Adjusting To Game Of Refs
September 21st, 2019
Getting out of hand.
Quick, someone get a hold of the zebras union. The game we watch and love is the National Football League, not the National Flag League.
That debacle in Jacksonville Thursday night, Joe had to turn off at halftime and get work done (should have watched Houston-Tulane). It was bad enough every other play was a penalty. Then Joe Buck, who clearly didn’t want to be there, spent much of the second quarter forcing bad mustache one-liners at us in an attempt to keep himself entertained. That was too much for Joe to tolerate.
(Someone tell the St. Petersburg-born Buck football fans tune in to watch football, not his lame attempts at smarmy humor. He’s not funny, though he thinks he’s Jerry Seinfeld the way he preens on TV — “Hey kids, aren’t I cool?” And what the hell does a steady stream of weak mustache references have to do with the GD game? If broadcasting an NFL game is so beneath Buck, there are about 5,000 broadcasters scattered throughout the nation who would gladly take his spot.)
NFL Penalties are up this year in an almost grotesque way and Friday, Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians was asked how he can have his team adjust to this appalling trend. Arians added it’s not as easy as one thinks.
“It is a challenge,” Arians said. “You try to coach it by the rules – that’s why I hired Larry [Rose]. We show videos of our own penalties every week and what this crew will call and how they call it, and give our team as big a scouting report on the officials as much as we do the other team.”
Joe has never heard of a coach or a team devoting that much time into studying an officiating team. Joe knows former Bucs coach Dirk Koetter sort of gave his team a heads-up on how a crew of zebras likes to call games but Joe has never heard of scouting reports on refs.
That’s both cool and sad that a team has to devote that much effort and valuable time each week to flags. It’s like someone is playing two teams: your opponent and the refs.
Arians also lauded Rose because Arians said he “can’t keep up with” all the referee changes and trends..
September 21st, 2019 at 12:39 am
I made it to about the 3rd qtr in last nights game….it was boring to watch with all the flags….although it seemed 80% of them justified.
September 21st, 2019 at 1:31 am
It’s bad. Between the weak penalties and the expanded replay, games are getting excruciating.
September 21st, 2019 at 2:05 am
I heard holding calls are up by 65%……
Guess that means Dotson will have about 20 before the season is over…
Most of which will come at the worst possible time….
September 21st, 2019 at 2:24 am
This NFL is really heading to the sh*tter. First clue was putting an ex ref in the broadcast booth to explain every frickin flag. The refs themselves, I believe, think they’re part of the show and need all that attention and camera time. Throw in some players who are border line criminals and think they’re above the law, and you have a sport with horrid perception as well. The refs are simply not as good as the old days. Never had all these questionable calls and flood of flags.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:16 am
Too many flags are ruining the flow of the game and it is hard to watch. I am disgusted by it but the NFL does it for the betting public. There is so much money being bet that they have to create the perception that the game is being called as fair as possible. Calling a game this way makes a better more confident in their bet. Ironically, if you really think about it, with the use of all of these flags, the NFL can control the outcome of any game. This is ultimately what they want.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:57 am
This is why I don’t hesitate to be optimistic about Sunday’s game. BA & Team fricking SCOUT the ZEBRAS!
Suck attention to detail.
We have the BEST coaching staff (and support) in the league.
That sound you hear and odor you smell is young Danielle Jones sh!tting his pants about now.
37-9…Bucs ROUTE!
September 21st, 2019 at 5:59 am
Or maybe even “such” attention to detail. Mike Smith was, “Suck attention to detail.” My bad.
September 21st, 2019 at 6:28 am
I think NFL players are getting like NBA players in that they know how to sell a penalty AKA flop. On kick returns they know an opposing player is running behind them, slow up, feel some contact, and flop. Same with the holding calls, a back is running by them, a blocker is on them, flop. Refs are calling what they think they see, rather then what they see. Defensive holding on the D line, and in the secondary are 5 yard penalties. Why is holding on offense a 10 yard penalty? If the D player wasn’t held you telling me it would be a 10 yard loss? Setting an offense back with a 10 yarder is to hard to over come. The NFL wants more offense, then make it a 5 yarder.
September 21st, 2019 at 6:35 am
Dot has three penalties for 25 yards. Carton Davis is the team leader with 4 for 44 yards.
https://www.footballdb.com/stats/penalties-player.html?yr=2019&tm=30
September 21st, 2019 at 6:44 am
I have to believe that the refs are simply doing what they’re being told to do. Otherwise it’d be called ‘mutiny’.
We’ve heard for years that the rules are being tightened to improve safety. And in large part many probably have. But some rule changes have just gone too far and unnecessarily slow down the game.
Still, it sounds like Roger Goodell & his boyz want more exciting games, not longer games, even more than we do. Read a neat article (from 2017) titled ‘What Makes NFL Games Take So Long?’ (it’s at https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-makes-nfl-games-take-so-long) that says in part … “But on the whole, games aren’t significantly longer now than they were a decade ago: from 2001 to 2005, the average game length was 3:07:12, just 41 seconds longer than the average from 2012 through 2016.”
But it also says … “But what fills all that screen time is different. The average number of incomplete passes, penalties called and plays reviewed are all the same or higher, meaning we’re spending a larger percentage of those three-plus hours watching referees make decisions, players stand around, or commercials commercialize. Between replay reviews, commercials, penalties and incomplete passes, stoppages of all kinds have been rising since 2008.”
Has a really cool chart in there that shows game duration from 2008 – 2016, then time taken for reviews, commercials, penalties & incompletions. The biggest ‘culprit’? You guessed it … COMMERCIALS. Whodathunkit?
September 21st, 2019 at 6:57 am
Hodad,
IMO ,holding is holding on either side of the ball, make them both 10 yards.
Its too easy to prevent a touchdown by yanking on a jersey with the knowledge it will only cost you 5 yards.
September 21st, 2019 at 6:59 am
Joe says,
That’s both cool and sad that a team has to devote that much effort and valuable time each week to flags. It’s like someone is playing two teams, your opponent and the refs. <—–a.k.a. Vegas
September 21st, 2019 at 7:00 am
To me, the most foolish penalties are on punts and kickoffs…..the blocking in the back and holding calls are ridiculous. They are always caught and ruin a good return.
One more reason to take the touch-back and get the ball on the 25….kickoff returns aren’t worth it…..risk a fumble or don’t get to the 25…..or, the dreaded penalty.
September 21st, 2019 at 7:06 am
I put up the Nfl chart on the Bucs penalties, but post is in hibernation. The team leader in penalties is Carton Davis with 4 for 44 yards. With the long return that was called back due to blocking in the back he should be on the accountability board.
September 21st, 2019 at 7:15 am
Well joe if you actually watched the game you would know the mustache reference was for Gardner minshews stache … it’s all people seen and heard pre game and during the game … which by the way he’s gonna be one helluva QB
September 21st, 2019 at 7:17 am
Does anyone really expect anything different? The wussification of football has gained steam and the do gooders will not be satisfied until the sport we all love is no more. They want football to be played like sarcastic ball…… (if you never watched South Park look it up it is hilarious!)
September 21st, 2019 at 7:26 am
In my lifetime I have gone from a football fanatic to just watching the Bucs when the play…then when the playoffs begin ( not Wild Card )…I tune in to watch really good football…NFL is rapidly turning into NASCAR..if you know what I mean Vern
September 21st, 2019 at 7:39 am
Joe is wrong!!!!!!!!! What is sad is the ole stale biscuit has made such a point of it, and they are a tied Third for most penalties!!!!!!!!!!! Only Cleveland and Jacksonville are higher!!!!!!!!!! What form of slop is ole stale biscuit rolling out to the field???????????? We have seen two unwatchable games of a slopfest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So when anyone says that penalties are up, you can now reply ” yea, but ole stale biscuit is a top leader of that”!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It just shows another level of undisciplined team this “really” is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2019 will reveal answers to the sheep, that the “real” fans already know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 21st, 2019 at 8:00 am
Realist is an idiot. Yet you were a fan of koetter/smith but bash a 2 time coach of the year. Do you not remember all the penalties under dirk? You are indeed an idiot!!!
September 21st, 2019 at 8:06 am
Almost every good play has a flag! You can’t even get excited about a play any more because as soon as you do …….. there goes a flag!!! Its getting unwatchable. Then throw in all the crybaby felons it’s going down hill fast.
September 21st, 2019 at 8:12 am
BA has called out the refs publicly, so I’m sure they’ll go easy on us…
September 21st, 2019 at 8:14 am
Bruce Arians teams historically have a lot of penalties…so I doubt the scouting will help.
September 21st, 2019 at 8:41 am
Too late. Pandora’s box is opened. Take away helmet to helmet hits and this is what you get. It’ll be a slow downward spiral.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:10 am
Bob in Valrico … Welcome to the cooler. Mine’s been in the dungeon since even before yours. I’m beginning to think that including a link to more detailed info is the kiss of death, although sometimes Joe does let them fly through (usually hours later it seems). And BTW, blocks in the back, that had no impact on the play, seem to kill us every year.
Growing up our ‘playground football’ was always tackle, without pads & helmets. And yet no one ever seemed to get hurt (well, badly hurt at least). And no refs. Played by what we called ‘jungle rules’. Maybe that’s what the NFL needs to go to … jungle rules. Hey, it worked for the Romans in the Coliseum (although they did go through a LOT of gladiators apparently). They even threw in a few lions just to keep the sport exciting. Hmmm, wonder what the commercials looked like.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:21 am
I don’t even get excited during big plays because I am looking for flags. Kick and punt returns are also a waste of time because almost always a hold or illegal block in the back.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:33 am
Bucs been playing against refs and the opposing team for years. It would be nice to see that change, but I doubt it severely.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:46 am
Why does it always take an hour before my comments to come through? Joe do you not want me to post on your site? Let me know and i will oblige either way
September 21st, 2019 at 9:47 am
Fyi…i posted my last comment 2 hours ago
September 21st, 2019 at 10:12 am
I read that penalty flags are flying at 179 thru the first two weeks as opposed to 107 for the same period last year. Too many penalties and apparently one can be called on any play depending on which reference saw it.
September 21st, 2019 at 10:13 am
My God, I typed that as ref.
September 21st, 2019 at 11:06 am
Thinking part of it — just a part — is that a bunch of referees resigned last year and some of those went into broadcasting.
The way the NFL is pushing safety first and the gray areas of what is and isn’t an illegal hit grows large, it’s just too much for many refs and that’s why you saw so many leave last offseason. Then, they are replaced by novice refs.
You also have crazy rules what “What is a catch?” For decades, two feet down and possession. Now you have this nonsense about carrying the ball through the motion — what the hell is that?
September 21st, 2019 at 11:46 am
Way to many rule changes. The coaches & players can’t keep up & the officials are so confused they themselves don’t know when a penalty is really a penalty. If its an obvious penalty call it. If your not sure keep the flag in your pocket. Its sad that the officiating has taken over the game. Officials can actually decide who wins & who loses.
September 21st, 2019 at 12:06 pm
I agree with you Joe about the ‘gray areas’. No likes having a job where somebody is always looking over your shoulder, especially when that job involves many ‘gray areas’. Replay after replay stinks. Simplify the rules, let the refs call the game, and stop with these incessant ‘reviews’. Teachers go through much the same thing in today’s classroom, and it sucks. Hire the best people, train them well, and let them do their job without all the micro-management that’s so prevalent today.
September 21st, 2019 at 12:07 pm
NFL has another 5 or maybe 10 years…then the jig is up. Fan support is waning, and the game is not the game we grew up with. Add to that, parents aren’t letting their kids play it nearly as much, and you have a recipe for football’s demise.
That and look what NBA players make…why play football?
September 21st, 2019 at 8:46 pm
I seriously considered not watching the NFL over the last couple of years and one of the biggest reasons were all of these pansy rules they keep implementing. It takes a special athlete to play football at the highest level, but all of these rules are taking all of the fun out of football. I would rather have less talented players playing by the old rules (pre 90’s) than what we have now. Let these ultra talented dudes go play boring a$$ soccer or baseball if they are are worried about the long term effects of football. If you have rosters full of slightly less talented players that live football, I think the quality of play (with less penalties) will rise considerably.