Fans are growing frustrated by the Officiating ! Why are they calling so many penalties ???
It's ruining the Game :thdn: :thdn: :thdn: :thdn: :thdn:
Has Glen Johnson taken away Discretion that was used prior to his leadership :roll:
Something needs to done ASAP !!!!
Yes...
That's easy; it's because the players are committing so many penalties.
I do agree with MadJack; the players are the first ones to blame. There are so many evident penalties,particularly on special teams. I don't blame the referees. They are human,as all of us, and make mistakes but the players are the main culprits. Stop blaming the referees for losses of your teams.
Richard
There is error on both sides - but we must agree the definition of what a penalty has to be changed it is I agree ruining the fan experience - again the NFl averages. 12-13 penalties per game over the last 20 yrs - because they have a different definition of the refs vision in the scope of the game - I have never seen as many people as this year not watching cfl anymore because of the penalties or saying this is the last year for season tickets or single game day tickets - to say the nfl player is more intelligent and emotionally more put together so they do not commit as many infractions is just plain foolish - we have an entire challenge with the core of the vision of penalties and what is and what is not - there has to be a change and as football purist we have got to suck it up - I have coached for years at every level up to college - and yes players commit flagrant penalties call them but not this nickel and dime stuff and outright discretionary calls - it's time to err on the side of the player not the official and his letter of the law heavy handed. Approach - the Spirit of our great game is crumbling - one more year like this and there will be consequences - come on CFL Governors make the changes -
Well Said!
They can start by eliminating video review of PI. It has gotten to the point that is is affecting the way officials call it on the field. The officials must have it in the back of their mind that any contact on a pass route can be challenged and dissected frame by frame so you get calls like the one on the Argos first TD drive yesterday. There is an very good chance if we did not have PI challenges that flag would not have been thrown.
The league must give the officials some discretion on judgement calls and they can start with PI.
Great post. 100% agreed.
I don't know who to blame. I suspect a combination of players and officials - but at times it does border on unwatchable.
A text exchange I had at halftime with a friend who is a huge football fan (likes all leagues) summed it up well. (This after the last five minutes of the first half of the Cats -Argos game seemed to have a penalty called every other play.)
Him - 'tried to go for a quick grocery run at halftime - but got called back - penalty'..
Me - ''lol - too many penalties you think?'
Him - 'OMG - It's ridiculous. if this flagfest keeps up I'll be flipping over to one of the NCAA games - brutal'
The league is trying to clean up the game. The CONSTANT holding by Offensive linesmen, the constant obstruction by receivers, the constant late hits and hits to the head by defensive linesmen and linebackers, the intentional grounding and dumping into the stands. It was killing the game, scoring is down.
Give it time, the game will be better for it.
Go watch baseball where some umps have bigger strike zones than others. Hey it's sports, get used to it, anything can be called at any time and most of the time, not always of course, the refs are correct. If anyone can't get this, then sports isn't your game really.
If you want players to decide the game, then get rid of the refs, pretty simple.
Right on.
Blaming the refs is such an easy, pathetic move to make. For God's sake, people, start holding your own precious team accountable for TAKING those penalties. I agree with Hfx; teams are trying to "game" the system and it's ruining the product. Only way to clean it up is to call those infractions every time.
Getting mad at officials is like blaming cops for a murder. They don't commit the crimes, they just gotta clean up after try and keep the bud guys in check.
Not a great analogy, because cops frequently commit crimes and get away with it, but I take your point.
TERRIBLE analogy, :thdn: :thdn:
This ship has already sailed for me... I have lost huge interest in the actual games and am now more of a follower.. I usually have the games on still, but completely ignore them and do other things and when I hear a big play, I tune in for a minute or so.. I can't honestly be bothered to watch the flagfest that are the games now.
They are over calling the game though. PI is a prime example. Objectionable Conduct is another. Early in the season a player (don't remember who or what team) was flagged 15 yards for OC for tossing the football into the stands after a TD because he was on the visiting team. Happened in the Ti-Cat/Argo game yesterday and guess what.....no flag. The league can learn from it's mistakes and adjust the same as players do.
I agree the game needs to be cleaned up, but now it's the way it is called that needs to be cleaned up. There are still too many unnecessary OC penalties to the point that they are meaningless, somewhat like no yards, the players don't care and it is just the price to be paid for playing the game. PI is so bad no one knows what is and isn't PI from play to play. First PI called yesterday against Hamilton was a phantom call that led to a TD and in the same quarter it wasn't called on a play was a lot more contact. They need to take a serious look at how the rule book is being interpreted because if they continue to call the game this way next season the league will start to bleed fans.