When’s the last time you watched an NFL game, whether rooting for your team or not; and after a long touchdown play or a big gain you looked immediately for a flag thrown? It’s become second nature to many football fans out there, and it’s certainly taken away the basic premise of the game that many old time and newer fans come to expect.
Everyone blames the officials in their part-time capacities, for blown calls and their never-ending ‘looking under the hood’ for more minutes than it takes to make a 4-course meal. But how much is on Commissioner Goodell, and his minions in the officiating offices of the NFL? On one hand, the Commissioner compliments NFL officiating and says that there is nothing wrong with the folks in zebra outfits every week; but then they talk about looking at all officials, new rules, and trying to determine the best outcome.
Let’s put aside the gambler and the fantasy freak that has a stake in the game, and go with the true blue fan who just wants to see their team mix it up every week, with a stake to get to the playoffs. Most of us are like that. We want to see our team do well for just a paltry 16 weeks, so we have the hope of making it to the show in February.
Now, football has become a bevy of replays and miniscule frame by frame replays. How in the world can a referee see a ball bobbled for a millisecond in live action, when it’s even harder for the officials back at the ‘home office’ to try and determine whether it was two feet in bounds, and total control of the ball, or someone ‘broke the plane’? It has become absurd, and somewhat of a charade.
Let’s face facts: The NFL is all about offense. In fact, when is the last time defense has ruled the outcome of a game? This is more like the wishbone offense in college football. Quarterbacks throw a combined 800 or more yards in a game, and the wide receivers accumulate just as much on their collective stat sheets each week. Sacks? Hurries? DB’s and DE’s are more worried about getting flagged for sacking the quarterback. Too high? Too low? Where are they supposed to tackle?
This is not the officials’ faults, but they are enablers in this whole mess. They have a union and a voice to speak with, but don’t want to take on the big bad NFL who have a say over the entire process. They are basically emasculated, and have become a non-entity in many games. How many times do you see a call of holding on the defense away from the play, that stops a drive dead in its tracks?
Seriously, we all know that players need to be protected from head injuries. And good for the NFL for finally taking concussion protocol seriously after years of players getting their brains scrambled like a vat of eggs. Still, they are a product-driven league, partnering with Susan B. Komen for a month to sell everything pink for cancer research. Good for the breast cancer folks for partnering with the biggest money making organization in the land. They deserve kudos, and the more money they make, the sooner we can get a cure for this horrible disease.
On the other hand, the NFL is all about making its mark on America. They can’t continue employing officials who used to do a decent job, and making them about as relevant now as a car without an engine. It’s time they look in the mirror and examine themselves. They can’t change a catch rule this year, and admit they need to change it again. That doesn’t help the officials. It just makes them more confused, and human.
Let’s not just say the officiating is horrible. Let’s hold the folks who have the keys to the castle accountable for once, and make things a little bit more black and white. Then, folks like me and my kids can enjoy a game without looking for a flying yellow flag.
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