When you talk to guys who cover the NFL for a living, there’s agreement on the broad strokes of the story.
“Carolina was 3-8-1 after 12 games last year and now they’re undefeated,” the former NFL coach and current NBC NFL analyst said. Tony Dungy . ESPN radio/television talent picked up Mike Golic : “Of all the teams we thought could go undefeated, they are one of the least expected.” Added NFL Network Ubertalent Rich Eisen : “Carolina has a national presence and Arizona is 10-2 for the first time since they were the Chicago Cardinals in 1948.”
“No one thought we would talk about (Carolina quarterback) Cam Newton as MVP,” said Steve Cohen senior vice president of sports programming for Sirius XM Radio.
Still, ask any of these NFL experts about the officiating issues the league has had this season and they’ll readily admit it’s as big a story as any.
There are calls that have decided games poorly, like the batted ball error that gave Seattle a victory over Detroit. Most recently, there was the face mask call prolonging another Lions game, which they lost on the next play. Put these two games in the “W” column and the Lions are in the playoff race. There were also serious timing errors by officials.
The league said the calling errors do not exceed those in previous seasons. However, we sometimes wonder if things were not better before replay-assisted arbitration.
We’ve stood on the sidelines and seen how big, fast and talented NFL athletes are, which makes the calls tough. Anyone who complains about officiating to any degree must recognize that the times we live in make criticism of NFL officials easier than ever.
“Most people watching an NFL game do so on a high-definition TV and with their social media account open,” Eisen noted. “In three minutes, you get seven angles in HD and reactions from fans across the country. We’ve never experienced that before.”
Understanding what constitutes possession and a valid catch of the football now apparently requires a law degree, a doctorate in physics, or both. As for explaining these principles to players, coaches and fans… well, even to the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said it sought to clarify what constitutes legal receipt. The commissioner recently asked a group of current and former general managers, former players and former officials to make recommendations regarding rule changes. If the commissioner doesn’t know what a capture is, how can we do it?
As replay has become more and more ingrained in the NFL, fans are now trained to look for flags after any significant play: this reaction was once reserved for kickoff, punt or interception returns. How many times have we seen referees look at each other at the end of a call instead of more decisive action?
“We look at the refs for the call and they look at each other,” Cohen said. “It’s embarrassing.”
Have referee meetings become as regular a part of the game as player meetings or is that just the case?
No marketer has tapped into this season-long debate over officiating better than State farm with the “Still on” ad for its Discount Double Check campaign, in which a quartet of umpires pretend to rule a call at Lambeau Field while the head umpire’s microphone is on. NFL announcers ran this ad for much of the season; now we are starting to hear imitations in the stands. The spot was filmed at Lambeau Field over Labor Day weekend, before the officials’ controversy.
 |
| State Farm inadvertently exploited a hot-button NFL topic with an ad featuring baffled government officials in its Discount Double Check campaign. |
“We have nothing against referees,” laughs State Farm advertising director Ed Gold “but we were fortunate to be able to be a part of one of the biggest stories in the NFL this year.”
|
| State Farm inadvertently exploited a hot-button NFL topic with an ad featuring baffled government officials in its Discount Double Check campaign. |
DDB Chicago produced the commercial for State Farm. “Human weaknesses and seeing someone squirm in an honest, human situation is always funny, and it connects State Farm to the NFL and well-timed ‘double checking,’” said the DDB Group creative director. Barry Burdiak .
|
| State Farm inadvertently exploited a hot-button NFL topic with an ad featuring baffled government officials in its Discount Double Check campaign. |
As someone who watched the NFL before the merger, our rhetorical question is one we’re surprised hasn’t been asked by more people: Are we better off now, after nearly 30 years of replay-assisted officiating? Maybe we’re just getting nostalgic. There’s a certain romance and practicality about a referee making a decision and moving on to the next play, rather than waiting for the replay, isn’t there?
|
| State Farm inadvertently exploited a hot-button NFL topic with an ad featuring baffled government officials in its Discount Double Check campaign. |
“Some of the major calls are correctly overturned on review, but I don’t know if we’re in a better situation now (than before the replay),” Dungy said.
|
| State Farm inadvertently exploited a hot-button NFL topic with an ad featuring baffled government officials in its Discount Double Check campaign. |
“One could argue that one way or another,” Golic responded, “but I still think we’re better off with a replay system that gets more good calls than bad calls.”
|
| State Farm inadvertently exploited a hot-button NFL topic with an ad featuring baffled government officials in its Discount Double Check campaign. |
Eisen thinks we are in a better situation now and would like to see the replay expanded. “If Joe and Jane Six-Pack sitting at home can see and use replay, the NFL should use it. I think they should use it for every last play – or at least for every penalty of 15 yards or more.”
|
| State Farm inadvertently exploited a hot-button NFL topic with an ad featuring baffled government officials in its Discount Double Check campaign. |
Anyone for penalty call replays? The CFL championship was decided this year after pass interference was called during a replay. That’s right – this was not announced by CFL on-field officials. Do you want a Super Bowl to end like this soon? Some believe replays of penalty calls would make four-hour NFL games routine. “I certainly don’t agree with more replays to judge,” Golic said. “We should aim for less.”
|
| State Farm inadvertently exploited a hot-button NFL topic with an ad featuring baffled government officials in its Discount Double Check campaign. |
Dungy takes a different stance. “People are talking about expanding replay,” the former coach and player said. “For me, the biggest push would be toward full-time officials. … I’ve never been a fan of replay, but if we’re not going to move toward full-time officials, then I think replay needs to be expanded.”
|
| State Farm inadvertently exploited a hot-button NFL topic with an ad featuring baffled government officials in its Discount Double Check campaign. |
With all the talk about officiating this season, it seems like we’re closer than ever to America’s most successful sporting establishment having full-time officials.
|
| State Farm inadvertently exploited a hot-button NFL topic with an ad featuring baffled government officials in its Discount Double Check campaign. |
“Having them be on the rules 365 days a year would make a difference,” Eisen said.
|
| State Farm inadvertently exploited a hot-button NFL topic with an ad featuring baffled government officials in its Discount Double Check campaign. |
Although the NFL is the only major professional property with part-time officials, having them work full-time should not be considered a panacea. However, anything that would allow the NFL’s huge television audience to see and talk less about the officials and the rules would be welcome. One rule that will never change: the less you notice the officials, the better for the game.
|
| State Farm inadvertently exploited a hot-button NFL topic with an ad featuring baffled government officials in its Discount Double Check campaign. |
“It has to be a combination of things,” Golic said. “As a football player, my week was spent more in the classroom, in the weight room, than on the practice field. If we can get officials more immersed and better prepared throughout the week, that’s the start of a solution.”
|
| State Farm inadvertently exploited a hot-button NFL topic with an ad featuring baffled government officials in its Discount Double Check campaign. |
Terry Lefton can be contacted at [email protected] .
|
| State Farm inadvertently exploited a hot-button NFL topic with an ad featuring baffled government officials in its Discount Double Check campaign. |
