The NFL thread

[DemonGeminiX]

Tony Homo and the Cowgirls beat the Lions.

[RBP]

Tony Homo and the Cowgirls beat the Lions.

They looked awful for 3/4 of that game. And I think the Lions got robbed on the interference non-call.

[DemonGeminiX]

I wasn't really paying attention up until the final 5 minutes of the game. I heard something and looked up, saw how close it was, and said to myself: "You're kidding... are the Lions playing that badly?"

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I think the AFC went perfectly for the Broncos, the one and only team I think the Patriots didn't want to see in the playoffs are the Ravens and now that's exactly who they are gonna get next week and the Colts are coming here and they don't scare me at all.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Sean Newell - Deadspin




Earlier in the week, TMZ released a video of Jerry Jones's son Stephen partying with several people, including what appears to be Dean Blandino, the NFL's head of officiating. According to at least one person Jason La Canfora spoke to in the league, that is "definitely" him in the blue, skipping out of a Dallas Cowboys party bus.

On first blush, the video is not all that interesting. It's just Stephen Jones and his entourage hanging out with several women on a bus with a bunch of Cowboys logos on it on the Sunset Strip. NFL executives are livid, however, because Blandino is looking so chummy with a team executive and owner's son.



The quotes from Canfora are from executives around the league, none of whom are within the NFC East, and they are all pissed about the perception of impropriety. No one outright accused anyone of bad faith, just the idea of it is enough. And while there are certainly reasons why the NFL's head of officiating might be seen eating and socializing with team executives on business, this does not appear to be one of those times. I mean, Jay Glazer isn't even on his phone.

Here's a sampling of the outrage:

• "That's definitely Dean," said an official with one club... "Is the league trying to tell you it's not him? What is the league telling you guys about it? That looks horrible. I can't think of another owner in the league who wouldn't be pissed off after seeing that."
• "So, should I have my owner take him to a strip club when he visits us?" asked one team official, hypothetically. "Is that how it works? We like Dean a lot, but let me tell you, if that was him out with (the owner of a rival of the club this official works for), my owner would be going nuts. This just can't happen.
• "It's total hypocrisy. This is a league where some people are above the law, but if you are a coach or a player or a low-level team employee, look out — they'll throw the book at you. They take away your pension. I'll give Stephen credit, at least they took a bus. (Colts owner Jim) Irsay should have got a bus a long time ago. Have they gotten around to disciplining him yet?"
• " There shouldn't be any situation like this going on that could cloud his judgment. How is this protecting the shield? The league loves to throw that term around when it applies to players. So how is this not an issue now?"

That last one is a very interesting question. The NFL has not commented on the matter.

[DemonGeminiX]

Wow...

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Sure makes that 'disappearing' pass interference call look a lot more suspect...also Dez Bryant wasn't penalized for leaving the sideline without a helmet to approach an official and dispute the initial call, which I believe should be a 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct call

[Joebob034]

Needless to say it has been the talk of the town today

[RBP]

Sure makes that 'disappearing' pass interference call look a lot more suspect...also Dez Bryant wasn't penalized for leaving the sideline without a helmet to approach an official and dispute the initial call, which I believe should be a 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct call

Although I disagree, I can see a legitimate explanation for the reversal. The Dez Bryant thing though... nope... total fuck up there. I was screaming at the TV. What the fuck is he doing? He can't do that! That's got to be a penalty!

[Teh One Who Knocks]

ESPN.com


NFL head of officials Dean Blandino said Monday that the non-call on pass interference against Detroit Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew by Dallas Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens was debatable, but holding definitely should have been called on the play.

Blandino, speaking on NBC Sports Radio's "Pro Football Talk Live," said the officiating crew erred by announcing a penalty and then picking up the flag. Ideally, he said, the crew would have discussed the play and then announced that there was no penalty on the play. If the crew had handled the situation in this manner, "it would have mitigated some of the response to this," he said.

Blandino said that when he reviewed the play, it appeared as a "judgment call that could have gone either way." But he saw a clear "jersey grab" by Hitchens that should have resulted in a defensive holding call that "should have been called."

The 5-yard defensive holding call would have given the Lions a first down, as the play came on a Matthew Stafford pass on third-and-1 from the Dallas 46. The Lions lined up on fourth down but eventually punted after failing to draw the Cowboys offside. Dallas scored the eventual winning points in the 24-20 wild-card win on the ensuing drive.

There has been debate about whether the makeup of the officiating crew in the playoffs, where "All-Star" crews are put together for the games, helped to cause the confusion on the play. Blandino said he doesn't think "that was ultimately the factor that led to this situation happening." He said there are "pros and cons" to having All-Star crews versus the crews that have worked together the entire season, but in the end it's a moot point because "most of these officials have worked together at some point in their career."

Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant came onto the field without his helmet to argue the initial pass-interference call Sunday, an act that had many wondering why he wasn't flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. But Blandino said that Bryant's actions weren't an automatic penalty, as the rule against players taking their helmets off on the field applies only to players in the game at that time.

"The ref really wasn't listening to what I was saying," Bryant said Sunday. "I gave him my opinion. I thought it was a bad call. He was blocking me out and telling me to get back (to the sidelines) and the coaches, they were grabbing me. Since the play was dead, I thought it was OK."

The official on Sunday had "discretion" to decide whether Bryant's actions warranted a penalty and decided against it, although Blandino said he would have supported a penalty on the Cowboys' star receiver if one had been called.

Blandino was also asked about his presence on a Cowboys party bus in August and perceptions that he is biased toward owner Jerry Jones' team.

He said the bus incident is something that "happened," but it has nothing to do with how Sunday's game was officiated.

"People can believe what they want to believe, but one thing had nothing to do with the other," he said.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Blandino was also asked about his presence on a Cowboys party bus in August and perceptions that he is biased toward owner Jerry Jones' team.

He said the bus incident is something that "happened," but it has nothing to do with how Sunday's game was officiated.

"People can believe what they want to believe, but one thing had nothing to do with the other," he said.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I dunno, I watch that over and over and I see pretty blatant pass interference...defender didn't turn around and he made contact with the receiver before the ball got there.

[DemonGeminiX]

Before that gif starts, Hitchens was pulling on Pettigrew's jersey. Pretty blatant interference no matter how you cut it.

[DemonGeminiX]

Green Bay beat Dallas and will face the Seahawks in the NFC championship.

[deebakes]

still surprised they called that bryant play an incompletion