Every year, watching the NFL, I begin seasons knowing that by Week Two, I will be convinced the league is no better than the WWE. Except for the fact the WWE doesn’t try to convince fans they are real. Vince McMahon’s business revels in the fact that people love the story-lines, knowing they are paying for entertainment.
Yet with the NFL, the league takes great measures to convince fans they are the real thing, on the “up and up.” But by Week two you are screaming at the television, wondering what call the official is going to make now. In 1975, the NFL decided to put a wireless microphone on the referee for penalty announcements. Art McNally was the NFL’s Head of Officials at the time and wanted his crews to use this new technology very sparingly. Even though I was a teen at the time, I knew this would be a dangerous addition. Anytime you give someone access to a mike, you run the risk of overexposure.
In the 1970s and ’80s the referee only used the microphone for penalty announcements, and even then the information was scarce. The referee would simply state the foul, number of the offender, and the next down. No muss! No fuss! Then, as they always do, things changed.
Ben Drieth started the domino’s falling in 1986. Dreith went into great detail that a hit on Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly wasn’t too late, but the extra shots drew the foul. Dreith’s explanation has become infamous. Then it was followed up in 1988 when referee Jim Tunney used his microphone during the Fog Bowl to reset the down, distance, yard line, and even time after every play for the benefit of the fans, TV audience, and official statisticians. A new on field commentator was born.
Once this began and moved forward, nothing was going to stop the momentum. Officials, especially the Referees, have become almost as famous as the players we buy tickets or tune in to see. We know them by name and when we see some officiating the game our team is playing, we almost on cue let out an outrageous groan.
Yet the League, led by commissioner Roger Goodell, feels the officiating is in good shape. Yes there are “tweaks” that can be made, but an overhaul of the system isn’t needed. As our new President-Elect said time and time again during the campaign, WRONG!
Bills coach Rex Ryan’s frustration with officials has been going on for years. But now other coaches, including the Seahawks Pete Carroll, Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints and the Arizona Cardinals’ Bruce Arians have joined the frey. And those are just the coaches.
Washington cornerback Josh Norman was fined $25,000 for calling out a particular official, while Carolina’s Cam Newton actually called the Commissioner. Seattle’s Richard Sherman blasted the league for sucking the fun out of the game.
Last night Sherman was called for a face mask penalty late in the game against New England. To my eye, I wondered initially how the official could make the call? Considering the vantage point he had on the play. Sherman popped up after the tackle, spotted the flag, heard the officials discussing the penalty and immediately began saying no. Once the replay was shown, you could see he grabbed the receiver by the shoulder pad to wrestle him down, and never grabbed the face mask. Another missed call by an official that violated the cardinal sin.
Officials don’t call what they see. They call what they Think they see. Oh sure they sometimes see what they call. However most of the time they assume something happened. Which most of the time isn’t anything. And the hardest play to call is Defensive Holding or Pass Interference.
Sherman recently said, “I’d take illegal contact out or I’d call it both ways. If we can’t touch them past five yards, then they can’t initiate contact with us past five yards. But then it kind of sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Just as illegal contact is a ridiculous rule and impossible to officiate they can literally run into you at any point on the field and get that call.”
Sherman is correct. Yet the receivers get the benefit of the doubt on every play. Why? Because the owners and Commissioner believe offense puts fannies in the seats, both at the stadium and in their living room. However it isn’t working. Ratings are constantly dwindling for NFL games.
How do you fix the officiating problems? Cut the rules. Realize football is a hitting sport. Realize players will get hurt and quarterbacks are part of that. Quit trying to shave money here and there just to water down the product. The commissioner wants to eliminate the kicking game. Its already begun with extra points, and it will continue into kickoffs soon and possibly the punting game. And fans will finally tire of the changes.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was correct in 2014. Cuban called the NFL “hogs” heading toward a slaughter. Meaning the league was over saturating itself and ruining its product. How much further can the league go?
If past performance is indicative, too far.
Dave Mitchell co-hosts with Mark Donahue the UST talk show “Ohio Baseball Weekly,” highlighting the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds. The Show is at 9pm every Monday evening. He also does Play by Play of High School sports. If you have a comment on this or any other article,email Dave at dmitch@ultimatesportstalk.com or on twitter @ohbbcohost or @ultsportstalk.
