Right after last night's game I switched over to the Audience network, a channel that can only be viewed by DirecTV subscribers. The show that was on was The Artie Lange Show, which is a televised broadcast of Artie's radio show. Usually it is delayed, but last night it was live, and they were watching and commenting on the game. Artie's co-host is Jon Ritchie, who is an ex-NFL fullback who played for the Eagles, as well as the Raiders when Jon Gruden coached there. He said that Gruden told them in meetings to always do whatever it takes to prevent a receiver from catching a pass in the end zone if it's the last play of the game and would determine the outcome, because the officials would never call a penalty in that situation. When he said it, I tried to recall a game that proved him wrong, but couldn't.

 

As for that play, I think the penalty that should have been called was defensive holding.

---

If something can corrupt you, you're corrupted already.
- Bob Marley


 

I think the penalty that should have been called was defensive holding.

 

Holding is called before the quarterback throws the ball. It was already out of Tom Brady's hand.

---

This is what Drew Brees had to say about the flag on a sack/fumble by Ahmad Brooks:

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000...as-illegal

 

He is right. Slow motion does make a tackle look legal that appears illegal at full speed. Imagine how many flags would be picked up if every penalty was reviewable.

---

I will never forgive you for making up that word.

 

It has a ring to it, don't it?

---

I'm trying to make myself more informed and less opinionated.

Stop saying whatever stupid thing you're talking about and pay attention to all the interesting things I have to say!

Dean Blandino is clearly being defensive in this video. The fact that he refuses to admit Clete Blakeman was wrong speaks loudly about the NFL's ignorance of officiating errors everyone knows about.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000...all-monday

 

What I don't understand is Blandino said contact is not allowed after the ball is touched by Carolina's safety. Isn't the ball being touched irrelevant when making that call? Yet he says because officials believed the "restriction" (not contact) and interception occured at the same time, it was OK. It is crystal clear Rob Gronkowski was hugged, not just restricted, before the ball was intercepted. This is a classic example of the NFL saying, "No matter what everyone else thinks, our officials do a great job."

 

 

Maybe you don't understand a few things; Pass Interference is a non-reviewable, judgement call type of penalty. In other words -- and I understand that this may be difficult for you to grasp -- there is nothing hard and fast that clearly defines Pass Interference. Contact with a Receiver is allowed, it is up to the Official to determine whether or not the contact prevented a catch. Blandino supports this when he states:

 

<p style="margin-left:40px;">"...'The issue isn't the contact [between Kuechly and Gronkowski], the issue is the restriction and does it occur prior to the ball being touched,'
..."

<p style="margin-left:40px;"> 

Blandino expounds on how the rule is based on the Official's judgement when he says:

 

<p style="margin-left:40px;">"...'At full speed the officials made a tight judgment call and they determined that the restriction occurred just as the ball was being touched. Again, at full speed you can see why they made that call
.'..."

<p style="margin-left:40px;"> 

If you give someone, in this case the Officials, the ability to use their judgement in a dynamic situation, then you must allow them complete autonomy when that judgement comes into play. The more that I review the rules and watch the event, the more convinced I am that the crew, not just Blakeman, made the correct call. I may be wrong, I may be right, but the only thing to do about this now is to move on to the next game and get the beer on ice so we can all have a good time.

---

I'm trying to make myself more informed and less opinionated.

Stop saying whatever stupid thing you're talking about and pay attention to all the interesting things I have to say!

nfl fined ahmad brooks 16k for hit on brees,  ray lewis and bruschi said on live tv they would be happy to pay some of it if it does happen. i wonder how this story will shake out. personally i thought it was a legal hit.

---

Fines are automatic paycheck deductions like taxes. If another player wants to pay a fine, he can only reimburse the fined player.

---

Holding is called before the quarterback throws the ball. It was already out of Tom Brady's hand.

 

After further review of the video replay, I stand corrected.

 

Please reset the game clock to...

---

If something can corrupt you, you're corrupted already.
- Bob Marley


 

Maybe you don't understand a few things; Pass Interference is a non-reviewable, judgement call type of penalty. In other words -- and I understand that this may be difficult for you to grasp -- there is nothing hard and fast that clearly defines Pass Interference. Contact with a Receiver is allowed, it is up to the Official to determine whether or not the contact prevented a catch. Blandino supports this when he states:

 

<p style="margin-left:40px;">"...'The issue isn't the contact [between Kuechly and Gronkowski], the issue is the restriction and does it occur prior to the ball being touched,'
..."

<p style="margin-left:40px;"> 

Blandino expounds on how the rule is based on the Official's judgement when he says:

 

<p style="margin-left:40px;">"...'At full speed the officials made a tight judgment call and they determined that the restriction occurred just as the ball was being touched. Again, at full speed you can see why they made that call
.'..."

<p style="margin-left:40px;"> 

If you give someone, in this case the Officials, the ability to use their judgement in a dynamic situation, then you must allow them complete autonomy when that judgement comes into play. The more that I review the rules and watch the event, the more convinced I am that the crew, not just Blakeman, made the correct call. I may be wrong, I may be right, but the only thing to do about this now is to move on to the next game and get the beer on ice so we can all have a good time.

 

What is difficult for me to grasp is is Blandino's refusal to say if the call was right or wrong. He sounded like the only thing that matters is how the officials did their job, not if they made the right call. When I made a mistake at my job, I was told to correct it, even though I followed the correct procedure.

---

Rams just got screwed on what would be 14 point swing.

 

Call was roughing the passer, helmet to the CHEST of the quarterback.

---

Rams just got screwed on what would be 14 point swing.

 

Call was roughing the passer, helmet to the CHEST of the quarterback.

 

Apparently the NFL does not care what body part is hit when the collision is with a helmet.

---

Did you all see Tom Brady screaming at the officials for not throwing their flags on obvious defensive pass interference? I can forgive him for being upset, but normally, a bad no-call does not force a player to call timeout to cool down, which is what Al Michaels said it was for. I would rather have Peyton Manning on my team.

 

In case you missed it, that was not a case of an uncatchable ball. The officials flat out missed it. And the only way they could miss it was not look at the intended receiver.

---

Can somebody explain this to me?

 

45 seconds left: False start, 10-second runoff.

19 seconds left: False start, no 10-second runoff.

 

Why didn't the clock go down to 9 seconds after Green Bay's second false start? This happened during Green Bay's last drive in overtime.

---

Were they both Dead Ball fouls?

 

To be honest, I'm not even sure if that matters or not, but that may be a reason why.

---

I'm trying to make myself more informed and less opinionated.

Stop saying whatever stupid thing you're talking about and pay attention to all the interesting things I have to say!

Were they both Dead Ball fouls?


To be honest, I'm not even sure if that matters or not, but that may be a reason why.

False Start is always a dead ball foul. Its when the offense jumps to move before the ball is snapped.

---

False Start is always a dead ball foul. Its when the offense jumps to move before the ball is snapped.

 

That I know, but I was wondering if maybe JW had gotten the calls confused. I'll go check the Gamebook and see if there is any evidence there.

---

I'm trying to make myself more informed and less opinionated.

Stop saying whatever stupid thing you're talking about and pay attention to all the interesting things I have to say!

The only False Start penalties on Green Bay's last drive, according to the Gamebook, occurred at the 1:37 mark and the 0:46 mark.There's nothing listed about a ten second runoff, but they may not list that in this document.

---

I'm trying to make myself more informed and less opinionated.

Stop saying whatever stupid thing you're talking about and pay attention to all the interesting things I have to say!

The only false start penalties on Green Bay's last drive, according to the game book, occurred at the 1:37 mark and the 0:46 mark.There's nothing listed about a ten second runoff, but they may not list that in this document.

 

Even at 1:37, both were after the two-minute warning.

 

The clock was stopped at 45, not 46, seconds. Although I did not hear the referee say the clock must be reset to 35 seconds, that was the time on it before the next snap.

---

The only False Start penalties on Green Bay's last drive, according to the Gamebook, occurred at the 1:37 mark and the 0:46 mark.There's nothing listed about a ten second runoff, but they may not list that in this document.

False starts within the two minute warning should always warrant a 10 second runoff, I believe. There may be an exception that it doesnt happen if the offending team is leading, as the game can end on this runoff.

---

False starts within the two minute warning should always warrant a 10 second runoff, I believe. There may be an exception that it doesnt happen if the offending team is leading, as the game can end on this runoff.

 

Of course, since that happened in overtime, the offensive team was not leading. So it would not matter if there is an exception.

 

That drive ended with a punt that gave the Vikings enough time to attempt a Hail Mary, but for some reason they ended it with a stupid running play.

---