The NFL needs to get the real refs back just for the safety of the players. A defenseless receiver is obviously knocked unconscious before he hits the ground by a helmet-to-helmet impact and there's no flag? Unacceptable.
Last night, there was a personal foul called on a d-back for hitting a defenseless receiver well after the ball had passed out of reach. Cris Collingsworth complained about the call because the d-back delivered a "blow to the chest with his shoulder".
My response: DUDE! He was defenseless! Who cares where he hit him? You think his brain cared as it was sloshing around inside his skull that the blow was delivered to his chest?
Heard last night from one of the announcers in the Texans/Broncos game: "We/I don't like the new rules, but they're for player safety."
Ugh, I had that game on yesterday and they kept showing Schaub and Manning getting drilled into the ground maliciously by the defense. I had to turn it off.
Wow. I had no idea what I was starting when I posted this.
Torii Hunter, Jr. to play football (and baseball) for Notre Dame. Since no one is neutral on ND, this should get a few Twins fans thinking about things. As a minnow muncher, I've always been positive on ND, for no real reason other than cultural, I guess.
I find myself neutral on ND these days. The hype surrounding them has died down a lot since they're football team's been bad for so long. I had a grad school friend who went there for undergrad, which probably helped bring me from negative to neutral. It's just another liberal arts college in the midwest.
It's just another liberal arts college in the midwest.
Like so many of them, it has every home football game shown nationally on a major broadcast network.
it has every home football game shown nationally on a major broadcast network
for this reason, it's been a big negative with my parents. tilts it that way for me as well.
That just makes another television station for me to avoid on Saturdays.
The Notredame Broadcasting Network.
Company.
right. It's just NBN in the Philippines. Oops.
Since no one is neutral on ND, this should get a few Twins fans thinking about things.
These two statements have nothing to do about each other. Why should I care what Hunter's son is doing for college at all, regardless of how I feel about ND*?
*For the record, I don't give two shakes about Notre Dame. I know it's a rhetorical device, but one thing that really bugs me is being told how I think, so arguments like "No one is this" or "Everyone is that" I find annoying.
From an Irish Catholic family and we visited the campus during a family vacation in '93 which is also the first year I played organized football. Thus, "Go Irish" it has always been.
I have a slight opinion on their philosophy department. Otherwise, meh.
We should have an offline discussion about this. I happen to know a former professor from that department.
My opinion is that I'm very thankful for their many "fans" who allowed people like my parents to gobble up tickets when Nebraska came to town.
Just imagine if Bud Selig had used replacement umpires for 30 games (the equivalent percentage of games that the NFL has used them) and they were absolute clowns.
Would we be able to spot a difference between them and Angel Hernandez, Bob Davidson, Phil Cuzzi, Doug Eddings, Cowboy Joe, etc.?
It seems to me that as bad as some of the regulars are, whenever they call someone up from the minors, it becomes apparent more often than not.
Agreed, and I'd think they're easier fodder for the managers/fans to attack than an NFL crew would be
There's no Brooks Baseball pitch-tracker equivalent for NFL umps.
There is a learning curve for any ump/ref working at a new level. I suspect that by midseason or so, we won't really know the difference or care (for those who care now).
I was thinking exactly this. Each crew has about 10 hours of experience- as a crew and at this level- right? Give them a few more weeks, it can only get better.
Course, a player may get killed before the crews and individuals start figuring their crap out. I've watched a very minimal minutes of game action so far, but when I do have it on I see unflagged cheap shot after unflagged cheap shot. (SSS, obviously, and possibly confirmation bias, so this is a half-baked theory.)
For my SSS, I've watched all three Vikings games and quite a few of the other games on Sundays, and almost all of the shots on defenseless receivers I've seen have been flagged. It's definitely one area where the refs should not be shy about throwing a flag.
I would guess that relatively speaking, the baseball replacement umps wouldn't be as bad as the NFL replacement refs, so they could probably do it for a month and have the same perception that the NFL gets for 3 games. I just saw that the earliest the legit refs could come back is Week 5, which means that Week 6 or later is probably more likely.
I wonder if any NFL higher-ups are looking at the debacle and thinking: if the second string refs get this many calls wrong, maybe we should find some ways to simplify the rules a bit? Admittedly, it's hard to think about anything else when you're deciding how to upgrade your yacht, but still.
i know very little of the specifics regarding the labor disagreement, but it's kind of annoying that the replacement refs taking most of the guff in this situation instead of the NFL or at regular refs.
I think the NFL has taken a pretty good share of the blame here.
I think the real problem is that these aren't second string refs. These are the first available refs who weren't already getting paid by the NCAA. It wouldn't be bringing in AAA umps, it would be bringing in Northern League umps or worse.
I disagree. They are the second string refs because the NFL is short-sighted enough to not have its own minor league system. MLB wouldn't be dipping into NCAA umps because they subsidize a minor league system which develops both players and officials. In this case, you get what you pay for.
Does the World Umpires Association include minor league umps? If so MLB is no less short-sighted than the NFL. In any case calling to simplify the rules is pretty absurd.
Why is it absurd to call to simplify the rules in the sport with the thickest rulebook? If someone came up with a way to simplify some of the rules in baseball--the balk rule, in particular--I think the game could benefit. And it's not like the NFL rules are some sacred immutable text that hasn't changed for years.
Simplifying rules because it would benefit the game is one thing, doing it because the replacement refs are too dumb to figure them out is another.
Having complicated rules increases the risk of a reffing cock up. Why not mitigate that risk? Even the first-string refs are hardly infallible.
also increases the risk of a player eff-up. like not tagging a runner from third on a bases loaded third strike passed ball
The tricky rules in baseball* come up how many times per game? Less than once?
In football, it would seem to be about half of the plays.**
*Balk, passed ball strikeout with runner at first, infield fly, fielder interference, runner interference, catcher interference, needing to tag a runner out if the runner behind him has been already been forced out, two runners occupying the same base... (What are some others.)
**So far, haven't watched this year. I'm working myself up to football being on the same level as Scioscia or Jamie Taylor.
Certainly not half the plays. And I don't think "you only get three time outs" should count as tricky.
No, the timeout rule itself is not tricky, but the NFL's timing procedures in general are needlessly complicated. What's so special about an incomplete pass that should stop the game clock? Why should the timing rules change in the last two (or four!) minutes?
Well, we're not going to get anywhere here. The rules are that way to make the game more competitive and hopefully more interesting. If you're going to argue that that's arbitrary you may be right, but then so is every other rule in every sport.
You only get three timeouts per half. And two challenges per game (unless both are correct in which case you are awarded a third). A challenge requires you to risk one of your timeouts (including the bonus third challenge), meaning that challenges that do not lead to the reviewing official overturning the challenged ruling on the field result in a loss of that timeout. Which also means that a team must have both one of its challenges left in the game and one of its timeout left in the half to issue a challenge. However, if there is a call that an official not on the field views and determines may be controversial, and it happens in the last 2 minutes of either half, then it is up to that official to call for a review. Any unused challenges may be banked in an offshore tax-harbor nation, and later exchanged for airline miles at an exchange rate not to exceed 50 miles per challenge. Unused timeouts are to be left on the field where they will be collected by volunteers and sent to football programs for underprivileged children.
Is that a proper summary? Not horribly complicated, but not that straightforward, either.
They should give coaches timeout flags like their challenge flags. I think bright green like the Seahawks accent would be particularly visible. Give them three flags per half and then two challenge flags. If a timeout or challenge was not necessary, the flag will be visibly returned to the coach by the head referee, otherwise he pockets it in a special bag like the ball-pouches for umpires. The coach can even assign an assistant the flags to use, if she or he feels so motivated. De-link timeouts and challenges, or alternately, require that both be thrown for the challenge to be valid.
I think that every sport should take a step back and look at their rules in a big picture view from time to time. I think the NFL is also in a unique position where significant annual rule changes are already expected, so they--more than any other major sport, I'd say--have the opportunity to shape the rules to make the best possible game. In baseball, you get push-back because the game has been popular for so long, and while making changes used to be the norm (9 balls for a walk, no 8 balls...hmmm...how about 5 balls...okay but 4 strikes, too...back to 3 strikes...4 balls guys, yeah, 4 balls for a walk), it's hard to get people to agree on changes.
Usually change is precipitated by a trend or an especially noteworthy event, so leagues don't usually stop to clean up the rules because they've been changed bit by bit over the years (sort of the same way the tax code gets to be complicated). In this case, referee incompetence could actually lead to a change for the better.
I'm just saying, maybe someday the NFL rules would be straightforward enough that their refs wouldn't need to be mic'd up.
The fact that the best-available backups can't follow the rulebook does illustrate that the football rulebook is very complex.
My biggest problem with the NFL rules is that it seems like an almost yearly occurrance now to try to clarify some obscure rule and they make it really vague. Like this whole "completing the process" thing for a catch in the endzone, or making a "football move" to determine if a receiver had posession prior to a fumble. I think that there are going to be weird occurances during the course of an NFL season, but I think they spend too much time over analyzing minutia. The basic rules are pretty simple. I think if there was more of a focus on that kind of stuff, and refs doing their best to keep the players safe, the game would be better for it.
I think that happens because there's no good way to make some of the calls completely objective, like your examples of "completing the process" and making a "football move." There's never going to be a 100% objective way of determining possession. Both hands on the ball won't cut it, because then every pass would be completed if a receiver just got two hands on the ball.
The balk rule is a great example of this in baseball. The real purpose of the rule is to keep pitchers from tricking the baserunners into thinking that he's throwing home when he's really throwing to a base. But it turns out that legislating what constitutes deception is a tricky matter, so you wind up with a long-winded rule which still seems largely subject to interpretation. Maybe a more vague rule would be better, leaving the umpires to exercise some common sense.
The existence of television replay only exacerbates this problem because it gives us the illusion that there should be a way to make every call a completely objective call, like in-bounds or out-of-bounds.
Then you need to step back and look at legislative intent, which brings us nicely to Bootsy's image...
What are you grabbing at?
My challenge flag.
I thought it was cash.
The call stands as played.
(I realized as soon as I'd responded, that's what you were reaching for.)
Don't worry. We can give you back your challenge flag and let you re-phrase the response.
I'm inclined to wonder about the relative treatment from coaches/managers & players. I feel like there's more abuse being heaped on them in the NFL than there would be in MLB, but maybe that's just a reflection of my relative respect for those involved in the two leagues?
lost in the shuffle of all this hullabaloo, is that NFL are taking WAY too long. The NFL bumped the late afternoon games to 3:25 (central) to help fans not miss the second game of a doubleheader, and I think all 3 weeks has seen the DH game joined in progress. The replacement refs have little control of the game, and that falls squarely of Roger Bettman Godell
Is Don Fehr the head of the NFLRA? Is that what the corrected Bettman line means?
no, its more along the lines that Roger Godell is reaching Bettman like levels for people hating him.
We passed under this on I-80 through Ohio. Brightened up a long trip.
That chick's teeth totally do it for me.
If this wasn't in Ohio, I'd seriously consider trying to buy a house on this street.
Who doesn't love Jose Valverde*? He's so quirky... Watch the catcher, his reaction might be the best part.
*the correct answer is "nearly everyone"
As far as the statistical record is concerned, it never happened. But we won't forget.
Dude, whatever. Slamming your boss in public is not a good idea. Nor is making a big deal out of not closing when you suck (and your replacement, Steve Cishek, has been pretty good).
Haven't we suffered enough?
Life and Minnesota Fanhood is Suffering
-- Sidd Harthaman
“One must find the source within one's own Self, one must possess it. Everything else was seeking -- a detour, an error.”
JoePos today uses a Gardy quote to look at the AL MVP race in a non-SABR way. This has been my thinking as I listen to the MSM guys on 1500 ESPN act outraged that Cabrera isn't a unanimous, undisputed choice. Forget all the stats - even by eye test, Trout plays much better defense and is a much better baserunner. Don't those count for anything to the traditionalists?
defense and base running only count if you are sCrappy.
Yeah, if someone's going to use stats to make their case, I'd rather them not say "triple crown == MVP". It's fine if you don't want to use advanced stats, but basic stats aren't going to get you farther than advanced stats.
I think if you're going to make a case for Cabrera, it's that he's played 21 games more than Trout, and even though it's not really Trout's fault* that he got called up in late April, but fewer games generally means less value.
*Although he could have helped himself out by hitting better than .220 in his cup of coffee last year.
Even if they had played the same number of games, though, and Cabrera had just edged Trout in triple crown numbers, I do think there's an institutional bias in favor of the guys who drive in runs over the guys who score them. That is, in a year with a good candidate hitting leadoff and a good candidate hitting 3rd or 4th, the guy hitting 3rd or 4th will win. In a year with no standout hitting numbers, you can get a Zoilo Versalles making his case through defense and speed, but generally speaking, it's not just chicks that dig the long ball.
I'd give Trout the edge, but I'm a sucker for speed and defense.
in 2008, Petunia won the AL MVP. He was second in the league in rWAR (to Nick Markakis, who got zero MVP votes), second in BA (to Baby J), and led the league in runs, hits (tied with Ichiro!), and doubles. He was at least a credible winner that year, as there were no sluggers with really impressive numbers.
in 2007, Jimmy Rollins won the NL MVP despite finishing 9th in NL rWAR (6.0, compared to 8.5 for Poo-holes and 8.1 for David Wright; Pujols finished 9th in the voting; Wright 4th). Rollins was not even on the leaderboard for defensive WAR OR BA OR OBP OR SLG. He DID lead the league in PA and triples, and finished second in H, TB, and XBH. Again, no real "standout" offensive numbers for anyone, although the Rollins thing still seems a bit mystifying. Matt Holliday led the league in H, 2b, XBH and RBI, but was behind Rollins in rWAR.
Barring obvious candidates, I think the writers just vote for the best story. Rollins played all 162 games for a very good Philly team (best record in the NL if you give them 2 or 3 wins of east coast bias), and even though Chase Utley had a better fWAR and played right next to him, Utley missed about 30 games and that's going to hurt his perception (counting stats, etc.) It is somewhat similar to '06 with Mauer and Morneau--Mauer gets a Gold Glove at the toughest position to field and wins the batting title, but loses the MVP race to his teammate who had good but unspectacular numbers for a first baseman. Of course, Morneau played 157 games to Mauer's 140. I think a lot of journalists, even if they bought into the idea of replacement level, would never agree with how high it is set.
I think Rollins case rested almost entirely on the 20-20-20(-20) thing. Take it away Repository:
On the last day of the 2007 season, Rollins became the seventh player to collect at least 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 home runs, in one season (and only the fourth player to also have 20 stolen bases in that same year) when he hit his 20th triple of the year in a 6–1 win over the Washington Nationals that clinched the National League East division championship for the Phillies.
Thanks for sharing, sean.
And thanks B-R.com for getting that right.
YUENGLING! I knew moving to Western NY was a good idea.
Mmmmm...Black&Tan. Sen dm e som e! I W I L L even PAY FoR IT!
Last time my uncle from DC came to visit, he brought me 4 cases. I may be able to swing a similar scenario when I come home for Christmas. I could get as much Yuengling in the car as we can fit and distribute it to Citizens.
sacrilegious is it may be, i've always thought yuengling is kind of, you know, meh.
That was the first time I'd ever had it, this is the second. It's sorta fun for its novelty/rarity, but not a mind-blowing beer to be sure. I'm sure I'll have the exact same reaction first time I have Grain Belt again.
making the rounds. How long until Iphone users can find it?
The best part is Celtics fans trying to convince themselves that Darko is an upgrade over Steimsma.
also in that piece:
Dooling's representative, Kenge Stevenson, said in a statement: "Keyon has decided that he has given the NBA twelve good years and that it's time to pursue other interests and spend more time with his family. He will never forget his time with the Boston Celtics."
what was your favorite Keyon Dooling moment with the Celtics?
Person you don't expect to see when taking out the trash: Maya Moore. Should have known though, since the lady that showed us the apartment said/bragged that they rent out a few to the Lynx.
Very cool. Congratulate her on her gold medal if you ever talk to her.
soooooo, interesting finish to MNF...
the Packers totally got jobbed by the 'refs'
Unreal. That was horrible.
i'm glad this .gif got the refs at the end.
A joke. A complete joke.
The Packers shouldn't have let themselves get into that position, sure. But that call was horrible.
At least it didn't happen in something important, like a baseball game.
That is the funnies thing I've seen in awhile. I take back everything I've said above, please keep the scab refs.
And once again, Karl Welzein sums things up perfectly:
Wish I owned a TV store in Wisconsin tomorrow, you guys.— Karl Welzein (@DadBoner) September 25, 2012
Animal Collective was on Conan tonight. This is the first I've heard them. I was not terribly impressed. I might go as far as to say I didn't like it much at all. If I remember, I'll listen to some studio stuff to see if it's any better, but I don't see myself adding them to a Spotify playlist anytime soon.
I've become progressively less interested in them. Try out Sung Tongs, which got me hooked at one point early.
"We Tigers" and "Who Could Win a Rabbit" and "Visiting Friends"
Strawberry Jam is pretty fine as well. Go for "Fireworks".
I do want to hear their new album, but not that badly.
Your first instinct was correct. There's nothing to be impressed about them at all. I gotta give AMR props for finding a few songs that he can even recommend.
Who knew? Josh Hamilton's problem is that he's full of bull.
The NFL needs to get the real refs back just for the safety of the players. A defenseless receiver is obviously knocked unconscious before he hits the ground by a helmet-to-helmet impact and there's no flag? Unacceptable.
Last night, there was a personal foul called on a d-back for hitting a defenseless receiver well after the ball had passed out of reach. Cris Collingsworth complained about the call because the d-back delivered a "blow to the chest with his shoulder".
My response: DUDE! He was defenseless! Who cares where he hit him? You think his brain cared as it was sloshing around inside his skull that the blow was delivered to his chest?
Heard last night from one of the announcers in the Texans/Broncos game: "We/I don't like the new rules, but they're for player safety."
Ugh, I had that game on yesterday and they kept showing Schaub and Manning getting drilled into the ground maliciously by the defense. I had to turn it off.
Wow. I had no idea what I was starting when I posted this.
Torii Hunter, Jr. to play football (and baseball) for Notre Dame. Since no one is neutral on ND, this should get a few Twins fans thinking about things. As a minnow muncher, I've always been positive on ND, for no real reason other than cultural, I guess.
I find myself neutral on ND these days. The hype surrounding them has died down a lot since they're football team's been bad for so long. I had a grad school friend who went there for undergrad, which probably helped bring me from negative to neutral. It's just another liberal arts college in the midwest.
It's just another liberal arts college in the midwest.
Like so many of them, it has every home football game shown nationally on a major broadcast network.
it has every home football game shown nationally on a major broadcast network
for this reason, it's been a big negative with my parents. tilts it that way for me as well.
That just makes another television station for me to avoid on Saturdays.
The Notredame Broadcasting Network.
Company.
right. It's just NBN in the Philippines. Oops.
Since no one is neutral on ND, this should get a few Twins fans thinking about things.
These two statements have nothing to do about each other. Why should I care what Hunter's son is doing for college at all, regardless of how I feel about ND*?
*For the record, I don't give two shakes about Notre Dame. I know it's a rhetorical device, but one thing that really bugs me is being told how I think, so arguments like "No one is this" or "Everyone is that" I find annoying.
From an Irish Catholic family and we visited the campus during a family vacation in '93 which is also the first year I played organized football. Thus, "Go Irish" it has always been.
I have a slight opinion on their philosophy department. Otherwise, meh.
We should have an offline discussion about this. I happen to know a former professor from that department.
My opinion is that I'm very thankful for their many "fans" who allowed people like my parents to gobble up tickets when Nebraska came to town.
Just imagine if Bud Selig had used replacement umpires for 30 games (the equivalent percentage of games that the NFL has used them) and they were absolute clowns.
Would we be able to spot a difference between them and Angel Hernandez, Bob Davidson, Phil Cuzzi, Doug Eddings, Cowboy Joe, etc.?
It seems to me that as bad as some of the regulars are, whenever they call someone up from the minors, it becomes apparent more often than not.
Agreed, and I'd think they're easier fodder for the managers/fans to attack than an NFL crew would be
There's no Brooks Baseball pitch-tracker equivalent for NFL umps.
There is a learning curve for any ump/ref working at a new level. I suspect that by midseason or so, we won't really know the difference or care (for those who care now).
I was thinking exactly this. Each crew has about 10 hours of experience- as a crew and at this level- right? Give them a few more weeks, it can only get better.
Course, a player may get killed before the crews and individuals start figuring their crap out. I've watched a very minimal minutes of game action so far, but when I do have it on I see unflagged cheap shot after unflagged cheap shot. (SSS, obviously, and possibly confirmation bias, so this is a half-baked theory.)
For my SSS, I've watched all three Vikings games and quite a few of the other games on Sundays, and almost all of the shots on defenseless receivers I've seen have been flagged. It's definitely one area where the refs should not be shy about throwing a flag.
I would guess that relatively speaking, the baseball replacement umps wouldn't be as bad as the NFL replacement refs, so they could probably do it for a month and have the same perception that the NFL gets for 3 games. I just saw that the earliest the legit refs could come back is Week 5, which means that Week 6 or later is probably more likely.
I wonder if any NFL higher-ups are looking at the debacle and thinking: if the second string refs get this many calls wrong, maybe we should find some ways to simplify the rules a bit? Admittedly, it's hard to think about anything else when you're deciding how to upgrade your yacht, but still.
i know very little of the specifics regarding the labor disagreement, but it's kind of annoying that the replacement refs taking most of the guff in this situation instead of the NFL or at regular refs.
I think the NFL has taken a pretty good share of the blame here.
I think the real problem is that these aren't second string refs. These are the first available refs who weren't already getting paid by the NCAA. It wouldn't be bringing in AAA umps, it would be bringing in Northern League umps or worse.
I disagree. They are the second string refs because the NFL is short-sighted enough to not have its own minor league system. MLB wouldn't be dipping into NCAA umps because they subsidize a minor league system which develops both players and officials. In this case, you get what you pay for.
Does the World Umpires Association include minor league umps? If so MLB is no less short-sighted than the NFL. In any case calling to simplify the rules is pretty absurd.
Why is it absurd to call to simplify the rules in the sport with the thickest rulebook? If someone came up with a way to simplify some of the rules in baseball--the balk rule, in particular--I think the game could benefit. And it's not like the NFL rules are some sacred immutable text that hasn't changed for years.
Simplifying rules because it would benefit the game is one thing, doing it because the replacement refs are too dumb to figure them out is another.
Having complicated rules increases the risk of a reffing cock up. Why not mitigate that risk? Even the first-string refs are hardly infallible.
also increases the risk of a player eff-up. like not tagging a runner from third on a bases loaded third strike passed ball
The tricky rules in baseball* come up how many times per game? Less than once?
In football, it would seem to be about half of the plays.**
*Balk, passed ball strikeout with runner at first, infield fly, fielder interference, runner interference, catcher interference, needing to tag a runner out if the runner behind him has been already been forced out, two runners occupying the same base... (What are some others.)
**So far, haven't watched this year. I'm working myself up to football being on the same level as Scioscia or Jamie Taylor.
Certainly not half the plays. And I don't think "you only get three time outs" should count as tricky.
No, the timeout rule itself is not tricky, but the NFL's timing procedures in general are needlessly complicated. What's so special about an incomplete pass that should stop the game clock? Why should the timing rules change in the last two (or four!) minutes?
Well, we're not going to get anywhere here. The rules are that way to make the game more competitive and hopefully more interesting. If you're going to argue that that's arbitrary you may be right, but then so is every other rule in every sport.
You only get three timeouts per half. And two challenges per game (unless both are correct in which case you are awarded a third). A challenge requires you to risk one of your timeouts (including the bonus third challenge), meaning that challenges that do not lead to the reviewing official overturning the challenged ruling on the field result in a loss of that timeout. Which also means that a team must have both one of its challenges left in the game and one of its timeout left in the half to issue a challenge. However, if there is a call that an official not on the field views and determines may be controversial, and it happens in the last 2 minutes of either half, then it is up to that official to call for a review. Any unused challenges may be banked in an offshore tax-harbor nation, and later exchanged for airline miles at an exchange rate not to exceed 50 miles per challenge. Unused timeouts are to be left on the field where they will be collected by volunteers and sent to football programs for underprivileged children.
Is that a proper summary? Not horribly complicated, but not that straightforward, either.
They should give coaches timeout flags like their challenge flags. I think bright green like the Seahawks accent would be particularly visible. Give them three flags per half and then two challenge flags. If a timeout or challenge was not necessary, the flag will be visibly returned to the coach by the head referee, otherwise he pockets it in a special bag like the ball-pouches for umpires. The coach can even assign an assistant the flags to use, if she or he feels so motivated. De-link timeouts and challenges, or alternately, require that both be thrown for the challenge to be valid.
I think that every sport should take a step back and look at their rules in a big picture view from time to time. I think the NFL is also in a unique position where significant annual rule changes are already expected, so they--more than any other major sport, I'd say--have the opportunity to shape the rules to make the best possible game. In baseball, you get push-back because the game has been popular for so long, and while making changes used to be the norm (9 balls for a walk, no 8 balls...hmmm...how about 5 balls...okay but 4 strikes, too...back to 3 strikes...4 balls guys, yeah, 4 balls for a walk), it's hard to get people to agree on changes.
Usually change is precipitated by a trend or an especially noteworthy event, so leagues don't usually stop to clean up the rules because they've been changed bit by bit over the years (sort of the same way the tax code gets to be complicated). In this case, referee incompetence could actually lead to a change for the better.
I'm just saying, maybe someday the NFL rules would be straightforward enough that their refs wouldn't need to be mic'd up.
The fact that the best-available backups can't follow the rulebook does illustrate that the football rulebook is very complex.
My biggest problem with the NFL rules is that it seems like an almost yearly occurrance now to try to clarify some obscure rule and they make it really vague. Like this whole "completing the process" thing for a catch in the endzone, or making a "football move" to determine if a receiver had posession prior to a fumble. I think that there are going to be weird occurances during the course of an NFL season, but I think they spend too much time over analyzing minutia. The basic rules are pretty simple. I think if there was more of a focus on that kind of stuff, and refs doing their best to keep the players safe, the game would be better for it.
I think that happens because there's no good way to make some of the calls completely objective, like your examples of "completing the process" and making a "football move." There's never going to be a 100% objective way of determining possession. Both hands on the ball won't cut it, because then every pass would be completed if a receiver just got two hands on the ball.
The balk rule is a great example of this in baseball. The real purpose of the rule is to keep pitchers from tricking the baserunners into thinking that he's throwing home when he's really throwing to a base. But it turns out that legislating what constitutes deception is a tricky matter, so you wind up with a long-winded rule which still seems largely subject to interpretation. Maybe a more vague rule would be better, leaving the umpires to exercise some common sense.
The existence of television replay only exacerbates this problem because it gives us the illusion that there should be a way to make every call a completely objective call, like in-bounds or out-of-bounds.
Then you need to step back and look at legislative intent, which brings us nicely to Bootsy's image...
What are you grabbing at?
My challenge flag.
I thought it was cash.
The call stands as played.
(I realized as soon as I'd responded, that's what you were reaching for.)
Don't worry. We can give you back your challenge flag and let you re-phrase the response.
I'm inclined to wonder about the relative treatment from coaches/managers & players. I feel like there's more abuse being heaped on them in the NFL than there would be in MLB, but maybe that's just a reflection of my relative respect for those involved in the two leagues?
lost in the shuffle of all this hullabaloo, is that NFL are taking WAY too long. The NFL bumped the late afternoon games to 3:25 (central) to help fans not miss the second game of a doubleheader, and I think all 3 weeks has seen the DH game joined in progress. The replacement refs have little control of the game, and that falls squarely of Roger
BettmanGodellIs Don Fehr the head of the NFLRA? Is that what the corrected Bettman line means?
no, its more along the lines that Roger Godell is reaching Bettman like levels for people hating him.
We passed under this on I-80 through Ohio. Brightened up a long trip.
That chick's teeth totally do it for me.
If this wasn't in Ohio, I'd seriously consider trying to buy a house on this street.
Who doesn't love Jose Valverde*? He's so quirky... Watch the catcher, his reaction might be the best part.
*the correct answer is "nearly everyone"
Priceless.
everyone can relax now:
Twins activate Matt Capps from disabled list
I even refreshed to see if anyone had posted...
Oh good. I was starting to get worried.
I also very much enjoyed Heath Bell's tantrum against Ozzie.
Dude, whatever. Slamming your boss in public is not a good idea. Nor is making a big deal out of not closing when you suck (and your replacement, Steve Cishek, has been pretty good).
Haven't we suffered enough?
Life and Minnesota Fanhood is Suffering
-- Sidd Harthaman
Or a Close Personal Friend.
Has Capps been on the 15 day DL all this time?
yes. looks like he last pitched on july 16th.
Hilarious.
Capps is back.
boo-yah.
JoePos today uses a Gardy quote to look at the AL MVP race in a non-SABR way. This has been my thinking as I listen to the MSM guys on 1500 ESPN act outraged that Cabrera isn't a unanimous, undisputed choice. Forget all the stats - even by eye test, Trout plays much better defense and is a much better baserunner. Don't those count for anything to the traditionalists?
http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/38932774/
defense and base running only count if you are sCrappy.
Yeah, if someone's going to use stats to make their case, I'd rather them not say "triple crown == MVP". It's fine if you don't want to use advanced stats, but basic stats aren't going to get you farther than advanced stats.
I think if you're going to make a case for Cabrera, it's that he's played 21 games more than Trout, and even though it's not really Trout's fault* that he got called up in late April, but fewer games generally means less value.
*Although he could have helped himself out by hitting better than .220 in his cup of coffee last year.
Even if they had played the same number of games, though, and Cabrera had just edged Trout in triple crown numbers, I do think there's an institutional bias in favor of the guys who drive in runs over the guys who score them. That is, in a year with a good candidate hitting leadoff and a good candidate hitting 3rd or 4th, the guy hitting 3rd or 4th will win. In a year with no standout hitting numbers, you can get a Zoilo Versalles making his case through defense and speed, but generally speaking, it's not just chicks that dig the long ball.
I'd give Trout the edge, but I'm a sucker for speed and defense.
in 2008, Petunia won the AL MVP. He was second in the league in rWAR (to Nick Markakis, who got zero MVP votes), second in BA (to Baby J), and led the league in runs, hits (tied with Ichiro!), and doubles. He was at least a credible winner that year, as there were no sluggers with really impressive numbers.
in 2007, Jimmy Rollins won the NL MVP despite finishing 9th in NL rWAR (6.0, compared to 8.5 for Poo-holes and 8.1 for David Wright; Pujols finished 9th in the voting; Wright 4th). Rollins was not even on the leaderboard for defensive WAR OR BA OR OBP OR SLG. He DID lead the league in PA and triples, and finished second in H, TB, and XBH. Again, no real "standout" offensive numbers for anyone, although the Rollins thing still seems a bit mystifying. Matt Holliday led the league in H, 2b, XBH and RBI, but was behind Rollins in rWAR.
Barring obvious candidates, I think the writers just vote for the best story. Rollins played all 162 games for a very good Philly team (best record in the NL if you give them 2 or 3 wins of east coast bias), and even though Chase Utley had a better fWAR and played right next to him, Utley missed about 30 games and that's going to hurt his perception (counting stats, etc.) It is somewhat similar to '06 with Mauer and Morneau--Mauer gets a Gold Glove at the toughest position to field and wins the batting title, but loses the MVP race to his teammate who had good but unspectacular numbers for a first baseman. Of course, Morneau played 157 games to Mauer's 140. I think a lot of journalists, even if they bought into the idea of replacement level, would never agree with how high it is set.
I think Rollins case rested almost entirely on the 20-20-20(-20) thing. Take it away Repository:
(emphasis mine)
Fourth player! Ever!!!!!
Melky Cabrera's batting average will remain bolded on B-R.
Thanks for sharing, sean.
And thanks B-R.com for getting that right.
YUENGLING! I knew moving to Western NY was a good idea.
Mmmmm...Black&Tan. Sen dm e som e! I W I L L even PAY FoR IT!
Last time my uncle from DC came to visit, he brought me 4 cases. I may be able to swing a similar scenario when I come home for Christmas. I could get as much Yuengling in the car as we can fit and distribute it to Citizens.
sacrilegious is it may be, i've always thought yuengling is kind of, you know, meh.
That was the first time I'd ever had it, this is the second. It's sorta fun for its novelty/rarity, but not a mind-blowing beer to be sure. I'm sure I'll have the exact same reaction first time I have Grain Belt again.
making the rounds. How long until Iphone users can find it?
DARKO!!!!!!!!
The best part is Celtics fans trying to convince themselves that Darko is an upgrade over Steimsma.
also in that piece:
what was your favorite Keyon Dooling moment with the Celtics?
Person you don't expect to see when taking out the trash: Maya Moore. Should have known though, since the lady that showed us the apartment said/bragged that they rent out a few to the Lynx.
Very cool. Congratulate her on her gold medal if you ever talk to her.
soooooo, interesting finish to MNF...
the Packers totally got jobbed by the 'refs'
Unreal. That was horrible.
i'm glad this .gif got the refs at the end.
A joke. A complete joke.
The Packers shouldn't have let themselves get into that position, sure. But that call was horrible.
At least it didn't happen in something important, like a baseball game.
That is the funnies thing I've seen in awhile. I take back everything I've said above, please keep the scab refs.
And once again, Karl Welzein sums things up perfectly:
Animal Collective was on Conan tonight. This is the first I've heard them. I was not terribly impressed. I might go as far as to say I didn't like it much at all. If I remember, I'll listen to some studio stuff to see if it's any better, but I don't see myself adding them to a Spotify playlist anytime soon.
I've become progressively less interested in them. Try out Sung Tongs, which got me hooked at one point early.
"We Tigers" and "Who Could Win a Rabbit" and "Visiting Friends"
Strawberry Jam is pretty fine as well. Go for "Fireworks".
I do want to hear their new album, but not that badly.
Your first instinct was correct. There's nothing to be impressed about them at all. I gotta give AMR props for finding a few songs that he can even recommend.
Who knew? Josh Hamilton's problem is that he's full of bull.
Bring back the greenies!
NOW I'm excited about the Wolves' season.