Yeah, this is the definitive year that the refs have ruined football for me.

[Vanguard83]

Had a thread earlier in the year about refs dictating games, sometimes advantageous / sometimes not. Bottom line is THEY are dictating outcomes of drives / games, and Im sick of it.  How many first downs have our “yellow friends” received by virtue of penalty? Last night the Rams / Seahawks “ non PI call, and and subsequent kicking of the ball due to frustration in yesterdays game. When announcers can get it right, but “New York” can’t theres a real problem IMO.

At some point the coaching fraternity just needs to “walk off” from certain refs / crews.   I think only then will they replace some of these fossils in stripes.  The game is too fast for them, and even reviews are no guarantee.....the call & delay & momentum of the game hinges on these guys who are too old to pass a DMV test.

Sad, but refs have killed my enjoyment of the NFL.   Let them play, keep the laundry in your pocket, and dont let crybaby players pander / influence referees.  QB’s suit up too....Hit the little bitches.

[Guest]

I hear ya, for me its more about the product itself: its not great. There are a lot more bad games than good games in the NFL today. It seems diluted and substandard from the recent past. And the sports media switch from 'team' to 'stars' has been dramatic to cater to the younger demographic that loves individual players over the team. And its so blatantly obvious that the rules favor the offense and QBs: just watch any Cardinals game. Kyler Murray on 3rd and long: he just chucks it blindly up there and more often than not the WRer comes down with it. I don't know, I just find myself checking out of NFL games because of these things and doing something else. But then again I'm no longer the target demographic for the NFL so they don't need to cater to me. I understand this. I'm now just the old man yelling at the clouds.

[Guest]

DITTO....  I'm now just the old man yelling at the clouds.   

[Guest]

Name another multibillion dollar industry who has part time quality control that isn't held to any performance standards.

I'll wait.

[Guest]

@JustinTime18™ said:
Name another multibillion dollar industry who has part time quality control that isn't held to any performance standards.

I'll wait.

What would the full time refs do during the week and for the rest of the year?  

Anyway I enjoyed them gifting us the win at Chicago, it's not like Mike Zimmer was going to produce that on his own.

[Guest]

There are refs that have been there for over a decade. Granted experience can be good but in this case, I feel that they are getting complacent. Refs are going to ref ball.

[Guest]

@JustinTime18™ said:
Name another multibillion dollar industry who has part time quality control that isn't held to any performance standards.

I'll wa

[Guest]

I hear ya Sticky. I find myself watching more classic games from the 70s and 80s myself. Do that awhile and it is quite glaring how the game has changed. Good thing I still have hockey to keep me amused).

[Guest]

For me I am all about the new safety rules. There has to be rules that protect people’s heads. When Tom was posting interviews here there were sadly FAR too many that he couldn’t post and couldn’t even do due to the mental state of some of our past heroes. And he couldn’t even share that info at the request of some of their spouses. 

I love some tough hard hitting football. I love it in hockey. But there is a bad price to be paid later and it isn’t just being a little forgetful. Some of the stories are of people being basically imprisoned in their own bodies.

For that I am all about the safety protocols and the rules protecting people’s heads.

BUT, I will say that enforcement needs to be uniform. Too much is left up to the discretion of the refs and that can lead to all sorts of issues. This last game cersus the bears I think we were being given a clear advantage and it seems as though us winning was in the best interest of the league’s drama storylines as the season comes to a close. 

I don’t like that. Not at all. It feels like we are watching a farce. I don’t need our team given a helping hand. I would rather we lose. And far too often in this last game it felt like we were being helped out.


Or maybe I am just so used to being screwed as a Vikings dan that any calls going our way seems just too far out of the realm of possibility. But even if that is the case my (and your point) is still made.

[Guest]

@comet52 said:

@JustinTime18™ said:
Name another multibillion dollar industry who has part time quality control that isn't held to any performance standards.

I'll wait.

What would the full time refs do during the week and for the rest of the year?  

Anyway I enjoyed them gifting us the win at Chicago, it's not like Mike Zimmer was going to produce that on his own.

Film review, conditioning, whatever MLB umps do.