NFL refs orchestrate games

watching the ravens game and have not seen one of the dozens of holding offenses called but the refs did save a series for the ravens on a nba foul hold call. But the best call was the refs call a td on a fumble at the one and then blow it dead so browns dub can’t score.. nice. Game rigged. The San Diego game against us was the worst of the season where the refs wanted to keep game close because it was nbc Sunday night game. The. Last weeks debacle pass interferences to make sure saints win. League a joke

 

I doubt anything like you just mentioned is orchestrated but the referees in most games around the league that I have watched this year are inexcusably inconsistent.I really don’t understand why the N.F.L doesn’t have full time referees like other major sports.They shouldn’t be part time with other jobs so they could concentrate on the rules of the game year round and being quizzed regularly with simulated game like situations by watching film of real games and being questioned on what plays they thought an infraction happened or not.

 

There are 21 full time refs.. the remaining are part time

 

And 124 part time referees which is almost a 6-1 ratio.For a league that makes millions of dollars and the importance of each and every game I don’t think adding more full time referees would hurt!

 

It must be that Roger Goodell is conspiring to have every other team win 6 lombardi's before Pittsburgh gets to 7. Holler at your mom to bring you another piece of tinfoil down to the basement.

 

I don't like to talk about it because sports referees are a protected class in sports and you are called crazy if you even mention it. However I do believe there are fixed games. New Orleans after the NFL put a lot of money into the city after Katrina is one big example in my opinion. Watch the NFC title game where the refs were ruling bounce passes as complete. I also point out the number of plays that are not reviewable. Other than holding maybe there is no reason for any play to not be reviewable. Teams only get a few challenges per game anyway so what does it matter? That the false start in LAC was not reviewable is just inexcusable. So why does the NFL minimize what can be challenged? If they say it saves time I think that is B.S. I think it is so they can keep control of games. Let us also not forget that an NBA ref was found to be fixing games so it is possible.

In my opinion, in this day and age, you can't trust anything to be what people say it is. News outlets, including sports, create narratives now to get views and eyes on their product rather than just report on what happens. Sports league are a business and I would not be one bit surprised if it is revealed one day that the pro sports leagues manipulated results to create more profitable match-ups.

 

Why would they want the ravens in? Rather than the bigger draw that's the Steelers? I'm pissed off too but this is clutching at straws. The only people to blame for missing the play-offs is us

 

I don't think it's fixed, instead its incompetence coupled with helping offenses to make games more ”exciting”

 

Yup, the refs are the reason the Steelers suck.

 

You have no clue as to what these or any officials have to go thru in the off season. When I officiated, it was a 365 day "part time" job. In the off season, I officiated many AAU tournaments as well as many many summer and fall leagues.

Add in testing which I had to get certified every year by passing a closed book test. That after answering thousands, yes thousands of test questions either in written form or via on line. To pass my certification test with a good grade involved 2 hours a day doing practice exams and meetings for about 10 weeks.

Despite what you may think, these guys do not show up on Saturday for a Sunday game and walk out on the field. They are rated and their game, play by play is reviewed critically. They get information that they have to study and go over throughout the week even before the game. Believe me when I tell you that you do not want to go thru one of these game reviews. They are not pleasant if you have a good game. If you screw up, well, it can get rather ugly.

By part time, you realize that most if not all of these guys are in jobs where they can take 6 months off meaning most are self employeed as lawyers, and such. None of them is working a 40 hour work week while the NFL season is in full swing.

Apart from the rulebook, they also have to pass a physical test to make sure they can run. So, the term part time is not really true. I put in more hours working my officiating job "part time" than I did my regular 40 hour a week job.

Just remember this thought, "a referee is supposed to be 100% on his first game out and then improve each game thereafter." Now I ask you, are you expected to perform in that matter at your job? Officials make mistakes like anyone else, but please don't even think that they are not studying the game each and every free moment they have. They have to in order to keep their jobs and in some cases that is not enough and you get dropped.

 

Can’t believe that people are still trying to sell this conspiracy nonsense.

 

Only an idiot would try to fix a game through the officials. Any proven fixed game in history was done through the players not the refs you moron!

 

well i start buying it when it starts getting close to the playoffs,...... mostly

 

There was absolutely no reason to blow that fumble dead preventing the Browns to score. The fumble was clear & immediate ...was it not?? I think if we made the playoffs, we probably get bounced the 1st game because of injuries & lack-luster play...

 

i didnt even hear a whistle untill he was halfway down the field , and i was watching the game live

 

I applaud you for the hours you put in studying to be a referee!You are right as I have no clue what regiment referees have to go through as I admit I am a armchair qb like most of us on here.Were you a professional referee?All I’m trying to say is there seems to be plenty of inconsistencies on calls of penalties and not a penalty on almost the same type of scenarios during a game.More this year than I can ever recall in a season.

 

You can say what you want but i have seen some strange things in the SB/PLAYOFFS Tomlin/whiz matched up in Sb, To black head coaches matched up in SB, two brothers matched up in SB, Ray lewis says he was retireing at end of season win's SB.ect, ecT . Seems to me that made some prty good ratings for the NFL.... I'm starting to think the NFL want's/ pushing for having the first 2 starting QB's in the SB this year ............

 

I don't remember any complaining when the refs orchestrate the Steelers SB win over Seattle, OT any carping when the Pats had 14 penalties called against them a couple of weeks ago.

It appears fans don't mind refs orchestrating games, they only object when they orchestrate against the favorite team.

You ever call Dallas the Cryboys? Or sneer at Bitching Seahawks fans? Look in the mirror, and you'll see what they look like.

 

As someone who knows quite a bit about sports handicapping, I can guarantee you that games are manipulated in every single sport, and if you think otherwise, I'm sorry to tell you that you're very ignorant. No, the games aren't scripted and they always don't get the outcome that they want. Good handicappers know that you need to cap accordingly, for instance, stay away from public favorites on Prime Time games, and never bet on anyone that has 80% on the bets on them. There is actually a rule in betting named after one of the refs for not betting on 80% backed teams. And it's not just for betting purposes that games are manipulated. It's also to create story lines and drive up ratings and make games close at the end to keep viewers tuned in so they can cash in on the advertising money. And it's not just the refs with all the power they hold, but players who get blackmailed or took loans in college and they will try to throw the game with a big mistake. It's like the Government, just blame incompetence and all will be forgiven, but tell the truth on how it was a conspiracy, and all hell will break lose.

I used to be a huge sports fan that cried a few times when the Steelers lost, but after seeing how things work, I don't let losses affect me negatively like they used to.

 

All season long on plays that were obvious as can be, the refs still let players finish the play out just in case, but NO, not here. Lamar Jackson fumbled and Peppers was returning for an easy TD, and the refs blew it dead, I knew that was going to cost them the game.

 

Kevin I couldnt agree with you anymore,I've noticed this crap the last ten years with the NFL getting so big it's getting more obvious when you see it happen over and over,and is it me or the last four years every big game towards the end of the year one of our big players always doesnt play with some weird injury,but you just waste your breath with idiots who dont see it,

 

Case in point PIT v. SND 2008.

 

To many cooks spoil the broth. Not enough quality, to many rules hindering defenses (thank fantasy football for this change), Al Riveron, inconsistent calls, calls being missed, throwing flags it seems like an eternity after the play. The saturation of rules has caused confusion.

I'm not sticking up for the zebras by any stretch but the rules are not balanced, and we will see much of the same.

And take "Comfort" in that Popcorn doesn't support challenging pass interference.

 

It's not just the NFL either, I think it was the 2015 College Football Season that was completely out of control. And, I once thought the NHL couldn't be manipulated, until you know the betting percentages of each game on a daily basis and watch how many BS calls get made in the last minutes of a game to send it to OT and guarantees a one goal game, because it's not always about who wins or loses, there's lots of money on things like the game going to OT or a team having to win by more than one goal, and then there is the Over/Under for totals amount of goals that get affected.

And, surely they can't possibly manipulate MLB can they? Of course they can and have done so just recently. They change the baseballs to make them harder or softer and it has huge affects, and that's not including the dirty umpires and players.

A lot of this stuff you might not notice if you are a fan of a single team and don't watch a lot of games and even if you do that, it still might not be obvious for some until they know what teams have the money riding on them, but there is no doubt it exists. And, that's just the gambling aspect of manipulation, there's also the ratings, story line, advertisement, etc.. manipulations.

Knowing all of this, I feel it's stupid to let a loss ruin a day. I'm still a fan, I still watch games, and if they win I take some satisfaction, but if they lose, oh well. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy coming here once in awhile to discuss things.