tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075869643816788456.post9101941156123127685..comments2023-10-22T08:48:29.618-07:00Comments on Zak Claxton: The Musician's Sports Guide: NFL 2012-13 Week ThreeZak Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938522525080606514noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075869643816788456.post-82218994356077149842012-09-25T09:57:20.475-07:002012-09-25T09:57:20.475-07:00Yes, we have now definitive proof (as if it was ab...Yes, we have now definitive proof (as if it was absent before) that the 'replacement refs' are... well, let's just say waaaay outta their depth. <br /><br />(Fox13 Seattle reported this morning that several of the refs during last nights' game were "cut" as "incompetent" from - get this - the Lingerie Football League. That's right... they weren't even good enough for THAT.)<br /><br />It's understandable, given the chaos, and immediate result (W/L outcome) of the last call, and how obvious, that it becomes the sole focus of the game - but that's regrettable, since the entire game, hell the entire SEASON, has been plagued with such calls. This was just obvious, blatant, and emotional.<br /><br />But in context - reverse the call (interception, game over) - but ALSO reverse the blown pass interference call that gave GB a 1st down, kept the drive alive, and ultimately led to a Packer's TD, and the net result is the same, SEA 7 / GB 6. <br /><br />Any argument that the refs "gave" the win to SEA must acknowledge that if you scrub ALL the bad calls, it's a much closer game; Hawks dominating 1st half with defense, Packers rallying offensively in the 2nd, and sans bad calls - who knows the outcome?<br /><br />And that's WHY the NFL needs to pull it's collective head out of its ugly bum and acknowledge the even uglier truth:<br /><br />We, as a country, a nation, and even football fans, expect, and want the best. From our teams, and our players. Our coaches. (okay, we want it from the owners, too, but good luck with that).<br /><br />NFL teams spend $ Millions on scouting, canny draft picks, player development - working ostensibly to put the best team on the field.<br /><br />Owners, and the NFL commissioner, have sullied that by fielding a team of officiants who, apparently, aren't even qualified to judge whether models in naughty nighties have engaged in "illegal use of the hands," and it dilutes and weakens the efforts of everyone involved.<br /><br />Here's a thought: A class-action lawsuit, brought by NFL fans against the league and the owners, for fraudulent and deceptive business practices, by knowingly offering a product that is defective and subpar, as the legitimate and authentic article for which the fans have paid money in good faith.<br /><br />In any case - it seems likely that, in the midst of poor officiating, lax coaching and discipline, and a host of other issues, a single, iconic image (the BJ and SJ simultaneously signaling two different outcomes to the play), the chaos and emotion that followed, and the asterisked "W" for the Hawks, has the potential in this age of instant and inflammatory communication via social media and news sources, to change the game of Professional Football, at least as we have known it, forever.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13225167168135327528noreply@blogger.com