NFL - What's going on?

[kham]

70,000 voice mail messages at league office from last night's colossal balls -up. No count on email, but given the addy was posted in Wisconsin, it might have melted the server

[bbjohn]

Some of the Packers, undoubtedly still pissed off, had an interesting discussion apparently on the flight home. They suggested, a strike (and bugger any legalese bullshit, thats not the point) but another more interesting idea, was simply for all players on every play to just take a knee. Wonder how much humiliation it would take rammed down Goodell's throat before he got the message, but I suspect every single game on Thu, Sun and Mon recorded as ties would be a start.

It might take some doing to get all the players and all the teams involved, but, even if they did it for just one week, it would make quite an impact. Given what I've seen, I believe the fans would be understanding.

Big Bad John

[bbjohn]

Not to wish ill -- but I do -- but that is going to bite Tampa in the ass, both cheeks , and the little crack down the middle , when someone decides enough is enough and uses THEIR QB as a piton; whatever down, status, or whatfrackingever it is. You be an asshole long enough, and someone will sort things out.

That's the thing with blatant cheating: it will come back to haunt you.

In baseball, there are still many who don't like the designated hitter rule because it means a pitcher doesn't have to come up to bat. In the old days, pitchers who deliberately hit batters knew they might face retaliation when they themselves came up to the plate. That part of the "tit for tat" equation has been removed.

Notorious "head hunter" pitchers like Burleigh Grimes, Early Wynn and Sal "the Barber" Maglie were real tough guys in that they could take it as well as they could dish it out.

A beanball pitcher today is more likely to face a line drive smacked right through the box, or a possible collision with a batter's spikes up if he has to make a play at first base.

Everything works best when everyone follows the rules. However, knowing you may face possibly painful retaliation if you break the rules is a good way to keep most everyone honest.

As Sean Connery's character said in "The Untouchables," "If he comes to the fight with a knife, you come with a gun. If he puts one of your guys in the hospital, you put one of his in the morgue."

This may be a crude way of describing it, but it's effective.

Big Bad John

[Lomax]

In the old days, pitchers who deliberately hit batters knew they might face retaliation when they themselves came up to the plate. That part of the "tit for tat" equation has been removed.

I don't know anything about baseball, but in cricket there used to be something called the Fast Bowlers' Union ("You pitch it up to me, and I'll pitch it up to you.") Takes a long time to explain if you're not familiar with the game, but translating it roughly, it would involve a pitcher targeting each member of the other team except their pitcher, who would behave with similar professional courtesy in his turn.

Nowadays, of course, they all wear helmets and body armour, so anything goes.

[Robert]

With the lockout of their regular officials, the NFL is attempting to conduct games with college officials.

Big Bad John

These guys are not even regular collage referees. Most are High School referees.

Robert

[Robert]

Something tells me the Refs don't get paid nearly enough as the players do. Infact, checking via Bing, it appears the average ref salary is between $25,000 and 75,000 per year. JChump change when you consider some of the highest played NFL players contracts.

Yes but it's only a part time job. I know I'm simplifying things but how much do you make for working 20 Sundays a year? Most of these people have professional jobs the rest of the week. There are airline pilots, engineers, attorneys etc. Nobody is going hungry.

Lets remember this is a "LOCK OUT", not a strike. The regular referees were willing to work while negotiating. Check out who the NFL hired to negotiate for them.. A hard core union busting firm. This is way to obvious that they were only out to bust the referee union.

Robert

[BSink42]

With the lockout of their regular officials, the NFL is attempting to conduct games with college officials.

Big Bad John

These guys are not even regular collage referees. Most are High School referees.

Robert

And the kicker? The offical in the booth reviewing is former referee Ed Hoculi. The man behind both the infamous Jets/Seahawks call is credited with bringing instant replay back from the dead and the infamous 1998 Thanksgiving coin flip between the Steelers and the Lions that many feel cost the Steelers that game.

[Robert]

[quote="BSink42"
And the kicker? The offical in the booth reviewing is former referee Ed Hoculi. The man behind both the infamous Jets/Seahawks call is credited with bringing instant replay back from the dead and the infamous 1998 Thanksgiving coin flip between the Steelers and the Lions that many feel cost the Steelers that game.[/quote]

A few comments on: Ed Hoculi...

1. A notorious GB Packer hater and bias official during his referee years.
2. He works for the NFL (and is not part of the locked out officials) so reversing the call would make the game officials look worse (if that is even possible)

[kham]

So basically, he's just an asshole who has a job via the old pals act. You would have thought reversing that call would have been in the league's interest, but I willing to bet it was overcome with GB-hate and assholyness.

They supposed to be talking, I going to love to see the spin the usual suspects puts on this when it resolves.

[bbjohn]

Assholyness. I like that! Sounds like a great new word to me.

Big Bad John