Gene Steratore named head official for MN v. NO

Awesome news.

never  heard of  him so im thinking thats  a good thing

Same Ref as first game this season. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/officials/SterGe0r.htm

Is this the ref who used the index card to call the first down in the Raiders game?

@"dadevike" said: Is this the ref who used the index card to call the first down in the Raiders game?

I might be missing something here, but yes, there was a space between the ball and the sticks, thus there should not have been a 1st down, correct. Doesn't the ball need to be past the sticks for a 1st down. Confused me then and confuses me now. Which is my normal state of mind....

@"FessVike" said: I might be missing something here, but yes, there was a space between the ball and the sticks, thus there should not have been a 1st down, correct. Doesn't the ball need to be past the sticks for a 1st down. Confused me then and confuses me now. Which is my normal state of mind....

But you are correct. If there is space there should not uave been a first down. That was goofy.

The sticks are so unreliable,  think about how they are set,  they eyeball it... the lines aren't perfectly straight anD uniform,  the guy that grabs the link that is supposed to be the bench mark for the measurement just grabs and goes,  and the previously mentioned angle of the sticks,  let's not even talk about spotting the ball,  or forward progress. ... the way of measuring for a first down is such bull shit it's really absurd to get worked up one way or another over how a call that is close like the one in question  turns out or how it's finally determined.  Personally when it's to close to call from the sideline judge they should just alternate on which team gets the call their way.... or start using technology to precisely and immediately determine ball placement and line to gain.

Goodell outfits officials with laser beams... Goodell flies away from the Super Bowl in a giant dick rocket... 

...I think ive seen this movie before...

@"dadevike" said:

@"FessVike" said: I might be missing something here, but yes, there was a space between the ball and the sticks, thus there should not have been a 1st down, correct. Doesn't the ball need to be past the sticks for a 1st down. Confused me then and confuses me now. Which is my normal state of mind....

Your logic is sound. Of course, with a piece of paper, it does not take much to create room enough to slip it in. If the fellow holding the marker/pole tilts it back a fraction of a degree, that would create plenty of room to slip in a piece of paper. 

But you are correct. If there is space there should not uave been a first down. That was goofy.

He used paper to fit between the space.  And says the ball was touching one side and the chain was touching the other side.  So his argument was it was a first. 

@"KingBash" said:

@"dadevike" said:

@"FessVike" said: I might be missing something here, but yes, there was a space between the ball and the sticks, thus there should not have been a 1st down, correct. Doesn't the ball need to be past the sticks for a 1st down. Confused me then and confuses me now. Which is my normal state of mind....

Your logic is sound. Of course, with a piece of paper, it does not take much to create room enough to slip it in. If the fellow holding the marker/pole tilts it back a fraction of a degree, that would create plenty of room to slip in a piece of paper. 

But you are correct. If there is space there should not uave been a first down. That was goofy.

Wait a minute, I'm uninformed/fucking retarded. He used the index card to prove there WAS space between the sticks and the ball, and then GAVE THEM the first?!? 

Now I see the outrage. That's... retarded.

@"dadevike" said:

@"KingBash" said:

@"dadevike" said:

@"FessVike" said: I might be missing something here, but yes, there was a space between the ball and the sticks, thus there should not have been a 1st down, correct. Doesn't the ball need to be past the sticks for a 1st down. Confused me then and confuses me now. Which is my normal state of mind....

Your logic is sound. Of course, with a piece of paper, it does not take much to create room enough to slip it in. If the fellow holding the marker/pole tilts it back a fraction of a degree, that would create plenty of room to slip in a piece of paper. 

But you are correct. If there is space there should not uave been a first down. That was goofy.

Wait a minute, I'm uninformed/fucking retarded. He used the index card to prove there WAS space between the sticks and the ball, and then GAVE THEM the first?!? 

Now I see the outrage. That's... retarded.

It's actually even more convoluted. He slipped the card in between the ball and the pole, but said there was no space to slip in the card. Therefore, a first down. Yet he slipped it in. If there was no room, how did he slip it in?
And if you can slip a card in between the ball and the plle whether or not there is room, why use the card? Why slip it in?

But to make matters worse, the card he used was folded. So it was not a single sheet of paper or even two sheets pressed together. It was a folded index card. There could very well be a tiny space between one side of a folded card and the other, especially at the bottom. Bizarre.

Not nefarious. Just someone shooting themselves in the foot. All he had to do was look at ball and the first down marker and make the call. End of story. He needlessly muddied the water with his index card.