“The Refs Suck!!!”

-

I’m not sure there’s a worse job in the world than that of an NFL referee.

No matter who is playing there are people bitching and moaning about how unfair the game was officiated.

I have a buddy who is quick to point out that the umpires in baseball are also wildly inconsistent, but the batter can make certain adjustments as the game goes along and he can take a bad ump out of the game.

It’s not quite that easy in football.

A hold can be called on almost every play. Pass interference can be the difference in a game.

There are certainly quarterbacks who definitely took advantage of pass interference by throwing a ball short and having their receiver run into the guy defending him.

Brady made a living out of it.

And of course, the playoffs magnify it all.

Was it a catch?

Watching on television we are treated to 5 different replays that let us know that the ball was still moving as the guy hit the ground.

The ref can’t see that in real time.

And there are certainly conspiracies:

“The fix is in!” Someone posted three minutes after the Chiefs game started.

I drove Sam to work on Saturday and asked him about the weekend games.

“Bills, Chiefs, Eagles and Cowboys,” he said. “What do you think?”

“I just hope that a game isn’t decided on a blown call,” I said. “I don’t want to hear about it for the next twenty years.”

Here in Buffalo there are certainly bitches about refs from games that went sideways:

“No goal!”

“It was a forward pass!!”

I won’t watch every game…

…but I know one thing to be true…

…in 4 cities there will be fans crying about how bad the refs were.

That’s a guarantee!

Comments

deafjeff said…
Your friend is right. Batters can make some adjustments, sure. They have a hard time swinging and hitting balls 6 in low or 3 inches outside. Any one of the bad calls could end an AB early. The Yankees have a guy who might have hit 15 more HR's if they didn't call him out on low balls consistently.
29 January, 2023
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Suits

-
Like a lot of other people we got pulled into the series, ‘Suits’ on Netflix. I’ve never had much fun hanging around lawyers who have questioned me as a construction safety officer. I once testified in a case where the opposing lawyer started questioning me by going through my educational background. “So,” he said, racing to a crescendo, “You graduated from college with a degree in Communications-Journalism and suddenly, 30 years later, you’re a ‘safety expert.’” He actually made the quotation marks with his fingers. I just looked at him. “How does that happen?” He bellowed, sure that he was going to discredit me. “Well,” I said. “I knew I was overqualified to become a lawyer.” The courtroom erupted in laughter. Even the judge chuckled. The rest of his questions landed flat. So, I wasn’t all that keen on a show about lawyers, but ‘Suits’ is great. Meghan Markle became a princess because of the show, and she is very good in it (and a beautiful woman). Yet, there is so much more. The wri
Read more

My Buddy, Dave

-
Way back in 1997, I started working with a steel erection company out of Syracuse. I was coming straight from a long stint with a steel erector here in Buffalo so I knew my stuff when it came to steel erection safety rules. On day one, I met with the safety director and he was just getting started as a safety guy, but man, he certainly cared about the guys he worked with. Dave was a good man from the start. He’d say things like: “You’re so full of beans.” Just a down to earth, hardworking guy who became a fast friend. We drove all around New York State setting up jobs. I always let Dave drive so that I could rest. One fine day, way up North of Syracuse, we passed a state trooper.  I glanced at the speedometer. “You’re screwed,” I said, and seconds later, the lights came on. Dave was beside himself.  The cop stopped by the window, grabbed the license and registration and headed back to his vehicle. “Here’s the thing,” I said. “You’re pissed, but you’re such a good guy that I bet you tha
Read more

Mom & Ollie

-
Image
 Ollie Stadium is a mess. The heavy rains rendered the backyard a mud pit and even though we threw in the side yard, the Big O was looking for more, and we were both covered in mud. I had to take some steam out of him somehow so I suggested we go visit Grandma. Ollie hates the car, but he laid quietly as we made the trip. We even brought the football because there is plenty of room to play at Grandma’s. Mom opened the door and started laughing. I thought about the love she had for every single dog we ever had. Oliver was quick to give my Mom a kiss, and then he stood beside her. The love between Mom and Dogs is a mutual bond. Through the years, Mom would make breakfast for the dogs.  Fried eggs, toast, bacon… She would wrap Christmas gifts for them. “To Jeter, Love Santa,” she would write on the cards. They played with the big chicken that made a lot of noise. Mom tossed the football and Ollie brought it back to her. As the visit drew to a close I headed for the door.  “C’mon, Oliver,”
Read more