Could the Steelers lose a late round draft pick due to Sidelinegate?

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer...elers-facing-fine-possible-loss-of-draft-pick

 

Sal alosi was so far back though, beyond the white stripe. Tomlin was on the green field! I guarantee you if it was AB running up the sidelines he is nowhere near that spot

 

I really wish I could go back to the early 70s and stop the break in so people would quit adding "gate" to every perceived transgression!
Tomlin may or may not have known he was on the field but, it didn't really affect the outcome no matter how loudly Harbaugh cries!

 

Im telling you, the damning thing is that he is CLEARLY looking over his right shoulder for Jacoby Jones and NOT looking at the JumboTron like he claimed. IMO if the video would have shown him indeed looking up, then you wouldn't be able to determine intent. But the fact that he is looking for JJ is all the evidence that I need to determine intent.

[video=youtube;FF9yzOLcX40]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF9yzOLcX40[/video]

 

What amazes me is that the referee runs right by Tomlin, with Tomlin being positioned between him and Jones, and doesn't call a penalty.

 

Hopefully not and I kind of doubt it, but I do hope Tomlin gets such a massive fine that he's forced to eat Kraft Dinner the rest of his life. I don't care what some idiot on the Jets did, we are not the Jets and Tomlin isn't Rex Ryan. I have no time for this stuff. I don't know how anyone can say this wasn't intentional. It's clear as day that he's looking over his shoulder, then he steps onto the field just before moving out of the way.

If Harbaugh did that this site would have imploded. My god would there be outrage.

 

A fine is punishment enough the team can't afford to lose any draft picks.

 

What's your point?
The ref is in a full run with his head turned and clearly focused on the returner.
Not to mention the fact that referees miss calls all of the time only to have the league come back and levy a fine later in the week. Look no further than William Gay last week.

 

I agree with this.
Draft picks = too far.
Had he tripped/injured JJ then thats a different story.

 

Oh and there is the fact that he LUNGED ONTO THE FIELD too.

If you want to move quickly to the left, why would your first move be to the right? It defies logic.

 

See above. THAT'S my point!

 

Well then, it shouldn't be amazing to you. It happens a lot. Practically every week around the league.

 

Don't know what games you're watching, but it's not every week that I see a head coach literally with one foot on the field of play with a referee running down the sidelines trailing a play and running right by the head coach who is positioned between him and the returner. Maybe the ref was so focused on the play that he didn't see Tomlin and his sideline dance, but this particular scenario is not common. Watch the video you posted. It just looks to me like the ref should have noticed that Tomlin was too close to the field of play given his proximity to both Tomlin and the field of play. He probably should have called an unsportsmanlike penalty then and there. I'm still not convinced this was an intentional act on Tomlin's part. He'd have to be a blooming idiot to do that intentionally with all of the eyes on him that night.

 

There is NO WAY IN HELL he should lose a friggin draft pick.

Oh, and Sidelinegate?

 

Totally a waste of ink here 6 figure fine @ best another Murphy metaphor.. if they can find a way to collect they will.

 

Um, I didn't say that THIS EXACT situation occurs every week. I said that in general refs miss calls all of the time that are later revisited and determined to be fineable situations. The fact that they missed this call shouldn't surprise you. No missed calls should surprise you.

As far as wether is was intentional or not, I don't know how you can look at Tomlin during that sequence...him looking over his shoulder then stepping right first...and be unsure. Especially when it is compared against his explanation of "watching the Jumbotron." Had the replay shown him actually looking up at the screen, then I could see giving him the benefit of the doubt. But that clearly isn't the case.

And I don't think you have to be a blooming idiot to do something like that. Being caught up in the emotion and making a split second decision without thinking things through is all that it takes.

 

I understand that calls are missed on a weekly basis, but normally they are calls relating to something occurring at the speed of play on the field. You make the point that it's obvious what Tomlin's intent is based on his position and how he glances back and so forth. I guess I could make a similar argument that with the ref being right there and Tomlin being positioned between him and the field of play that Tomlin should have been flagged then and there. But, I think you'll agree, things are not always as they appear. It appears Tomlin may have done this on purpose and it appears that the ref should have easily spotted the transgression based on his positioning. Maybe you and I are mistaken on both accounts.

 

I think I trust Glazer over LaCanfora!