Re: Refs?
 

I'm wondering this year if we might benefit a little from the regular refs because of the way goodell and the league screwed us and them. Maybe they feel for us this year and will give us the close calls.

Re: Refs?
 

... yeah.. only those 2 calls were bull****... and that's why the Chargers lost... yeah... that's the ticket..

Re: Refs?
 

San Diego had 7 penalties for 56 yards
Saints had 10 penalties for 99 yards

If they were out to help the Saints, they did a great job covering it up.

Re: Refs?
 

I still contend that it was planned. I believe that since they were refs themselves they had to favor the regular refs during this dispute. If slowing the game down and getting people complaining was going to help their cause, why not act stupid, or take one for the team. Someday the replacements may be professional themselves and they may benefit by their seeminly lack of competence.

I could be wrong, but there was just too many cases of it. If it was real, then the regulars are indeed a part of the product and have clout. They see guys making millions and believe they deserve to at least be in the same ball park with these guys, since without them, the product is diminished so much.

Re: Refs?
 

Those calls were suspect, but the inability of the left O-line to stop Wilson in the end decided the game.

Re: Refs?
 

Well roughing the passer is one of those things where fans of different teams will NEVER see eye to eye. If it was "your guy" you'd be howling if it wasn't called. I think that was a great call by the officials and Drew deserved to have that turnover nullified.

Now the offensive pass interference on Gates, welllll it's a lot like holding -- it's a judgement call by the official. That's why they actually have names like Back Judge, Side Judge and Field Judge! The conventional wisdom is that holding happens on every NFL play, but normally holding doesn't get called or "shouldn't" get called, unless it affects the outcome of the play. For example a 30 yard run that should have been a 5 yard run without the crucial hold that sprung the guy -- that holding definitely affected the play and will usually result in the play getting called back. So typically, holding on a suspiciously long gain, will get called quite often.

Also on kick returns for example. It's always a really great kick or punt return that gets brought back by offensive holding or block in the back, isn't it? They almost NEVER call a block in the back or hold when the return guy just runs smack into a wall of bodies and falls down at the 20 or whatever. Even though jersey-grabbing and blocking in the back happens on almost every kick and punt return, as those guys run down the field.

And there WAS a bit of contact there on the Gates pass, which did in turn influence the outcome of the play, so I don't know how you can justifiably say it was suspicious or bogus. If the ball had been incomplete, or uncatchable, if it had been wildly overthrown, and the offensive pass interference penalty was still called on San Diego, THAT would have been suspicious.

Re: Refs?
 

I was actually at the game so I didn't get to see the replays but no matter what, the refs reset it all back to zero with the 5 yard automatic first down penalty.

Re: Refs?
 

I'm not saying that the Chargers would have won if not for those calls but those were two awesome completions and Rivers is known for coming back in situations like that.

Both of those calls were horrible. Even the commentators said that.No, I'm not making excuses. Best bet would be to not let the team get into a situation like that.

Re: Refs?
 

Bolts, I feel your pain. We've been screwed by the refs and now so have you. Everyone is going to get the short end of the stick some time.

Re: Refs?
 

I literally read an article today about how Rivers was known for coming back in those situations (pre 2010), but in 2010, 2011, and 2012 he has actually been far worse...not saying he couldn't have come back, just that the statistics say it would have been unlikely.