been putting out better products then their professional counterparts.

Man, I still can't turn on ESPN without hearing about this shitty call and the replacement refs. I have watched ESPN just about every morning since the mid 90's and now just can't stand to watch it because of these stupid calls by unprepared refs. Killing me.

Ok, so I am watching an incredible episode of South Park all about this topic. I can't wait for the Sarcastaball league.

I have a great idea...stop watching the games, stop going to the stadiums and stop buying their merchandise...the refs shouldn't strike for more money, the players shouldn't strike because the refs are striking, the fans should tell the NFL "fuck off and get your shit straight."

They make money from fans watching games and buying shirts and what ever else has an NFL logo on it. Stop watching the games and stop buying their overpriced shit and watch how quick things get fixed when its the owners pockets that are hurting and not the refs or the players or that dude that cuts the grass at Qualcomm with a pair of scissors...

I don't really think that it's the ref's fault they suck. They have know training for this level of play. No training or leadership on the field.

A LOT of money went the other way as a result of that play. If the Pack had been coming from behind and won on that play, I'm not convinced the lockout would have ended as quickly as it did

Well the real refs are back and the game is infinitely better. I can't wait to watch real football for the rest of the season.

Calcio, trust me if the real refs were not on the field tonight I would not be watching and I am sure that I would not be alone. And if the longer the replacements were going to be used the more people would likely have stopped watching.