Referees' "let the players play" in SuperBowl

[GatorAvatar]

Is what I heard from several "experts" ranging from Chris Carter, Herm Edwards and Christian Fauria. This is how they explained why there was no holding flag on that 4th down play by 49ers.

Looking at the penalties called: there were 2 for Ravens and 5 for 49ers. The most obvious non-call for the Ravens was for the late hit on Flacco out of bounds. On the flip side, there were no flags thrown for holding on #15 of 49ers in the end zone. On the two-point conversion, Reed was offsides. Culliver was flagged for PI on a crucial 3rd down that kept the Ravens drive alive. There was no ejection on Ravens' player who shoved referee.

I am not sure about this "let the players play" philosophy. How about enforcing the rules as they are detailed?

[Sylez_G_Koolaid]

Bro, they could've called Holding on Culliver on every play. He couldn't keep up with Torrey Smith. Just like they could've called holding on Navarro Bowman against Atlanta.

49ers just need to stop whining but I guess they take after their coach.

[grant1]

Whining is one thing, complaining about poor officiating is another. Last night was poor officiatiing. Those guys should be embarrassed to cash their checks.

[ajjaxgator]

The 2 most egregious non-calls I saw were the pushing/contact the ref by a Raven and after that, during a scrum, a Ravens player threw a punch. Both of those should have been called.

[Sylez_G_Koolaid]

http://i47.tinypic.com/2mfg4qs.gif http://i50.tinypic.com/juie55.gif

[Swampmaster]

changing the degree of penalties in certain games or parts of games makes no sense---the rules should be called the same way, in every game in every part of the game

[gatorev12]

I'm all for letting the guys play and having no-calls on 50-50 stuff...BUT that's not how games have been officiated this entire year.

If this were the regular season, a flag would have been thrown almost every time for interference. To change that in the most important game of the year isn't real fair...and especially to an offensive-minded team like the 49ers. Let's face it, the Ravens are known for being a physical defensive team and any officiating change that favors the defense is going to benefit the Ravens more than the 49ers.

[sgtfury]

NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl generally are flag free 4th quarters.

[Sylez_G_Koolaid]

Live by the hold, die by the hold.

[GatorAvatar]

NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl generally are flag free 4th quarters.

There hadn't been an outcry regarding the ending of superbowl in recent memory. This one has had controversy written all over it since the refereeing crew was chosen on political grounds...not on competence.

[ApexNC]

To me the NFL is getting to be about as much of a joke as the NBA. Different rules for different players, different rules at different times of the game...that's just ridiculous. Add the stupid "we're doing all we can to make the game safe" propaganda in the commercials and they're losing me.

[JerseyGator01]

The NFL is to football what the WWE is to wrestling. The games aren't necessarily fixed, but they are carefully choreographed to make certain players look good. I watched just one play of the SB yesterday. The NFL constantly tries to sell you that it's a QB league, yet a guy making just his 10th start came within one late pass completion of beating a pretty good team on the biggest stage thanks to a stud OL.

It's laughable for people to treat many of these crooks as so-called heroes.

[AndyGator]

49ners got away with a lot of stuff. Overall it was a wash.

[Jacket66]

As a 49er fan, I can't really complain about judgement calls. I've watched enough football to know that no two people see every play exactly the same way. I'm surprised more people aren't talking about the 2-point conversion attempt that would have tied the game in the 4th when Ed Reed was a yard across the line of scrimmage at the snap. That's not a judgement call; you're either offside or you're not.

[whitelakegator]

Is what I heard from several "experts" ranging from Chris Carter, Herm Edwards and Christian Fauria. This is how they explained why there was no holding flag on that 4th down play by 49ers.

Looking at the penalties called: there were 2 for Ravens and 5 for 49ers. The most obvious non-call for the Ravens was for the late hit on Flacco out of bounds. On the flip side, there were no flags thrown for holding on #15 of 49ers in the end zone. On the two-point conversion, Reed was offsides. Culliver was flagged for PI on a crucial 3rd down that kept the Ravens drive alive. There was no ejection on Ravens' player who shoved referee.

I am not sure about this "let the players play" philosophy. How about enforcing the rules as they are detailed?

Both teams are extremely physical. Because of this they could have flagged every down. They called it both ways IMHO. It was fine. Let em play.

[SkyChimp]

On the flip side, there were no flags thrown for holding on #15 of 49ers in the end zone.

Review the video and you will see that the throw was not catchable.

[GatorAvatar]

As a 49er fan, I can't really complain about judgement calls. I've watched enough football to know that no two people see every play exactly the same way. I'm surprised more people aren't talking about the 2-point conversion attempt that would have tied the game in the 4th when Ed Reed was a yard across the line of scrimmage at the snap. That's not a judgement call; you're either offside or you're not.

Let 'em play (before the ball is snapped).

[VanNoord]

Bad officiating is part of the game, as any Gator fan knows. Don't put your team in the position of throwing into the end zone on the final play, and you can overcome the zebra issue.

4th down ball was uncatchable. The no-call on the QB hit seemed dicey.

[thedyc09]

Football is controlled mayhem. The only thing that controls that mayhem is the rulebook and the officials. Games simply can't be played if you allow the OL to tackle defensive players or defensive players to unduly interfere with receivers. So, while (offensive or defensive) holding could probably be called on every play, it's vitally important that egregious fouls be called to keep the mayhem from disadvantaging one side or the other.

Was it even? I think the Ravens were favored by the no-calls on the scuffles, but as for gameplay calls, I think enough calls were missed both ways that we can call it "even".

Was it fair? Hell no. Just because both sides had calls blown against them doesn't mean the game was fair. The officials let the game get away from them. The Ravens defense was allowed to do whatever they wanted in the red zone on the 49ers last drive.

[phideltdj]

I noticed a unique occurence with the officiating...the plays with the officials on the Ravens sidelines made all the calls in the Ravens favor. The first play of the game with the illegal formation call on SF, the PI on the 3rd and 8 play, and the no call on the offisides for the 2pt conversion, and the official who got pushed down by a Raven player was the sideline official on that side. The officials on the SF sidelines made no calls and let the teams play (the big one the hold on the 4th down pass).

[Sylez_G_Koolaid]

Pretty much over the FortyWhiners, bruh.

[rounds]

Terrible officiating. Refs let game get waaay out of control. Brawl on one play w "off-setting" PF. PI is PI, playoffs or not.
Sorry to say, but Boldin is a freakin' beast!

[gatorlaw71]

There is a mindset among officials to "let the players decide the game" in the closing minutes by swallowing their whistles.

That the biggest nonsense in sports.

In the closing minutes, if the officials stop calling the game the way the rules require, then the OFFICIALS are deciding the game.

The way to let the players decide the game is for the officials to call the game impartially the way the rules require from the first minute of the game all the way through the last. Do the job officials are supposed to do. Call the game by the rules.

[rounds]

To use a Mixed Politically Correct or Retaliatory crew for the Super Bowl is just plain dumb, Roger.

[gator923]

or perhaps what one whiner calls holding, most others call jamming the line of scrimmage, perfectly legal up to 5 yards out.

[OaktownGator]

or perhaps what one whiner calls holding, most others call jamming the line of scrimmage, perfectly legal up to 5 yards out.
True. But not legal two yards into the end zone, when the LOS is the five yard line.

[Sylez_G_Koolaid]

Stelljes was on the side of the end zone the 49ers threw to on 4th-and-goal from the Baltimore 5-yard line. There is some hand-fighting, by both guys. We've seen lesser contact called pass interference. We've seen more contact not called pass interference. I firmly believe this did not merit a flag, and Stelljes, staring at the play, didn't throw one. Looked like he never reached for it.

As Smith told me after the game, the officials had been letting corners and receivers joust during the game. "They were letting us keep our hands on each other,'' Smith said. "No calls." In fact, in the first 50 minutes of the game, the officials called no interference or illegal-contact fouls. There was only one PI, on Chris Culliver of the Niners 53 minutes into the game. Said Pereira: "When you read the rules, contact in the air has to significantly hinder the receiver's opportunity to make the catch. I thought it did not. When I look at it, I saw no restriction. Could it be? Might it be? You don't want to throw that flag. Absolutely not.''



http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20130205/super-bowl-xlvii-peter-king-mailbag/index.html

[GatorAvatar]

To use a Mixed Politically Correct or Retaliatory crew for the Super Bowl is just plain dumb, Roger.

True

[raycgator]

Blew some major calls and were inconsistent = We let the players play

[GatorAvatar]

Blew some major calls and were inconsistent = We let the players play

Lolz

[Swampmaster]

having a rookie QB throwing a risky fade on 4th down with the super bowl on the line, with a blitz coming? not smart.