@unsympathetic said:

So let's first define the problem: 

What, precisely, makes bad calls "more" this season than before? Precisely how is a call defined as "bad"? Who makes that determination?

What's the numerator and denominator of the metric used to track this?  It won't be "zero bad calls" - that's never a thing, because if you want a game you're going to have refs.

What's the rate of this metric you're comfortable with? 

What's the variance from season to season?  it's never going to be precisely equivalent from year to year whether politicians are involved or not.

You do realize that officiating has been "egregious" the entire history of the game, right?

I think the entire goal of this thread was to demonstrate fake outrage, a lack of understanding of the game, and a lack of desire to actually change anything.

I think I can speak for a lot of people by saying it’s not the fact that the refs have made horrible calls.  It’s the fact that it is lopsided for certain teams and against others.  Simple put the shit is not spread evenly.

@mjp28 said:

A little fact checking, I know that the NFL numbers have been going down in recent years -but- here's an article from Forbes on the 2018-2019 season a 5% gain over the previous year.  https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanberr/2019/08/25/nfl-defies-skeptics-as-its-tv-audience-continues-to-grow/#5a04b8b17394

Viewership for the National Football League probably will rise this season as outrage over player protests fades and fans respond to high-octane offenses racking up record numbers of touchdowns.

According to TV News Check, NFL viewership during the 2018-2019 season averaged 15.8 million per game on all networks, a gain of 5 percent. The NFL's broadcast partners — NBC, CBS, and Walt Disney's ESPN — each saw gains. Football advertising rates were up between 5 and 9 percent on average depending among other things on match-ups, and time of the season, according to the website. 

Broadcast and cable networks are under assault from cord-cutters and streaming rivals like Netflix and Amazon. They are more dependent on the NFL than ever because of the large audiences pro football consistently delivers....... CONTINUED IN THE LINK.......

That’s wonderful but there are atleast three articals that day the other.  But forget that I know in my own town people are not watching football anymore.

@calfoxwc said:

nanny much? 24x7?

And put you out of work? Never...

@tour2ma said:

Project much?

nanny much? 24x7?

@calfoxwc said:

you're the princess who thinks he gets to redefine words to suit his fragile ego.

Project much?

Coca-Cola uses their image and likeness all the time during the holiday season.   Zero royalties being paid out there, I'm sure.   Hell, I doubt they even get free Coke.

(highlighting the absurdity of the OP)

https://heavy.com/sports/2019/11/browns-mack-wilson-personal-foul

Browns rookie linebacker Mack Wilson called out the refs after a bad call on a hit agains the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Go to main menu. Heavy Browns Defender Calls Out Officials After Dolphins ...

@unsympathetic said:

You do realize that officiating has been "egregious" the entire history of the game, right?

I think the entire goal of this thread was to demonstrate fake outrage, a lack of understanding of the game, and a lack of desire to actually change anything

A. Of course ref's mistakes have occurred the entire history. But back in the day, they didn't have instant replay. You do realize that instant replay was because of controversial mistakes, right? And when a flagrant mistake/no call, gets reviewed now, and STILL doesn't get corrected???

B. It's hardly fake outrage. You pay all that money for season tickets, you go to a big game, and incredibly stupid calls/no calls are made. Then, on instant replay, it shows the mistake was made, and the original mistake gets UPHELD ?

 C. I do watch a good bit of the Patriots. Mostly, I keep losing the bets with our friend's daughter, who is now out of college. Almost never do I see the Patriots get hammered by refs, especially at critical times. I see them benefit by strange calls and no-calls.

   A lack of understanding, sure, depends on the rules... but when you have your retired ref? hard put to explain it? That is very bad.

Back in the day, the game was far more violent toward wr's and qb's. Remember Jack Tatum?

   So, the game has more rules to try to prevent serious injuries. It's how the rules are applied. I posted before - a certain referee team was taken off one game, for both teams complaining about the mistakes... and put on another game. The Patriots...game.

   And, we have instant replay. "mistakes" should usually be corrected. Especially when the replay clearly shows the truth.

and then... it DOESN'T get overturned???

NFL admits mistake in Lions-Packers game, as outrage over ...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/10/15/officiating-lions-packers-game-sparks...

Oct 15, 2019 · NFL admits mistake in Lions-Packers game, as outrage over officiating grows Lions defensive end Trey Flowers (left) was flagged for two key penalties that helped contribute to …

NFL refuses to admit mistake while admitting mistake ...

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/08/22/nfl-admits-refuses-to-admit-mistake...

Aug 22, 2018 · 53 responses to “ NFL refuses to admit mistake while admitting mistake ” ... Because there was, supposedly, no “call” to be reversed since the refs missed the fumble! I see.

The NFL Admits Refs Messed Up And Shouldn’t Have Called ...

https://brobible.com/sports/article/nfl-refs-cowboys-patriots-tripping

Nov 25, 2019 · The NFL needs to do something about the reffing situation because it's pretty bad week in and week out. During the Cowboys-Patriots game, refs called two phantom tripping calls against the Cowboys. The NFL Admits Refs Messed Up And Shouldn’t Have Called ‘Tripping’ Penalties Against Cowboys In Game Vs Patriots

NFL admits mistake as Saints season ends in controversial ...

https://www.houmatoday.com/sports/20190120/nfl...

Jan 20, 2019 · NFL admits mistake as Saints season ends in controversial NFC championship . ... The one thing I respect about the refs today is they let the guys …

ESPN.com: NFL - Report: NFL admits refs missed calls in ...

https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/2002/1211/1475659.html

The NFL acknowledged Wednesday its officiating crew made at least nine mistakes during Sunday's Green Bay-Minnesota game, including a pass interference call that negated a Vikings' interception on

and it isn't only pro football, either.

from 2017:

https://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/the-alabama-officiating-bias-is-very-very-real-111716

What, precisely, makes bad calls "more" this season than before? Precisely how is a call defined as "bad"? Who makes that determination?

What's the numerator and denominator of the metric used to track this?  It won't be "zero bad calls" - that's never a thing, because if you want a game you're going to have refs.

What's the rate of this metric you're comfortable with? 

What's the variance from season to season?  it's never going to be precisely equivalent from year to year whether politicians are involved or not.

You do realize that officiating has been "egregious" the entire history of the game, right?

I think the entire goal of this thread was to demonstrate fake outrage, a lack of understanding of the game, and a lack of desire to actually change anything.

@texasag1969 said:

Wike Ewmor Fud the gweat huntwor of wabbits??

Ah......Oui.

@the-gipper said:

Are you making fun of people with speech defects?   

Wike Ewmor Fud the gweat huntwor of wabbits??

@tour2ma said:

That you cannot see how ludicrous you're being says it all, Kal...

you're the princess who thinks he gets to redefine words to suit his fragile ego.

@texasag1969 said:

Insight is what you do just before you take down a wabbit for wabbit stew.????

Are you making fun of people with speech defects?   

@tour2ma said:

That you cannot see how ludicrous you're being says it all, Kal...

Insight is what you do just before you take down a wabbit for wabbit stew.????

Who knows? something is wrong. and the NFL isn't fixing it.

Conspiracy does not mean the same thing as favoritism. egad.

@calfoxwc said:

Favoritism doesn't have to be a conspiracy.

Just want to preserve this for posterity...

Since we don't have sigs anymore, I may have to put it in the greeting for The Tavern...

@jcam222 said:

I agree that it can be tough to get a call right in real time. That said there are egregious calls AFTER they review the plays seeing things in slow motion from all angles. Tinfoil hat or not when they get those wrong it has to make you wonder. Relative to the Njoku play perhaps I am wrong and am open to hear feedback but it was not a fumble. In countless angles he had the ball and was down. The call on the field both really time and after a long review was a fumble recovered by the Bengals. The official game log was changed to record it as an interception. It surely was not an interception. If he was down (which he was) and both he and the defender had the ball it defaults to the receiver as a catch. 

They did overturn it to an interception and not a fumble.  It certainly couldn't have been a fumble but I can see where it is an interception.

I believe they called it int due to the fact that if you are going to the ground during a catch you have to control the ball all the way through ground. Njoku didn't do that as once he hit the ground Vigil ripped the ball out and the ball didn't hit the ground and Cincinnati linebacker maintained possession. The best way I can explain it is let's say Vigil isnt right on top of njoku as he goes up and grabs it then when Njoku falls to his back the ball jars free and pops up into the air and Vigil comes swooping in to catch it. That would be ruled an int because he didn't complete the catch through the ground. 

Now for the gray area (if college rule is same as nfl rule).  Last year in the Michigan Ohio State game Nico Collins caught a fade in the endzone got one foot in and was going to the ground with Jeffrey Okudah draped all over him and right after Nico hit the ground Okudah raked the ball out. It was ruled on the field as incomplete but when they reviewed it they determined that he maintained possession as he hit the ground it was the act of Okudah that forced the ball loose not the ground so they overturned it and ruled it a catch and a TD.

IF (and that's a big if) the rule is the same Njoku controlled it first and as he hit the ground Vigil gained dual control and began ripping the ball away from Njoku. It was the act of Vigil raking the ball that made him lose control not the act of hitting the ground so it should have been overturned.  (Again that's a big if)

In the end I had no issue with them ruling it an interception because I don't believe that to be the rule in the NFL (I'm not certain). Njoku didn't maintain control of the ball through the ground.   I did object to the fact that they didn't rule Vigil down by contact right there at the spot he took it out of Njoku's hands and marked it at the spot where he got shoved out along the sideline. 

@jcam222 said:

I agree that it can be tough to get a call right in real time. That said there are egregious calls AFTER they review the plays seeing things in slow motion from all angles. Tinfoil hat or not when they get those wrong it has to make you wonder. Relative to the Njoku play perhaps I am wrong and am open to hear feedback but it was not a fumble. In countless angles he had the ball and was down. The call on the field both really time and after a long review was a fumble recovered by the Bengals. The official game log was changed to record it as an interception. It surely was not an interception. If he was down (which he was) and both he and the defender had the ball it defaults to the receiver as a catch. 

EXACTLY!!

That crew yesterday also screwed up clock stuff. They were, to quote a famous EX steelers QB......"bush league"!  ?

Mike

@hoorta said:

IIRC in the KC game, shouldn't that have been a TD? And an obvious quick whistle on the fumble. 

Really- anyone whining about it should just stop watching. The game is played in (amazingly fast) real time, not slow motion frame by frame replay... Was Njoku down? I say probably- but then again Baker's game killing interception got overturned too. I like to think the bad calls (usually) even out...   

I agree that it can be tough to get a call right in real time. That said there are egregious calls AFTER they review the plays seeing things in slow motion from all angles. Tinfoil hat or not when they get those wrong it has to make you wonder. Relative to the Njoku play perhaps I am wrong and am open to hear feedback but it was not a fumble. In countless angles he had the ball and was down. The call on the field both really time and after a long review was a fumble recovered by the Bengals. The official game log was changed to record it as an interception. It surely was not an interception. If he was down (which he was) and both he and the defender had the ball it defaults to the receiver as a catch.