Topic: NFL Week 1

[Murphys Law]

I am understanding that they initially ruled it a TD though.  If that's the case I'm not sure what can be seen in a review that would change the call on the field unless they are saying they didn't apply the rule properly when they ruled it a TD.

That is what they are saying. This was just was horrible. Probably the worst call I've seen in years. Possession, two feet, knee/thigh down, in-bounds. And everyone's making the same point - when is the play considered over? And the Lions haven't won a road game since October 2007. Just sad.

I don't know if you have a rule about "going to the ground" that seemed like a reasonable application of it.  It's not like he landed firmly on two feet and then fell down I could see the argument that the whole thing was part of the same process.  I mean it looks like a TD to me, but I don't think they blew it as hard as many are making it out to be.  I think their position related to the rule is reasonable.  Now if you tell me the rule sucks then I can certainly see that.  This reminds me of the "tuck rule" which was a far worse injustice imho.

The tuck rule was in a playoff game, so the injustice was far worse, but this was the most injustice I've seen in a regular season game.

[BlackLight]

I don't know if you have a rule about "going to the ground" that seemed like a reasonable application of it.  It's not like he landed firmly on two feet and then fell down I could see the argument that the whole thing was part of the same process.  I mean it looks like a TD to me, but I don't think they blew it as hard as many are making it out to be.  I think their position related to the rule is reasonable.  Now if you tell me the rule sucks then I can certainly see that.  This reminds me of the "tuck rule" which was a far worse injustice imho.

What's ironic here is that it doesn't look like such an awful call when you watch the play in real time (and only watch it once).

Again, it comes back to the question - when is the play over? If Johnson lays out, with the ball and his body hitting the turf simultaneously, then I think you have an argument. But his knee and thigh were clearly down first, and at no point did he start to lose possession of the ball. So when is the play over?

[Solipsist]

Good to see the NFL is getting their year started right with a bullshit call to drum up interest. It was initially ruled a touchdown because it is a touchdown. It was overturned because who cares about the Lions?

[FreebirdSTF]

I don't know if you have a rule about "going to the ground" that seemed like a reasonable application of it.  It's not like he landed firmly on two feet and then fell down I could see the argument that the whole thing was part of the same process.  I mean it looks like a TD to me, but I don't think they blew it as hard as many are making it out to be.  I think their position related to the rule is reasonable.  Now if you tell me the rule sucks then I can certainly see that.  This reminds me of the "tuck rule" which was a far worse injustice imho.

What's ironic here is that it doesn't look like such an awful call when you watch the play in real time (and only watch it once).

Again, it comes back to the question - when is the play over? If Johnson lays out, with the ball and his body hitting the turf simultaneously, then I think you have an argument. But his knee and thigh were clearly down first, and at no point did he start to lose possession of the ball. So when is the play over?

That's my issue really.  I don't see how they ruled it a TD in real-time if they overruled on replay.  It seems to me that the rule is fairly clear about having to come up off the ground with the ball in hand if you go to the ground so I'm not sure I get the outrage on this one and I'm a huge Calvin Johnson fan.  Now that being said I'm not sure that rule doesn't need to be reworked.

[tdub]

in other news Mike Vick is a fucking beast

Falcons Nation will not last into week 4 if Matt Ryan continues to suck

[BlackLight]

That's my issue really.  I don't see how they ruled it a TD in real-time if they overruled on replay.  It seems to me that the rule is fairly clear about having to come up off the ground with the ball in hand if you go to the ground so I'm not sure I get the outrage on this one and I'm a huge Calvin Johnson fan.  Now that being said I'm not sure that rule doesn't need to be reworked.

I don't think you have to come up off the ground with the ball. All it says is that the receiver has to control the ball through the completion of the catch (whatever that means). So when has he finished doing that? He possessed the ball, came down in bounds, and hitting the ground wasn't enough to jar the ball loose. At some point, the play is over.

[Little Jimmy]

Awesome time management at the end of the game here for the Rams.

[Little Jimmy]

Poor Sam Bradford..

50 pass attempts in his debut..
A low scoring game..
The Rams have Stephen Jackson.
Rookie QB's debut..
No real WR threats on the team..
50 passes?

Fire the coach.

[The Big Don]

It was a terrible call, the worst call I've seen in a reg season game since Kellen Winslow's catch in the air with him being forced out of bounds (a call that ultimately resulted in the Browns missing the playoffs and the league changing a rule in the post season).  Essentially the new rule, as established by refs almost assuredly paid off by Chicago mobsters and other gambling interests, is that the ground can cause a fumble.  Horrible.  The refs families should be dragged into the streets and killed in front of them so this never happens again.

Also I don't think I've ever seen two teams attempt to lose more than the Giants and Panthers in the fourth quarter.  Seriously wtf?

[TH]

That's how I'd exactly classify it, the ground causing the fumble. It's either a terrible misinterpretation of a rule, or it's a stupid rule that should be taken off the books. Even if it is a rule, it doesn't even come close to explaining why fumbles after breaking the plane or fumbles/drops caused by the pylon don't reverse TDs, but that bullshit does.

[FreebirdSTF]

Pretty good discussion about the Going to the Ground Rule.

http://thebiglead.com/index.php/2010/09/12/calvin-johnson-and-the-going-to-the-ground-rule/

[FreebirdSTF]

BTW, according to an article I just read the officials ruled it TD (on the field), changed it to incomplete (on the field) and then upheld the incomplete call (after review) fwiw.

[BlackLight]

BTW, according to an article I just read the officials ruled it TD (on the field), changed it to incomplete (on the field) and then upheld the incomplete call (after review) fwiw.

'cuz mob rule. [/dylan]

[BigDaddy]

Good to see that the Colts have made great strides in run defense during the off-season, sigh ...

Offense was completely stumped in the first half too.  Only a desperate second half made for a relatively close score.  This team goes nowhere with Peyton throwing the ball 50 times.

[FreebirdSTF]

I think it is undeniable that they have written a bunch of rules that treat similar situations differently.  That doesn't make good sense to me. 

[BlackLight]

Bahahahahahahah - Dallas sucks.

[The Big Don]

Another thing to keep in mind.  Had that play occurred in the middle of the field and not the endzone is there ANY CHANCE it would have been called an incomplete pass?  No fucking chance of that.  Horrible. 

[Little Jimmy]

Another thing to keep in mind.  Had that play occurred in the middle of the field and not the endzone is there ANY CHANCE it would have been called an incomplete pass?  No fucking chance of that.  Horrible. 

To me that play is one that would be called a TD 9 out of 10 times, this just happened to be the 1 time it is called incomplete.

[Proud Virgin]

Bahahahahahahah - Dallas sucks.

So all my Cowboy fan friends are 100% convinced that the Cowgirls are going to the super bowl cause in Dallas. Um, have they seen Romo in the post season?

Seriously Cowgirl fans are like the most delusional of all sports fans.

[BlackLight]

Costas just did a halftime segment on this. The NFL upheld the call (and Collinsworth apparently agreed with it earlier on). So the point of the segment was Costas concluding that this is one instance where applying the letter of the law leads to a result that makes no sense.

[BlackLight]

So all my Cowboy fan friends are 100% convinced that the Cowgirls are going to the super bowl cause in Dallas. Um, have they seen Romo in the post season?

Seriously Cowgirl fans are like the most delusional of all sports fans.

The way things are looking right now, Romo's post-season performance isn't going to be an issue this season.

[Little Jimmy]

Costas just did a halftime segment on this. The NFL upheld the call (and Collinsworth apparently agreed with it earlier on). So the point of the segment was Costas concluding that this is one instance where applying the letter of the law leads to a result that makes no sense.

I totally agree. I live in Michigan, and they've interviewed Lions players.. even the players are saying the call was right, but at the same time was stupid.

If it's in the book, it needs to be called, you can't leave rules up to interpretation because that invites favoritism and will make game fixing easier, but the rule needs to be re-written.

[TH]

It looks like every team in the NFC East sucks this season. Seriously, the way Washington just played getting gifted that first down off the FG attempt, they looked like a 6-10 team at best. AND THEY'RE WINNING.

[Little Jimmy]

It looks like every team in the NFC East sucks this season. Seriously, the way Washington just played getting gifted that first down off the FG attempt, they looked like a 6-10 team at best. AND THEY'RE WINNING.

The Giants are probably the NFC East champs simply because they aren't as awful as everyone else. Sorry to say that TH.

[TH]

It looks like every team in the NFC East sucks this season. Seriously, the way Washington just played getting gifted that first down off the FG attempt, they looked like a 6-10 team at best. AND THEY'RE WINNING.

The Giants are probably the NFC East champs simply because they aren't as awful as everyone else. Sorry to say that TH.

Child please. They couldn't stop a terrible Carolina team and needed Matt Moore to hand them three red zone INTs to hold them off. That was the worst, least-decisive 13 point victory I have ever seen.