You're Missing A Good Game, Ref!

It's truly rare these days that a football game gets played without some sort of controversy due to a poor call by a ref.

The same old words are spoken.

"We shouldn't be in a position where one call costs us the game."

"The NFL is issuing an apology."

"The play is not reviewable."

Blah, blah, blah, blah.

The team that loses the game bellyaches that they would have won had the refs got this right or that right. The team that wins says, 'Stop your bitching it's a tough game to call.'

So.

Let me chime in.

1). It is a difficult game to call.

The players are moving at breakneck speed on the field. The refs are middle-aged men. The cameras can slow everything down for the fan at home. Therefore you have men, on the field, making a split-second decision that a viewer sees eleven times from twelve different angles.

The refs actually have no chance there.

2). The rules suck.

No one actually knows the rules.

Quick:

What is a catch if you're a wide receiver as opposed to a defender?

What constitutes being out-of-bounds, or in the end zone?

When is a fumble a fumble or a pass?

When is a fumble a fumble or an incomplete catch?

What the hell is a 'football move' after making a catch?

Why can't the ground cause a fumble?

Why does a knee count two times more than an elbow?

No one knows!

Most games now have a bumbling expert in the booth saying, 'Geez, guys, I don't know,' after every close play.

3). The refs are frightened out of their minds.

We were watching a game the other day. The runner got close to the end zone. There were only 4 people on the screen. The runner, the tackler, and two refs.

The play ended.

One ref looked to the other.

They were less than a foot away!

Neither ref made a signal.

Then they conferred.

Then they made a grand gesture of nodding their heads.

Then they signaled touchdown.

Ten minutes later the video review showed that the runner was down two yards before crossing the marker.

4). There's No Consistency

'They're calling it tight.'

'That was an unintentional face-mask.'

'He didn't really mean to hit the punter.'

'You can't touch him after five yards, but he just barely touched him there.'

All of the jumbled rules makes it impossible for a ref to make a call with any sort of consistency. The only thing they constantly do is call the block in the back on a kickoff.

Of course, I am only skimming the surface here.

The game is a freaking mess, actually.

The rules are confusing and they are arbitrary.

The losing teams fans cry about the refs.

The winning teams fans say 'Don't cry, they sucked for both teams.'

The league apologizes.

Says that they'll look into changing the rule after the season.

And yet.

Everyone keeps watching.

Because they're betting.

And they have a fantasy team.

And there's nothing better to do on a Sunday.

Face it.

Football blows.