NFL Week 3: Marcus Dupree Did Not Wear This Number ...

[LongTimeListener]

I can just see the directive from the league come down, "Try to average about 12 calls a game." What do you think Belichick is going to have his DBs do once the total gets around 16-18 and the refs are not looking to throw a flag?

Interestingly enough, despite their recent futility, the Raiders are 8-2 recently when they commit 10 or more penalties.

 

[JC]

How big do you think is an acceptable difference between the most-penalizing and least-penalizing crews each year?

Why should there be a difference at all? One year can vary based on randomness of getting teams who commit more penalties but I have seen these numbers in the past and Hochuli and Triplette are always at the top. The NFL should strive have officials call games similarly. They don't Hochuli's is at the top for most penalties because he calls a ton more pass interference. I forget the exact numbers but I saw a graphic during a game last season and Hochuli is well above the next in the number of PI calls.

All this said, the difference in refs calling styles is prevalent in all sports, at all levels. The athletes have to learn the boundaries of each official. Baseball players certainly know umpires strike zone tendencies.

How many of those PI's does Hochuli himself call?

 

[Ben_Hecht]

Again, big damn difference between questionable competence and intentionally changing the way games turn out.

The former is a legitimate discussion. The latter is tinfoil hat territory.

So you don't think it's embarrassing that Hochuli and Triplette seem to get an awful lot of important games.

They have done nothing to earn the privilege.

Hochuli is a boob and probably the most highly criticized official in the league, and loves the attention.

Triplette's been a horrifying boob, for years.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7003532/antonio-garay-san-diego-chargers-fined-15k-hit-tom-brady-new-england-patriots

Look at the forkING picture. He still has the ball in his hand. How can you deliver a $15,000 fine for a hit (NOT ON HIS HEAD!) when the quarterback still has the forking ball?

Get out the flags and belts. The NFL is officially the NFFL (National Flag Football League).

Unbelievable.

Good Lord in heaven, Dan Marino would have thrown for 7,000 yards in 1984 under these rules.

And they still don't win the Super Bowl.

 

[Chef2]

How shocking is it that Ed's crew leads the world in flags? Him and the guns, and all that shirt.

Shut up, and officiate the game.

Now, back to the Brady thing. Did the guy from the Chargers get flagged for the hit on Brady?

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

Triplette's been a horrifying boob, for years.

We'd have been spared a lot of this if that Browns lineman just would have terminated him so many years ago.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

15 yards for derailing this thread on a Thursday.

Loss of down, too?

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

I am on topic. But as you wish, I will lay down the battle axe for now.

Maybe we should talk about a washed out running back for two pages. That was enthralling.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

So ... who wants to stoke Ryan Sonner again?

Back on topic, I've heard - and seen a little bit - of Jacksonville. Word has it that the Panthers have a shot Sunday. Of course, if Carolina has any healthy linebackers left. First Jon Beason, then Thomas Davis. James Anderson and Dan Connor might hire bodyguards at this rate.

 

[YGBFKM]

The way they've played against superior opponents the last two weeks, the Panthers SHOULD win. But bad teams have a tendency to play their worst when things are looking up. I'm interested in seeing what Gabbert can do, but with that offense and no playmakers on the edges, I expect very little.

 

[JackReacher]

Carolina is a 3.5-point favorite. Four in some places. Seems awfully fishy, but yeah, the Panthers SHOULD roll.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Carolina is a 3.5-point favorite. Four in some places. Seems awfully fishy, but yeah, the Panthers SHOULD roll.

Believing point spreads is about as credible as believing the Marcus Dupree hype.

In all seriousness, the home team usually gets three points. So that's not exactly a suicide-pool-confident lock for Carolina.