Really, NFL?

It's easy for me to say 'pay the refs' from where I sit but that doesn't make me wrong.  With the NFL nowadays, it seems so much more is wrong then right.  With every passing day, the NFL is looking like a ship with no captain.  Rodger Goodell needs to stop with the "I don't understand what's going on" look and do his job.  Goodell has said all along that the integrity of the game is something he will protect.  This replacement refs fiasco going on right now is proof that Goodell was blowing smoke.  Too bad we can't be like Tia and Tamara and just say 'go home, Rodger' and he would go away.  I'm sure Goodell may have a few good ideas but his body of work has alienated players and with these fake refs calling real games, he's alienating fans.  These same fans that live for each and every NFL season.  

Regardless of what you believe about 'bounty gate', the suspensions where outrageous, for both players and coaching staff.  I refuse to believe that the Saints players were trying to injure Brett Farve or Kurt Warner.  It's more like they wanted to 'hurt' those players enough to knock them out of the game.  Even if that is the case, all it shows is the lack of character the Saints players have but let's face it, we don't watch football for character.  We LOVE football for the 65 yard TD pass or the 88 yard rushing TD.  We watch football for the big hits, like all of us were taught growing up.  Big hits are a part of the game and always have been.  Football is a violent sport and injuries happens every game.  I have no problem with enhanced safety measures being put in place but not at the expense of the game.  It's the individual teams job to protect their players.  If you don't want your QB to get hurt then get an O-Line that will block for him.

When I hear folks talk about receivers needing protection when they come across the middle I laugh.  No one was saying that when Lynn Swann made a career of going across the middle.  In fact, didn't Jerry Rice show the blueprint on how to protect yourself while going across the middle?  Sure, he would catch and fall rather then take a hit, but he made many 1st down catches and extended drives.  49ers and Raiders fans know exactly what I'm talking about.  Remember the catch that made Terrell Owens a star?  Packers fans haven't.  The 1998 Wild Card game where TO caught the game-winning TD pass, going across the middle and got rocked by Darren Sharper and Pat Terrell.  He held on to the ball and did his best not to cry but every who saw that game knew he wanted to. Owens saw the safety coming and he knew he was going to get hit.  Owens told himself in 'Rod Tidwell' style to get killed and catch the football.  Exactly what all NFL fans want to see.  Yes, T.O. could have been hurt or injured but that's the risk players take when they play the game.  Like Snoop said, "If you're scared go to church.  You knew the job was dangerous when you took it."

For Goodell and the league office, its time to admit that you tried to pull a fast one.  Sure, Goodell may have Gregg Williams saying Vilma was directly involved but Williams will say anything because in the end, he wants back into the NFL.  If its not on tape or video, then its 'he said, she said' all day long.  At the end of the day, I don't remember dirty or illegal hits on Farve or Warner.  I do remember very hard hits and a few late hit penalties but not ejections.  Sorry Goodell, you can't blame replacement refs for this one.  These were experienced crews working the playoffs.  I remember that we all thought the Saints defensive plan was to beat the other team up and that's what they did.  If the Cardinals and Vikings really cared, then their players should have protected their QBs.  The Saints had 9 penalties for 88 yards called on them and only one personal foul was called.  Don't fault the Saints players for Favre Being thrown around all day, blame the Vikings O-line.  He still threw for 310 yards and had a QBR of 65.5 so he wasn't that hurt.  Warner's injury the week before happened during the play in which DE Will Smith intercepted Warner's pass.  It was a freak play but under the rules, it was a legal hit.  He didn't have his heard on a swivel and didn't protect himself.  I can't be okay with rule changes because a player got his bell rung and didn't protect yourself.  This is still football, right?

The NFL is trying to preoccupy themselves with this 'bounty gate' madness that the real NFL officials aren't calling games through the first 2 weeks of the season.  The replacement refs have caused losses (Ravens lose to Eagles after having a touchdown called back for offensive pass interference that wasn't there) and have ZERO control over games in which we were all told they were qualified to officiate.  Goodell has basically told every NFL fan that he doesn't give a damn about you.  Goodell is showing that all he cares about it keeping the NFL the multi-billion dollar 'right to print money' that it is.  So yeah, its very easy for me to say pay the refs.  I'm not saying that Goodell should maintain discipline but this whole "I'm the commissioner and you have to listen to me" thing he has going on isn't working.  Sure, he can suspend players for breaking rules and he can implement new rules to protect players, but if he thinks what's happening to NHL (locked out players) can't happen to the NFL then he's just lying to himself.  I'm not saying it will happen next year or the year after but after a while, fans will say enough BS.

This is football, remember?  All fans want to see are big hits and great plays.  This is a man's game and its what built the brand the the 'shield' represents.  The NFL logo is unmistakable and makes each fan remember moments of season's pass.  How many times in June and July did you stop what you were doing when you heard the MNF theme play on TV?  We all asked the same question: When does football start?   Of course we all knew the answer but September seemed so far away at the time.  Now that its here, I want it to be right.  Get the real refs back and let the players play.

D!