No-Calls: "Let the players decide the game" instead of the refs?

...The idea being that calling penalties means the refs are deciding the game, and not calling penalties means that the refs are leaving it up to the players to decide. Phil Simms alluded to this a little bit on the pivotal 4th down pass to Crabtree, saying that although Smith had two handfuls of jersey and was definitely holding him, it was still a good no-call. "Tough to throw a flag in that situation," he said.

That's BS. In hockey, it's universally understood that when the playoffs start, it will take a larger action to call a penalty. What's a penalty in the regular season may not be a penalty in the playoffs. Everyone knows it's coming and everyone can adjust to that. But that's not how it is in football. Or... maybe it is, depending on the official, depending on what he feels like? Were some refs thinking, "I can't throw a flag on this play... it's 4th down in the Super Bowl!"?

In any normal game, the defense is flagged for pass interference even for incidental contact, provided the defender's head was not turned a certain direction. I'm not saying I like it, but that's how it's been for years. Hell, it's part of the Ravens' offense every time they play us. Toss it as far as you can and wait for the PI call. Now, they definitely throw a flag every time there's real interference, like holding onto a dude when he's running after the ball, or hacking at his shoulders before the ball gets there. It's impossible for a CB to get away with that with so many eyes on him. But the Ravens got away with that more than once, and some other stuff, in the most critical situations:

-The bomb to Crabtree in the (3rd?) quarter. The CB was holding him back while the ball was in the air, then hacked his shoulders and arms before the ball arrived. Crabtree dropped it, but had been interfered with multiple times, including his arms as the ball was arriving. Should have been a very, very long penalty.

-The blatant offensive pass interference on the Ravens in the (2nd?) quarter. He was damn near tackling the 49er CB, who was in perfect position for an interception. I believe this was the play before Jones' long TD.

-Cary Williams shoving a referee with full force, right in the chest, on purpose, after seeing who it was. This happened after Ed Reed's INT, during that brawl. In the article I read about it, they say (and one of the poll options is) that perhaps the ref knew that Williams was just "in the heat of the moment." Um, okay, but I'm pretty sure every time a ref has been shoved, the player was in the heat of a moment. No one does that for fun. Not only should there have been a 15 yard penalty, but Williams, Baltimore's best cornerback, should have been ejected in the 2nd quarter. How might that have changed things? (Here is the link. It's hard to see unless you're looking for it, so keep an eye on the right side of the screen right at the 30 second mark. Williams gets up off the ground and shoves the ref back - http://www.latimes.com/sports/sport...es-ref-cary-williams-20130204,0,1584300.story ) You might say that an ejection is too severe, but that's the rule, and guys have been ejected for far less, including touching a ref on the arm to get him to turn in his direction so they could talk. The rule is there for a reason, to protect refs. It's one thing if it's a total accident like we saw Mike Wallace do this year, because the ref ran into him, and Mike literally wasn't looking and thought the ref was an opponent when he gave a light push with one arm, but there's no way Williams mistook that tiny man in a referee uniform and no pads for a 49er. He had to walk towards him to do it. He saw him. And not that it matters, but it's not like the ref even did anything to him. He was just freaking out, and that's not an excuse.

-Offsides on the 49ers' 2 point conversion. Um, I'd say those two points would have come in handy later. Should have been allowed another chance from the 1 yard line. I think chances are that they get it.

-Holding on Jimmy Smith on 4th down, the play that would decide which team won the game. Two handfuls of jersey, one of them pulling the jersey away from Crabtree. The ref is in perfect position to see this and does not throw a flag.

I'm sure there were some bad or missed calls that went the other way too somewhere along the line, but these are major plays and major no-calls that all went to Baltimore, and as a result they were able to hold on to win. Everyone knows that when a ref throws a flag on a phantom penalty, the ref is deciding the game. Then why isn't it the same when they choose not to throw a flag on a blatant penalty? When you let one team get away with *cough* murder again and again, you aren't letting the players decide the game. You're doing it yourself. Only by holding both teams accountable to the same rules for an entire game can you let the players decide the game. Jimmy Smith decided to hold, he should have been called for it, no matter what quarter of what game it is.

 

you never read my posts................. i just started one before you put this on here. it's BS that we have to watch them pick and choose what to call and what games to call it in. i agree 100%. when they didn't make the first ejection for pushing the ref, i knew it was a farce. piss poor display goodell.

 

David Akers getting a roughing the kicker call when he was barely touched?

Joe Flacco getting hit out of bounds?

Kaepernick not getting the snap off in time on that final offensive play?

At least two blocks in the back on the back on the Ginn return?

Indeed, there were some BIG calls that went the 49ers way. These are just four I remember. In no way did the officiating determine the outcome of this game. The 49ers didn't show up to play and needed a power outage to hlp them out.

 

The Ravens have basically built their season on offensive PI no calls.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...rabtree-refs-not-to-blame-for-super-bowl-loss

Regardless of the call, I like Crabtree's response here.

However, it's a bit hard to say tha the pass was overthrown when the receiver is unable to nove.

 

Those are calls that went the 49ers way. They aren't bad calls that went the 49ers way, except for one. But if you want, I'll trade you the block in the back for the brutal PI on Corey Graham. Not only was that penalty an obvious play-changer, but it was also worth more yards, so you even come ahead in the yardage, too.

As a bonus P.S., I'm not 100% positive this is a penalty, but when LeMichael James fumbled, I was screaming at the TV because he had been initially clotheslined/tackled by the helmet. I'm not sure if it wasa facemask, but I am pretty sure they added the rest of the helmet as an inclusion to that rule. Neither announcer mentioned it, but it's easy to see. He's got him by the side of the head.

 

I know, I've already heard people saying it was uncatchable. It was only like a foot and a half away from his hands, and he was slowed down earlier in the play. Hardly uncatchable.

I agree, I like his response. It's BS, and the refs can cost you games, but that's still part of the game. Gotta take it like a man.

I'm the same way as a player. As a FAN, however, I am not.

 

Is it just coincidence that all these situations mentioned, are going one way??
Interesting.

 

there was a two handed around the waist hold that went uncalled even on the safety. there was also a pretty blatent hold on the KO return for the ravens. they also should have been without a player or two for slaps in the head after the play and one ejection on pushing the ref. this ref crew was bad.

 

the refs realy helped them out all season

 

The Akers call (roughing or running into) GAVE THEM THREE POINTS!!!!! Akers missed that kick and got a redo. Remember?

The Flacco non-call is a judgment call, as was the Crabtree call.

And no...I do not believe Kaepernick got the snap off on that final play. It was close. I am not saying it should have been...but it could have been called.

Bottom line: you sound as bad as Holmgren, here. Did you lose money on the game or something?

 

I know I am in the minority here, but I have always believed the following:

Calling a penalty when it is blatant is letting the players decide.

I hear a lot about how in this situation, you just can't call the foul, is what is always said, but if the guy clearly did something illegal...you call it. In this game, if you call the hold, you have let the players decide the game, just the opposite team's players. You broke a rule...you got caught...so be it.

That being said, as much as I hated the non-call at the time, I do believe they had 3 other opportunities to get in the end zone...did they not? The first down play was just dumb. 2nd and 3rd just didn't look good. The 4th down play looked the best, but the Ravens went full bore to win that game with their backs against the wall. They earned the victory IMO.

 

My opinion is that bad calls happen in every game. Sometimes it's a missed call, other times it's a call that shouldn't have been made. Then there's tons of ticky tacky calls that could go either way and will be argued differently by different people. In the end, the best team is the one that overcomes bad calls. We have overcome games where there's been bad calls against us, such as the Giants game this year. I simply don't buy that the refs gave the game to the Ravens. The 49'ers had tons of chances to win the game, and they blew it. The Ravens played the better game.

 

There were 130 plays in this game. How was that the game changer? I really don't understand your outrage. Maybe if the 49ers hadn't put themselves in a 28-6 hole, they could have won the game. I can't believe a Steeler fan is on here whining about the refs cheating a team out of a Super Bowl when we ourselves have heard this BS thrown at us not just once but twice in the past seven years. The 49ers flat out got beat. And as for the non-call, Cris Carter was on the air this morning saying Crabtree ran the route wrong and allowed himself to get ridden out of the play; it was NOT a penalty he said.

 

I agree that when it's the last play of the game it's a "game changer." You can't come back from that. It was a terrible call (or no-call, rather).

I also agree that the hit on Flacco was a late hit.

I wish the refs would do less to determine the outcomes of regular season games with no calls (Keisel goes to a knee for a celebration).

We're damn fortunate Santonio didn't get hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct in XLIII for his LeBron/talcum powder move after making the winning catch.

 

the scandal was in denver , they had a couple of phanthom pi when they were down in their territory on the 3rd and long ...than when denver was up by 7 near midfield with 5 minutes left they called a phantom holding on a third and one (manning was driving and they were on their heels ) that became a 3rd and 11 that ended with an int .

 

would you have thought the same if it was santonio and the "catch" against arizona?

 

Saying you are "whining about officiating" isn't a label...it's a statement on your action, not who you are. Regardless, it was a judgment call...and almost EVERY analyst on ESPN and NFL Network has said it was a good "no call."

 

I'm all for that. I have no problem with 49er fans griping at ravens fans. But from a purely objective point of view, the play wasn't what killed the 49ers. You don't like me mentioning the 130 plays in the game...okay, we'll narrow it down to four. The 49ers had four cracks at the end zone to win a Super Bowl. All four were bad plays, and three of them were poorly executed. They didn't deserve to win based on that alone. So the refs should bail them out on a 4th down desperation fade pattern in the corner of the EZ? No.

 

when do the analyst dictate the rules? if it's a rule it should be called. it could have been illeagal contact is was past 5 yds. too. rules shouldn't be dictated by down and distance. rules are rules, you either enforce them or you don't have them, it's very simple the refs dictate when and when not to dictate the rules. they make or break the game when they decide to.