Matt39 Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Suspicions remain high about NFL's communication with referees Email comment Dec 17, 2015 Kevin SeifertNFL Nation The possibility has existed, and been anticipated by many, since the NFL outfitted its officials with wireless communication last year. In a world where conspiracy theories erupt by the minute, it was easy to wonder: Who is talking to the referees? What are they saying? And why? This week the NFL codified a limited expansion of communication for the postseason between referees and members of the league's officiating command center in New York. In a press release, the league said vice president of officiating Dean Blandino, or his designee, will consult not only on replay reviews but also on "administrative" issues "regarding the correct application of playing rules" such as penalty yardage and clock operation. It insisted that Blandino "will not call or change a foul or become involved in on-field judgment calls beyond what is already part of the replay review process," but here's a dirty little secret: Many people in the officiating community aren't buying it and remain highly suspicious of the true purpose and use of the wireless communication system. The theory has been advanced by none other than Mike Pereira, one of Blandino's predecessors who now works as an analyst for Fox Sports. In an interview this week, Pereira reiterated his belief -- which he first voiced in September -- that Blandino or a member of his staff has been whispering in the ears of referees for some time. The league has denied it, but Pereira -- still highly respected in the football community -- said: "Of course they're going to say that publicly because it was against the rules." Pereira added: "There's really no context in the rule book [before this week's expansion] for allowing the replay official or New York to give any input [beyond replay], so it's not something they would acknowledge. But really, to think that it wasn't happening is probably being very, very, very naive." The upside of this week's announcement is that it will minimize the possibility of an embarrassing mistake in a playoff game. If a referee loses track of downs, as Pete Morelli's crew appeared to do in a Week 12 game between the Cardinals and 49ers, Blandino could catch and correct it. If a clock operator allows time to run off in error, Blandino could restore it. From my perspective, as discussed in September, this expansion provides a painless safety net for the most correctable errors. The bigger question: Where could this modification lead? Questions of consistency, accountability, motive and transparency grow more complicated upon the introduction of a new dynamic. "I would hope they'll limit this to correcting only the most egregious of errors," said retired NFL referee Gerald Austin, now an ESPN analyst. "I don't want to sound critical, but there have been some inconsistencies in the decisions that New York has made on replays this year. So what would you be doing? Would you just be shifting the inconsistency you may perceive on the field for the inconsistency from New York?" On a philosophical level, Pereira said, the questions grow more basic. Officials are in place to be the objective, uninfluenced third-party administrators of games. What would it mean to introduce the possibility of, in essence, a wizard pulling levers behind the curtain? "Everything up to the point of putting the earpiece into the referee's ear," Pereira said, "has been accountable. It was what you saw on the field. A conversation with someone in New York, that's the unknown. I would understand a coach being concerned about that. How do you know what's being said? How do you know they're only covering the plays that are reviewable? And what are you left to think if they have that in place and still miss something?" Said former NFL official and supervisor Jim Daopoulos: "If they're going to be in the ears of the officials, how do you determine who is accountable? Say an official makes a call on the field and the flag is picked up, as happens from time to time. Is it picked up because the crew got together and decided it needed to be, or was it because someone in New York doesn't like the call?" Indeed, nearly every NFL fan base -- and some team owners -- have taken turns assuming the league plays favorites. (The issue was covered extensively in this ESPN investigation into Deflategate.) Blandino already has experienced the assumptions caused by the most minor of mistakes -- TMZ cameras caught him last year exiting a bus owned by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones during a night out in Los Angeles -- and Pereira believes the wireless connection during games will only fuel future concerns. "Basically, what it looks like is that the league office is making decisions on who possibly wins or loses the game," Pereira said. "You could go back to the old theory of the conspiracy of the Raiders, that the league didn't like [former owner] Al Davis and all the stuff that went along with it. "All of a sudden, decisions that were being made on the field or in the stadium, all of a sudden are being made in the league office. That seems to be the wave of where this is going. Things have changed so much, but this ... strive for perfection really isn't attainable. I wish I could be effusive in praise of all of the changes and the technology, that it can make things better. "Maybe I will someday." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUM-KNEE Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Why not simply air the earpiece feed to the audience viewing the game on tv? All conversations would be known, and documented on the video feed. The at-game audience wouldnt hear it, but its a start at transparency with this stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustInFudge Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 This league has zero concern about integrity. They let cheaters cheat and get away with it with really no substantial repercussions. Wouldnt surprise me one bit if their fixing games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jets1958 Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Ah the cowboy's bus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snell41 Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Coming from Perreira this carries some serious weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUM-KNEE Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 This league has zero concern about integrity. They let cheaters cheat and get away with it with really no substantial repercussions. Wouldnt surprise me one bit if their fixing games. Thats what I was getting at. If they have nothing to hide (hard to believe), then send the feed of ref interactions over the air. No need for a hush-hush conversation going on if its unbiased. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyLV Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 I become more and more convinced that there is favoritism on calls for the highest profile teams, cowboys, Pats, Giants Steelers and Packers. A couple years ago Bob Papa corrected Peter King when Peter told a call in that Brady does not get more calls, Papa said that not only does Brady get calls but he thought that the team he covered the Giants got them too. Just yesterday there were a ton if questionable calls to allow Pitt to carch up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnitedWhofans Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 I become more and more convinced that there is favoritism on calls for the highest profile teams, cowboys, Pats, Giants Steelers and Packers. A couple years ago Bob Papa corrected Peter King when Peter told a call in that Brady does not get more calls, Papa said that not only does Brady get calls but he thought that the team he covered the Giants got them too. Just yesterday there were a ton if questionable calls to allow Pitt to carch up. Now TBF, football is not the only sport this takes place in. Basketball is known for "stars" getting calls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j4jets Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 I don't buy this theory. Perriera didn't provide any specific plays that scream "fixing". He's simply provided a theory that has no basis. I'll believe it when I see it, just like the Brady suspension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustInFudge Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Thats what I was getting at. If they have nothing to hide (hard to believe), then send the feed of ref interactions over the air. No need for a hush-hush conversation going on if its unbiased. "destroy the evidence" - the league is a sham and we're all suckers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billo83 Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Why not simply air the earpiece feed to the audience viewing the game on tv? All conversations would be known, and documented on the video feed. The at-game audience wouldnt hear it, but its a start at transparency with this stuff. Because the leagues assistance in the Cheatriots cheating would be on full display? Also, the incompetence of the officials and lack of quality training and accoutability would be there for all to hear and see Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUM-KNEE Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Because the leagues assistance in the Cheatriots cheating would be on full display? Also, the incompetence of the officials and lack of quality training and accoutability would be there for all to hear and see Then it needs to be implemented ASAP! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaJet Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 NFL has been fixing games for decades, this is a business that makes a ton of money. Its scripted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rillo Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 "Could be". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitonti Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 the league is not about fairness. It's about entertainment. They will do whatever it takes to sell their product. fans complaining about "fairness" should realize they were never promised fairness. They were promised entertainment. are you not entertained? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larz Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 steelers are down 2 TD's DPI on denver coming right up ! we all knew it was coming Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Brown Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 I love it some folks wouldn't believe that their wife is cheating on them if they came home and the plumber was banging her on the kitchen table. She would look at them in the eye and say "Come on now.....What me cheat?" Indeed when a former head of referees like Mike Perriera says that based on his experience that he believes that games are potentially being directed or fixed that alone is significant and worthy of an investigation. I love it when people say "what proof does he have", like people who engage in such activities are leaving notes laying around implicating themselves. For grown adults to be that naive is a little disheartening. You don't have to believe in crazy coordinated conspiracies to understand that a trillion dollar enterprise may not be willing to leave things to chance in order maximize profit margins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T0mShane Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 It's like Pereira never heard of Vince Foster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jets1958 Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 It's like Pereira never heard of Vince Foster. oh no. Pereira is a goner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larz Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 And Bush did 9/11 ILLUMINATI!!! the bavarian illuminati were old farts who got drunk at pubs and discussed high falootin ideas like freedom. the the internet thought the name sounded cool, but in a sinister way look out ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetrider Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Only if the Pats win we'll know it's rigged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JETSxWRATH™ Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 I love it some folks wouldn't believe that their wife is cheating on them if they came home and the plumber was banging her on the kitchen table. She would look at them in the eye and say "Come on now.....What me cheat?" Indeed when a former head of referees like Mike Perriera says that based on his experience that he believes that games are potentially being directed or fixed that alone is significant and worthy of an investigation. I love it when people say "what proof does he have", like people who engage in such activities are leaving notes laying around implicating themselves. For grown adults to be that naive is a little disheartening. You don't have to believe in crazy coordinated conspiracies to understand that a trillion dollar enterprise may not be willing to leave things to chance in order maximize profit margins. If you truly believe games are fixed, why even bother watching them? Why invest any emotion into the games? It's like getting mad over the results of a wrestling match. Is it only fixed when things don't go your favorite team's way or do good things happen to your team only because the NFL wants it to happen? When the Jets beat the Pats in the playpffs was it only because the NFL allowed it? Was it because Woody had a better bribe than Kraft for those making the decisions about who wins? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetlag Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 I started to do this statistical analysis awhile back on taking all of the spreads for every week and then compared it to who received more penalties over the course of a year, underdogs or favorites. The season I did it for (2010 I think) showed that over the course of the year favorites were penalized more than dogs. Now wouldn't logic say that favorites are the better team, better teams would be less penalized? I started this because I used to do pick 'ems. Every year I'd pick all dogs every week for the season for at least 5 seasons. Every year I was not only above .500 but I was in the top 20% of my league and would win at least one to 2 weeks every year. Even came in top 5 out of like 70 people one season. Does anyone think that any of this is statistically relevant? I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Brown Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 If you truly believe games are fixed, why even bother watching them? Why invest any emotion into the games? It's like getting mad over the results of a wrestling match. Is it only fixed when things don't go your favorite team's way or do good things happen to your team only because the NFL wants it to happen? When the Jets beat the Pats in the playpffs was it only because the NFL allowed it? Was it because Woody had a better bribe than Kraft for those making the decisions about who wins? Hey who say's I'm overly invested in the outcome. The Jets for me are a point of fun and distraction. In truth for me following the Jets at this point of my life it is more like a habit. My Moniker is Charlie Brown for a reason. It recalls a time when I was younger and naïve to the ways of the world and I had hope for all on our planet.. Lets be honest if the Jets won 4 SB in a row I would feel great but my life would still be my life and the same with their ineptitude. Oh and folks do get mad over wrestling matches! Please don't forget the Roman's and their bread and circuses plan........ I always find it funny when posters assume I want my team to be the beneficiary of cheating and favorable calls. I for one don't want that. Let me repeat... I DON"T WANT THAT............. For example, Vinnie didn't score a TD against Seattle. That was a moment that made me sick as a fan. The refs and the league gave the Jets a gift that day, plain and simple. That call was so egregious that is when instant replay was born.... But I don't wish to destroy your belief in the game. If you believe that the NFL and big organizations currently and haven't in the past engaged in certain coordinated behaviors to effect market outcomes for financial gain then OK.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatsFanTX Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 For example, Vinnie didn't score a TD against Seattle. That was a moment that made me sick as a fan. The refs and the league gave the Jets a gift that day, plain and simple. That call was so egregious that is when instant replay was born.... /> Didn't that play cost the Seahawks a playoff spot that year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Brown Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Didn't that play cost the Seahawks a playoff spot that year? Yes it did!! In fact the entire coaching staff was fired at the end of the year!! That was a make or break game for Seattle in many ways.. The call was a disgrace and I was embarrassed as a Jet fan by that whole thing. 99% of us Jets fans then on Yahoo knew and admitted that the Jets got a gift, but many rationalized by saying we had been getting hosed for years and it was about time that we finally got a "gift" call.... Hence the reason why I get pissed by the favorable treatment say that the Giants get... Look at how Beckham acted, should have been thrown out of that game!!! And if he had been a Jet he would have been!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nycdan Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Yes it did!! In fact the entire coaching staff was fired at the end of the year!! That was a make or break game for Seattle in many ways.. The call was a disgrace and I was embarrassed as a Jet fan by that whole thing. 99% of us Jets fans then on Yahoo knew and admitted that the Jets got a gift, but many rationalized by saying we had been getting hosed for years and it was about time that we finally got a "gift" call.... Hence the reason why I get pissed by the favorable treatment say that the Giants get... Look at how Beckham acted, should have been thrown out of that game!!! And if he had been a Jet he would have been!! Heck, Jet players can draw flags from IR. That's how we roll Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jet_Engine1 Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 The NFL is more like WWE than people want to realize or admit. The Giants, Steelers, and Pats are "faces". The Jets are " Heels". It is what it is. Heels are occasionally allowed to become good guys, sometimes they even win championships (Raiders) but ultimately, every player has a role to play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetlag Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 The Jets are " Heels". It is what it is. Heels are occasionally allowed to become good guys, sometimes they even win championships (Raiders) but ultimately, every player has a role to play. I believe the word you are looking for is "jobbers". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JETSxWRATH™ Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 The NFL is more like WWE than people want to realize or admit. The Giants, Steelers, and Pats are "faces". The Jets are " Heels". It is what it is. Heels are occasionally allowed to become good guys, sometimes they even win championships (Raiders) but ultimately, every player has a role to play. Yes it has nothing with those organizations having good people in place in upper management that have done a good job getting good players and coaching staffs that put them in position to be successful. It's all because it's a fix Geez, some of you people on here sound like such bitter losers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jet_Engine1 Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Yes it has nothing with those organizations having good people in place in upper management that have done a good job getting good players and coaching staffs that put them in position to be successful. It's all because it's a fix Geez, some of you people on here sound like such bitter losers Illegal shift, kicking team number 78.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JETSxWRATH™ Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Yeah, sh*tty refs = illuminati conspiracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatsFanTX Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 "]Yes it has nothing with those organizations having good people in place in upper management that have done a good job getting good players and coaching staffs that put them in position to be successful. It's all because it's a fix Geez, some of you people on here sound like such bitter losers Great post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetster Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Yeah, sh*tty refs = illuminati conspiracy Stop pretending to be a Jet fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaffneycatch Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Hey who say's I'm overly invested in the outcome. The Jets for me are a point of fun and distraction. In truth for me following the Jets at this point of my life it is more like a habit. My Moniker is Charlie Brown for a reason. It recalls a time when I was younger and naïve to the ways of the world and I had hope for all on our planet.. Lets be honest if the Jets won 4 SB in a row I would feel great but my life would still be my life and the same with their ineptitude. Oh and folks do get mad over wrestling matches! Please don't forget the Roman's and their bread and circuses plan........ I always find it funny when posters assume I want my team to be the beneficiary of cheating and favorable calls. I for one don't want that. Let me repeat... I DON"T WANT THAT............. For example, Vinnie didn't score a TD against Seattle. That was a moment that made me sick as a fan. The refs and the league gave the Jets a gift that day, plain and simple. That call was so egregious that is when instant replay was born.... But I don't wish to destroy your belief in the game. If you believe that the NFL and big organizations currently and haven't in the past engaged in certain coordinated behaviors to effect market outcomes for financial gain then OK.... Yeah, I hear you, but here's the counter argument. Everyone involved in the NFL is making money hand over fist, and one of the only things that could truly ruin the cash cow is to have the public loose faith in the integrity of the game. These are smart people -- they don't need to fix games to make it great athletic entertainment and fascinating human drama, so why risk it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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