saintfan

I'm hearing all the talk about replaying the game. I'm hearing all the talk about replaying from the time of the blatant non-call. I'm hearing all the talk about changing the rule. I'm hearing all this. And it is needed. And it is good.

But it is what I not hearing much about that is bothering me. I'm hearing some, but not nearly enough, on the subject of how they missed the call, or maybe it is better to wonder why they missed the call.

Listen, these are the best football refs in the world. They are NFL refs. Not only are they the NFL refs, and thus the best in the world, they are the cream of the crop, even when measured by their peers. How is it even possible that they missed the call? All 7 of them. Unless we are to believe they are incompetent such that they could miss something so clearly obvious, then how?

Does anyone believe they're just incompetent? Seriously? These guys who graded out so well, even among the best of the best? Could they be incompetent? These guys are the "Top Gun" of the NFL. Was Maverick incompetent? Goose? Ice man? No way. Rule out incompetent.

Maybe they really did just miss it. I mean, that's the consensus. They just missed it. Look, one guy had the play coming directly at him. He was literally 2 yards away when he made the incomplete signal. He just missed it?

Another guy was directly behind the play. Standing directly on the sideline. He was 6 yards away and had the best angle of anyone. He's the guy who, it appears, might have wanted to flag the play and was instructed otherwise. Maybe. He just missed it?

What about the guy behind the play in, essentially, the middle of the field. The play was moving away from him. His view was not obstructed. It would be extremely easy for him to have seen the defender arrive 5 yards ahead of the ball, which is exactly what happened? He, too...just missed it?

Let us remember, these men are the best of the best. Call sign Viper. They don't 'just miss' obvious calls. They makes calls that, frankly, are amazing. That they catch and flag some of the things they catch and flag, in real time, is actually quite amazing and a testament to just how good, how well trained they are. The best of the best.

So, if we rule out incompetence, and if we rule out they just missed it, what are we left with? I've heard that perhaps they were afraid to throw the flag. Really? They were afraid. Of what? Of being the ref who threw the flag? We're talking Goose and Maverick here. They're not afraid. They do this every weekend for half the year. Where would there be any justification for the assumption that any of the Top Gun NFL refs would have any fear of throwing a flag. Nah. They weren't afraid. And even if one of these Top Gun refs had some fear in his heart, are we to believe that 3 of them had fear, or even all 7? Not buying it.

So, if not incompetence, if not a genuine human error ( committed by at least 3 top gun refs simultaneously ), if not fear, then what?

They aren't just bad refs. They all three of them didn't not see the most blatant foul I've ever seen on a football field. They weren't all three afraid to throw the flag, particularly when one considers how genuinely fearful the NFL is of head to head contact and all the ticky tack flags we've seen to that end this year?

So, what? If none of ignorance, poor eyesight, or fear can be the reason, then what COULD be the reason? The answer is I do not know the answer. I have some ideas, but I can not get into the mind of those 3 men to determine why they didn't throw the flag.

So I want to hear their explanation(s). I want to hear Goose and Maverick and call sign Viper elaborate for me, the paying customer, how it is they let the bogey buzz the tower without pulling the trigger. And I'd like to know why this isn't being pushed by those who are otherwise just as confused as I am and are in a position to ask.

Let's stop talking about replaying the game. Not going to happen. Let's stop talking about changing the rule. Leave that to the committee. Let's push the issue of WHY it is, or HOW it is, that these men failed, because without fear or vision problems or ignorance, neither of which holds any water, then there must be some other reason. And THAT is what Saintfan wants to hear.

The petition is 700k strong and growing. The billboards are up in Atlanta. We MUST NOT STOP until we get the answer to Why, or How, this happened, because if we ever do get that answer, the world, and professional football, will be a better place.

C'mon Man...