I was hoping McCarthy would do this..

[IronMan]

Remeber the play yesterday where it took the officials like an hour to decide that the Bears did NOT have 12 men on the field? Well, I think they screwed up that call and was hoping McCarthy would prove them wrong by doing what Bill Cowher did in 1995.

I wish I could find a picture of this but I'm sure most people remember:

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_McCarter

McCarter was the referee in a regular season game between the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers on September 24, 1995. Just before halftime on a Minnesota field goal attempt, line judge Ben Montgomery called a penalty on Pittsburgh for having 12 players on the field, a violation of the rules. Minnesota was able to score a field goal as a result of the penalty. Pittsburgh head coach Bill Cowher counted 11 players on the field, and in disgust, printed a photo to prove that 11 players were on the field. At halftime, Cowher ran by McCater as they were going to the locker room and shoved a photo in McCarter's shirt pocket to show the referee the evidence. League rules did not allow using photographic evidence to overturn calls. The NFL later agreed that the officials miscalculated the number of Pittsburgh players on the field and fined both McCarter and Montgomery a game's pay, $4,009 and $2,826 respectively. According to the Wall Street Journal, these were the largest fines ever for an American sports official [2]. Cowher also was fined $7,500 for his actions.

 

[KGB94SACKEM]

I'm sure the Head of Officials was already all over it. They review every play obsessively. I think its probably juse a waste for McCarthy and I'd rather he just let it go.

 

[cheesey]

Plus the penalty where they said one of the Packers was lined up over the center on the field goal attempt. A photo showed that was bogus too. These refs get paid to make the right calls, and they sure screwed up.

 

[IronMan]

I'm sure the Head of Officials was already all over it. They review every play obsessively. I think its probably juse a waste for McCarthy and I'd rather he just let it go.

Yeah you're probably right, It would have been funny though.

 

[pack_in_black]

The NFL later agreed that the officials miscalculated the number of Pittsburgh players on the field and fined both McCarter and Montgomery a game's pay, $4,009 and $2,826 respectively. According to the Wall Street Journal, these were the largest fines ever for an American sports official [2]. Cowher also was fined $7,500 for his actions.

lmao. Even though the officials were obviously wrong, and were each docked pay for the entire game, Cowher gets fined more than both of them combined for keeping his mouth shut, and discreetly puts a photo in his pocket, rather than jaw @ him for cameras to see... Stupid NFL and their "question nothing, officiating is never wrong" stance. lmao.

 

[yourout]

Plus the penalty where they said one of the Packers was lined up over the center on the field goal attempt. A photo showed that was bogus too. These refs get paid to make the right calls, and they sure screwed up.

Sometimes I wonder if they get "paid" to make the wrong calls.

 

[yooperfan]

I'm not whining about the refs in our loss to the bears, but just as a casual observation, it appeared that this particular officiating crew was very confused.

 

[spardo62]

I'm not whining about the refs in our loss to the bears, but just as a casual observation, it appeared that this particular officiating crew was very confused.

It seems that we were the victim of more bad calls than the Bears, but I too do not wish to go down that road, there are plenty of other reasons we lost the ballgame.

I will say that there seemed to be confusion and over officiating by the crew working the Sunday night game.

 

[bozz_2006]

I agree Spardo. I think we got proper *** by the officials on a large number of calls this past weekend, but i still don't believe we played well enough to win that ballgame.

 

[de_real_deal]

Send them back to elementary school to learn how to count. Jesus, any idiot would have known there were 12 on the field. How is it that a group of grown men cant count to 12!!! Especially when they have the benefit of instant replay, pausing and slow motion. No f'ing excuse for that horrible call.

The penalty on special teams was a joke too. Wtf, i was thinking to myself, are they rigging the game or what?? Also, that sideline force out on i beleive Greg Olson was very questionable as well.

 

[trippster]

As an official in hockey, I can see a different side. Even though we as football fans know most of the rules, we certianly don't know all or the details of each one. Who knew there was even a "lining up on the center" rule? does anyone know the decision making that must qualify for calling it?

As for the pushing Olson out of bounds rule, what constitutes pushing? In my opinion, had he not have been pushed, Olson would have come down in bounds. Hence the call.

Another aspect of it is how the officials are told to interpet the rule and when to call it. In hockey, you can have contact with a player if he isn't carrying the puck but at what point does it become interference? That is what we go over in our offical's meetings. However, that is not something that is relayed in detail to the public on a constant basis.

Same with football. At what point does a 5 yard facemask become a 15 yard facemask? At what point does the 12th man running off the field become officially "off the field"?

In hockey, players change on the fly. However, there are rules as to what is considered "off the ice" for the penalty of "too many men on the ice". For instance, the player coming off can be a ways away as long as neither player intentionally plays the puck while both are on the ice. However, when pulling a goalie at the last moment, the goalie must be "at the bench" before the other player can enter the ice. Do most people know that rule? no, they know that you can't have too many players on the ice but not the details of how that rule is enforced.

I am sure this is how it is on the football field too. Keep in mind that these are all professionals in other areas too, doctors, lawyers, etc. Most are probably smarter than your average fan.

If you play good enough football, then the ref is never needed for an excuse.

 

[bozz_2006]

true enough, but many agree there is disparity in calls in all sports. Veterans get away with more than rookies. Veteran baseball players are given a smaller strike when hitting, and veteran pitchers are given a larger strike zone. The bears, colts, & patriots get more calls for them and fewer against them. That is the issue i have.

 

[Pack93z]

As an official in hockey, I can see a different side. Even though we as football fans know most of the rules, we certianly don't know all or the details of each one. Who knew there was even a "lining up on the center" rule? does anyone know the decision making that must qualify for calling it?

Passed recently to avoid the center getting knock on his arshe after snapping the ball, gives him a little reaction time to get his hands up. The rule as I understand it is the defenders shoulder pad must be outside the centers helmet, or in other words not lined up directly in front of his helmet.

It was called for the position Williams had taken, lined up sideways and directly over the helmet, however the argument is that his shoulder pad was aligned off the helmet.

At least that is my understanding.

 

[longtimefan]

That is what I was wondering Tripp..Was it the fact the guy was running off, and real close to the sideline they gave him a pass on it?

And if that is the case, then it has to be fixed..Something like that IMO should be more cut and dried..

 

[TOPackerFan]

As an official in hockey, I can see a different side. Even though we as football fans know most of the rules, we certianly don't know all or the details of each one. Who knew there was even a "lining up on the center" rule? does anyone know the decision making that must qualify for calling it?

As for the pushing Olson out of bounds rule, what constitutes pushing? In my opinion, had he not have been pushed, Olson would have come down in bounds. Hence the call.

Another aspect of it is how the officials are told to interpet the rule and when to call it. In hockey, you can have contact with a player if he isn't carrying the puck but at what point does it become interference? That is what we go over in our offical's meetings. However, that is not something that is relayed in detail to the public on a constant basis.

Same with football. At what point does a 5 yard facemask become a 15 yard facemask? At what point does the 12th man running off the field become officially "off the field"?

In hockey, players change on the fly. However, there are rules as to what is considered "off the ice" for the penalty of "too many men on the ice". For instance, the player coming off can be a ways away as long as neither player intentionally plays the puck while both are on the ice. However, when pulling a goalie at the last moment, the goalie must be "at the bench" before the other player can enter the ice. Do most people know that rule? no, they know that you can't have too many players on the ice but not the details of how that rule is enforced.

I am sure this is how it is on the football field too. Keep in mind that these are all professionals in other areas too, doctors, lawyers, etc. Most are probably smarter than your average fan.

If you play good enough football, then the ref is never needed for an excuse.

I know all of those rules (the hockey ones).

 

[trippster]

That is what I was wondering Tripp..Was it the fact the guy was running off, and real close to the sideline they gave him a pass on it?

And if that is the case, then it has to be fixed..Something like that IMO should be more cut and dried..

It may be cut and dried and we jsut don't know how the refs are taught to interpet it. Obviously, the ref and the booth saw the guys on the replay. Maybe they just have to be 10 feet away or something....

 

[longtimefan]

That is what I was wondering Tripp..Was it the fact the guy was running off, and real close to the sideline they gave him a pass on it?

And if that is the case, then it has to be fixed..Something like that IMO should be more cut and dried..

It may be cut and dried and we jsut don't know how the refs are taught to interpet it. Obviously, the ref and the booth saw the guys on the replay. Maybe they just have to be 10 feet away or something....

# Each team is permitted 11 men on the field at the snap.

# Unlimited substitution is permitted. However, players may enter the field only when the ball is dead. Players who have been substituted for are not permitted to linger on the field. Such lingering will be interpreted as unsportsmanlike conduct.

# Players leaving the game must be out of bounds on their own side, clearing the field between the end lines, before a snap or free kick. If player crosses end line leaving field, it is delay of game (five-yard penalty).

# Offensive substitutes who remain in the game must move onto the field as far as the inside of the field numerals before moving to a wide position.

 

[warhawk]

The call that sounded like it was going to be sent up was the one over center that basically cost us four points when the took the FG off the board and scored a TD.

MM said afterwards that they have lined the same guy up in the same way for a year and five games. It was clearly a bad call.

We lost the game because we played lousy in the second half but that play was the difference in Favre need to heave a hail mary at the end to getting a FG to tie it.

Big difference.

 

[cheesey]

The call that sounded like it was going to be sent up was the one over center that basically cost us four points when the took the FG off the board and scored a TD.

MM said afterwards that they have lined the same guy up in the same way for a year and five games. It was clearly a bad call.

We lost the game because we played lousy in the second half but that play was the difference in Favre need to heave a hail mary at the end to getting a FG to tie it.

Big difference.

As i understand it, the defenders helmet has to be lined up outside the center's shoulder. They showed a photo of it on the Mike McCarthy show, and the defender's helmet was outside the center's left shoulder. So it was a bad call. Did that alone cost us the game? Probably not. But it not only cost us the 4 points in my view, it HAD to hurt our D, which had done it's job holding them to a FG attempt. It's a snowball effect. It gave hope to the bears, and gave them momentum.
JMO