ProFootballTalk’s Michael David Smith actually wrote a column last week that actually made a lot of sense. It was “Bad Rules a Big Problem For The NFL.” Smith lists a number of rules that are either conflicting or receive inconsistent enforcement. For example, roughing the passer is different things to different officials. The response to the column was, as you can imagine, spirited:
Comparing a flagged hit on Drew Brees, where he flopped against a unpenalized hit to Jason Campbell’s head that resulted in a concussion:
explosionsauce says:Nov 25, 2013 7:34 AM
The hit on (Jason) Campbell wasn’t a flag because he’s not a star QB, plain and simple. It was more of a personal foul than the Ahmad Brooks hit could ever hope to be. NFL refs are impartial to the celebrity QBs who endorse Tide, NyQuil, and Wrangler jeans.
This is not me, by the way, which someone else is noticing finally:
nfl4days says:Nov 25, 2013 8:29 AM
Are we just not gonna talk (about) Denver running pick plays 90% of the time and NEVER being called? So because you don’t make obvious contact , it’s not OPI? That’s stupid.
And the biggest issue, which is ignored by broadcasters and commentators interested in getting the league to look more like Madden:
captbuff says:Nov 25, 2013 9:13 AM
One of the worst things in every NFL game is that EVERY SINGLE wide receiver/tight end in the league looks around for the refs expecting a flag on every incomplete pass. They have that luxury now – I didn’t catch it, it should be a flag.
It also makes the game so much less enjoyable for me as a fan. Every big (incompletion) for my team and I expect a flag too. But it shouldn’t be that way.
Pass interference is way too easy to get. Defenseless receiver means the receivers should have to wear flags and not be allowed to block downfield. Wouldn’t want to let the poor little fellows get hurt, would we? There’s a reason why smurfs wouldn’t go over the middle in the good old days. Now we have 6′ 4″ Brandon Marshall getting defenseless receiver calls. End the slanting of the game to wide receivers. It’s weakened the game.
bittersportspills 