NFL thread. Because I feel so lost without one!

[flyingsit]

I think the players' collective bargaining agreement probably doesn't allow for them to sit out en masse.

It would be interesting to see some kind of coordinated action, however, like maybe every team doing a kneel-down on the first play of next weekend's game.

[Vash01]

Too much money at stake for the players to sit out I'm afraid.

And it's no fun to report that I was correct that the league would insult our intelligence by proclaiming it a legal catch. Every sports talk show in the country is mocking that proclimation, and even show's like the "today" show were talking about it. And despite this public relations nightmare, the league is hanging tough on the negotiations. <sigh>

BTW, evidently there were over 70,000 telephone calls of protest into NFL headquarters in the last 24 hours. Yet they are unmoved...

The only thing that will move them is hurting their pocketbooks but we know it's not going to happen.

[Cyn]

Looks like the lockout is over!!

Refs Due Back Thursday Night (ESPN Article)

After two days of marathon negotiations -- and mounting frustration among coaches, players and fans -- the NFL and the referees' union announced at midnight ET Thursday that a tentative agreement had been reached to end a lockout that began in June.

Commissioner Roger Goodell, who was at the bargaining table Tuesday and Wednesday, said the regular officials would work the Browns-Ravens game in Baltimore.

[Theatregirl1122]

"The call at the end of the game was totally right!... in other news, we coincidentally solved the lockout!" Mhmmm.

[Vash01]

If something good came out of something bad- at least the NFL felt the pressure to end the lockout soon.

OTOH I am wondering if the outcome of this game will hurt or help the teams involved at the end of the season? One win/loss CAN make a difference in the NFL. Seattle could edge out my Cardinals for a wildcard spot, or Green Bay could lose their home field advantage in one or more of the playoff games- it may even lose a wild card spot. The only way to avoid that kind of situation would have been for the NFL to admit the mistake and reverse the outcome of the game that was already over.

[Veronika]

OTOH I am wondering if the outcome of this game will hurt or help the teams involved at the end of the season? One win/loss CAN make a difference in the NFL. Seattle could edge out my Cardinals for a wildcard spot, or Green Bay could lose their home field advantage in one or more of the playoff games- it may even lose a wild card spot. The only way to avoid that kind of situation would have been for the NFL to admit the mistake and reverse the outcome of the game that was already over.

I wish they could reverse the outcome--it would be unprecedented, but the NFL has already admitted that the Packers should have won based on the fact that offensive pass interference should have been called.

I'd be fine with a tie at this point.

[Vash01]

I wish they could reverse the outcome--it would be unprecedented, but the NFL has already admitted that the Packers should have won based on the fact that offensive pass interference should have been called.

I'd be fine with a tie at this point.

Typically the NFL and even the teams don't argue too much about a PI toward the end of the game; it's often a subjective call and it's non-reviewable. What made a lot of people irate was not the PI call but the refusal of the NFL to admit mistake on the actual catch at the end. The Packers player clearly caught the ball with two hands, came down with it, held it close to his chest while the Seahawk player was only keeping one hand on the ball, and trying to pull it away from the Packer. It was not a simultaneous possession; many experts have said that, and yet the NFL said in its statement that it was simultaneous possession, instead of admitting that the officials made the wrong call, even after reviewing that play.

A tie will not be fair either, because GB clearly won that game. If the Seahawks player had 50% share of that catch, I think the only complaints would have been about the PI non-call, and there are plenty of those even by regular refs, particularly on a hail-mary. This call was so blatantly wrong that the NFL should have at least admitted the mistake, even if they did not change the outcome of the game.

[milanessa]

:

[galaxygirl]

:

Buffalo?

[milanessa]

Buffalo?

Yes X 1000. :

[galaxygirl]

Yes X 1000. :

Sorry.

[Badams]

Yes X 1000. :

[Yehudi]

you'd think we'd be used to it by now.

[milanessa]

you'd think we'd be used to it by now.

It doesn't hurt less, though, does it?

[jenny12]

Awww, I thought the Giants would pull it out at the end. Oh well. It's probably better (considering recent history) for them to get off to a slow start.

[Vash01]

On a sad note, Colts' coach Pagano is battling Leukemia.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/84...agano-leukemia

[jenny12]

What an incredibly horrific night for Tony Romo!

[Vash01]

What an incredibly horrific night for Tony Romo!

It was unbearable to watch. I changed the channel. Are the Cowboys really this bad offensively or are the Bears really that good? In the 3rd Q, after the Dallas defense gave their offense ball on the Bears' 35 yd line, the very first pass by Romo was intercepted. Truly disgusting.

[flyingsit]

What an incredibly horrific night for Tony Romo!

I guess he was doing his Jay Cutler impersonation.

[jenny12]

I guess he was doing his Jay Cutler impersonation.

Yeah, although it looked like Jay Cutler did his own Jay Cutler impersonation when he was ignoring his offensive coordinator on the sideline. However, that probably was the best game he ever played. The Dallas Cowboy's weak-sauce defense probably had a lot to do with it though.

The Bears are quite good defensively, but usually their offense holds them back. Cutler did well last night, but I'm not confident he can keep it up.