The insanely BS delayed 45 seconds personal foul

[rooneytunes]

I mean fuck you with a firehose NFL. You want a reason why ratings are down? It maybe the piece of shit in the White House or the other piece of shit he ran against, it may be the fucked up world we live in, it may be Kaperdick. It may be all of that but I guarantee you it is also shit like this. It's bad enough you have turned this league into a "Where's the flag" fuckfust after every big hit. I mean that is bad enough. Now though this is going to start happening? Big hit, everyone looks around, Ok no flag onto the next play, 45 seconds later after a few replays, tweeeeeet flag on the field, personal foul so and so. You know damn well that ref heard something in his ear that said "Oh man, we usually call that scary stuff these days and it didn't happen. We need to go back and call it because out of the corner of my eye I saw a replay and it kinda-maybe-could have been an err on the side of caution penalty and we still have time to call it so we are not downgraded and the NFL can look good to the lawyers that they are cutting down on big hits, Bob you need to throw the flag."

I mean it leaves u speechless how tone deaf they seem to be. That was a fucking third down, Steelers get the ball back play and they do that.

Fucking stupid

[Steelcody7]

The hit was dumb high.

My issue was how late it was, as you pointed out. The hit itself was dumb and un-necessary.

[Legacy User]

agree...its pathetic...if these guys cant call game at real time like forever ago then why they out there..i hate the recievers after every contested pass demanding a flag, and then depending on?? ;;;;;something ref complies..10 seconds later...then on a good hit..same shit..oh that looked to hard , must be a flag. today the browns stayed in game with these bogus calls. where were the steeler defenders supposed to hit the brown? then it takes them 10 minites to rule Antonio browns catch a catch..how long does he have to possess the freaking ball..if he drops it before handing it to ref is catch negated? it ridiculous.. and today we had phantom delayed holds well after seeing a successful steeler play..then no replay...and the replys we see look like a no hold to me..whole scene now seems shady..

[zeke5123]

Gay kind of got fucked over based on the fact the Browns player bobbled the catch. I think Gay was expecting some movement. Regardless, it was (a) a foul and (b) insanely late.

[Legacy User]

Whether anyone agrees or not the nfl is a momentarily scripted league. Its run above all else by money and real genuine sport is at a low point and ever shrinking.
Everyone here deep down realized this years ago. We can do nothing about it and wont try because we are all helpless addicts and cant stop.

[jeemie]

It was definitely a penalty-wortrhy hit (at least by today's rules), and I noticed it live and was relieved it wasn't called, but as someone posted in the game thread, you don't use replay to "un-call" penalties, so you should not use it to call penalties.

[Legacy User]

i thought the Gay guy's hit was clean. This league is insane with these roughing penalties. Things happen so fast...receiver ducked down....etc....was a great play by the Gay guy.

[steelmann58]

the hit was questionable by no way should the call be made that much late

[FortyThree]

In the one replay angle you can see the side judge reaching for his flag the moment the hit occurs.

It was only late because of wardrobe malfunction on that official's part.

[Steelafan77]

That was Very Scripted and Even More Infuriating. Agreed. Water under the bridge now. Moving on.

[swissvale72]

In the one replay angle you can see the side judge reaching for his flag the moment the hit occurs.

It was only late because of wardrobe malfunction on that official's part.

...exactly right. Doesn't mean the game hasn't been pussified to the extreme though.

[R_S]

The amount of ticky tack calls in the NFL make it almost unwatchable. I watched about 7-8 college games this year and never once got as frustrated with officiating. It's like there is an agenda in the NFL for the refs to impact the game. The browns got hosed on a couple too. And it was just never-ending dumb flags.

[stillthere]

If the WR catches the ball (his job) Gay crushes him in the chest and no problem. The WR bungles the catch and his head drops and the defender gets a penalty is just plain wrong.

Seems it is always with the Browns this shit gets called against us. The game when Harrison got his 2 KO's the WR moved his head to were it should not have been (bobble catch and start to duck down) and I am sorry but if James Harrison's head is going somewhere you should keep you head far away from that place.

[Legacy User]

For emphasis....

Whether anyone agrees or not the nfl is a momentarily scripted league. Its run above all else by money and real genuine sport is at a low point and ever shrinking.
Everyone here deep down realized this years ago. We can do nothing about it and wont try because we are all helpless addicts and cant stop.

The nfl LIKES the fact EVERY single play is in the hands of the refs. It gives them more trumped up drama to promote and most importantly sell.

The fact is like I said above...the nfl has us and has had our demographic for decades. Notably 100 percent of our demographic or damn close. It literally got so big and so successful with its core audience there was no where to go but down.

All of this new nonsense appeals to "fans" who dont have a clue and previously dismissed solid football as boring.

Im not making this up. Teams including the Steelers have been and will be again penalized for A CLEAN LEGAL HIT WITHIN THE RULES BUT HITTING A PLAYER TOO HARD. Thats a fact. The nfl's desire to sell drama rather than sport has long ago taken hold.

All of us here remember GREAT games where each team was under 20 pts at the end. In fact MANY great games. SB 9 is a pretty decent example btw.

Most of these new fans have damn near zero understanding of the game other than....loooook at that greaaaat catch !!....or yaaaay a TD !!

All this manufactured bs replay referee decides the play crap appeals to them and thats how the nfl wants it. Because they have created a business model where its core consumers are addicts.....its employees are paid tremendously by normal standards but little in relation to the overall product....and its growth market will go along with whatever because they never really cared in the 1st place....

Its core cant stop....its employees traded what littlle they had for personal wealth....its growth market doesnt enjoy or understand real sport.....

But the money.....it keeps pouring in.....so everthing is fine.....and even if its not.....not fine will become the new fine

[Legacy User]

And to be clear....I fully support any and all legitimate player safety rules.....I realize the game has to change in that regard somewhat.....

Its the absence of genuine competition....the emphasis on drama over sport that generates the worst outcomes in all this.

[Steelafan77]

Good points chef. I give you..., in two words..., Fantasy Football.

[alancac98]

Things are or should be easy for players - aim for the dick! But yes, the NFL needs to recognize that WR's dip their heads down and if that happens, no penalty should be called as they are bracing for the hit. Can't fault a CB or S for hitting a guys head if he drops his head by a foot. Gay's hit was too high. Yes the WR head dipped, but Gay could have gone lower on the hit with the same outcome. I know they like to hit the chest area to pop the ball out, but they risk a flag every time as undoubted the WR's head takes a small impact as well - which will be called nearly every time. It is what it is. I'm more frustrated with our guys who come in too high - like I said - aim for the dick!

[R_S]

I'm really starting to believe that the NFL has a mandate to do the most they can do to keep cames close and competitive as deep into the game as possible. If there is a big legit penalty on one team, you can bet your ass there will be a penalty coming against the other team to try to even out the game, legit or not. I'm not a big conspiracy theorist, but shit.

I mean, that one holding call on Pouncey to negate a big Bell run......that could be called EVERY play. So the ref just picks and choices what impactful play to call it on. And that call happened to extend the closeness of the game.

[Steelafan77]

The thing there 98 and this is pure speculation on my part is, perhaps Gay thought is prudent to hit the WR dislodging the ball? Perhaps Gay was already in motion to throw his shoulder at the chest of the WR knowing the ball is immediately secured in the chest area as a means to dislodge the football? Perhaps Gay just got out of control? I think it was a bang, bang action that is par for the course in a full contact sport and the refs had no business throwing flags at it. Especially after allowing time to lapse. That said, there were far more egregious flags thrown throughout the game so I chalk that one up to raise your head/helmet and see what you're hitting before lunging at your target. It is impossible to make adjustments once you've committed yourself into your tackle motion. I hope it was a learning experience for the whole team.

[FortyThree]

Things are or should be easy for players - aim for the dick! But yes, the NFL needs to recognize that WR's dip their heads down and if that happens, no penalty should be called as they are bracing for the hit. Can't fault a CB or S for hitting a guys head if he drops his head by a foot. Gay's hit was too high. Yes the WR head dipped, but Gay could have gone lower on the hit with the same outcome. I know they like to hit the chest area to pop the ball out, but they risk a flag every time as undoubted the WR's head takes a small impact as well - which will be called nearly every time. It is what it is. I'm more frustrated with our guys who come in too high - like I said - aim for the dick!

There is no way that complicating things further for officials by saying it's not a penalty if the receiver ducks his head would work out for the best.

[alancac98]

Things are or should be easy for players - aim for the dick! But yes, the NFL needs to recognize that WR's dip their heads down and if that happens, no penalty should be called as they are bracing for the hit. Can't fault a CB or S for hitting a guys head if he drops his head by a foot. Gay's hit was too high. Yes the WR head dipped, but Gay could have gone lower on the hit with the same outcome. I know they like to hit the chest area to pop the ball out, but they risk a flag every time as undoubted the WR's head takes a small impact as well - which will be called nearly every time. It is what it is. I'm more frustrated with our guys who come in too high - like I said - aim for the dick!

There is no way that complicating things further for officials by saying it's not a penalty if the receiver ducks his head would work out for the best.

Yeah, I know. Ya just hope for the perfect scenario that guys aren't getting penalized for stupid stuff. The refs suck as it is so you can't dump more on them.

[Legacy User]

Nobody here has played this game at the level these guys are...

there are times when the head is targeted... see Burfict's hit on Brown in the playoffs.

there are times where its a split second and the best way to separate the man from the ball, especially when he's juggling it, is to go through him.

It has to be near impossible to not have a head to head contact in some way - maybe not the first part of contact, but at some point, if you go through a guy with a running start.

I don't know if these guys can adjust, it's a fast game.

I guess just dive at everyone's knees, or get out of the league -because I can't imagine a guy letting someone catch a ball before trying to tackle them flatfooted a yard from a first down.

[Legacy User]

Things are or should be easy for players - aim for the dick! But yes, the NFL needs to recognize that WR's dip their heads down and if that happens, no penalty should be called as they are bracing for the hit. Can't fault a CB or S for hitting a guys head if he drops his head by a foot. Gay's hit was too high. Yes the WR head dipped, but Gay could have gone lower on the hit with the same outcome. I know they like to hit the chest area to pop the ball out, but they risk a flag every time as undoubted the WR's head takes a small impact as well - which will be called nearly every time. It is what it is. I'm more frustrated with our guys who come in too high - like I said - aim for the dick!

There is no way that complicating things further for officials by saying it's not a penalty if the receiver ducks his head would work out for the best.

Right - if the goal is player safety (and it is), I'm not sure there is any way around this. You just can't hit a guy catching the ball high... at all. You are going to have to sacrifice the catch and learn to not contest catches with hits.

The NFL is run by lawyers - they see the writing on the wall... I don't think this is some scheme to give NFL officials power to alter games, I just think they are doing what they can to not get sued. Flagging hits like these is a way of doing it.

I just don't know how players adjust, I mean... just go after everyone's knees and be done with it.. because trying to go for any high hit whether it be to separate the ball or make the guy think twice about going over the middle is going to be a flag.

[steelclan]

I have far more issue with PF on Watt. He hit his own player and was more of a love tap than a hit.

[DP39]

The craziest and most hypocritical aspect of the this play is that at the end of the day, when the Red Zone channel was signing off, they show the best plays of the day and they ended their montage with THIS PLAY/HIT.

Not like we haven't seen it before from the league though - promote the illegal plays as long as they're big hits.

[Legacy User]

As the rules stand, it was a penalty, plain as day. Hate the rules if you want, but it was a penalty.

It was ridiculous that the referee waited until seeing the instant replay and hearing the crowd's reaction before throwing the flag. That was bush league. But it remained a penalty nonetheless.

Watt's late hit was a penalty as well, and a stupid one at that. Doesn't negate the fact that he had a great day. I chalk it up to being over eager in his NFL debut. There are worse things.

[DP39]

I have far more issue with PF on Watt. He hit his own player and was more of a love tap than a hit.

Agree Clan. Said it when it happened. He hit the Steelers player on top of the Browns player. Watt went to all fours and tapped his helmet/shoulder on the other Steelers players head/back when making slight contact, at best. It's getting bad. Obviously the refs have been told that even if your eyes tell you 99% that it's not a real penalty, if the involves a hit to the QB or WR they should still throw their flags anyway - even it take them 45 seconds to get it out.....

[Legacy User]

Thing I don't like about that penalty is it seems to be a precedent for retroactively applying penalties. There was a ref 15 feet from that play and did not throw a flag. They threw that flag based on the replay.

I don't doubt this was close enough to helmet to helmet to get called. But it sets up the absurdity of penalties afforestation the fact. Can you get a holding call in 3q for a first Q play? Why not if the replay shows it was holding.

[Steelknife]

They clearly called this penalty off of the jumbotron.

That's a really, really bad precedent.

[Legacy User]

They clearly called this penalty off of the jumbotron.

That's a really, really bad precedent.

And fan reaction viewing the Jumbtron

Bullshit