Re: Bad Relationship Between Saints and NFL Will Get Worse in 2019
 

What if the player sued the NFL and Goodell for these non-calls? Is that even possible?

Re: Bad Relationship Between Saints and NFL Will Get Worse in 2019
 

Stuff like this is why I'm beginning to believe we are bound to go 7-9 next year.

It's not just us fans who are devastated, this nuked the team's entire mentality to the point I don't know if we'll truly recover from this. Last year's playoffs, they lost off a fluke hail mary that happens 1 time out of 100 and yet they managed to overcome that. They came back stronger and shrugged off the fluke loss to Minnesota.

So far in just a month since that last, we're still hung up on the non-call. We can't even really discuss what went wrong in that playoff game without hearing about it. This gives me a bad feeling for next year. If we struggle next year, our entire story will be the non-call spiraling the team out of control.

Over the summer, I usually go back and re-watch games and analyze them from a new perspective. I don't know if we'll ever be able to have a discussion on the NFCCG loss without it focusing entirely on that bad non-call. I thought we played down in both playoff games and looked like a beatable team. They never found their mojo again after Dallas took them behind the shed and smacked them around. That Cowboys loss was what spiraled the season downward.

Re: Bad Relationship Between Saints and NFL Will Get Worse in 2019
 

The "small market" mantra never ceases to attract the interests of sports journalists. It arises from some elements of truth. In an effort to broaden their geographic appeal, sports leagues have expanded far beyond the largest cities. Until the recent relocation of the Rams and Chargers, the NFL's 32 teams resided in 31 cities. At the lower end, New Orleans, Jacksonville, and Buffalo have metro populations below 2 million. By including a set of lower population cities, it make sense for leagues to share revenue with them to enhance overall league competitiveness and appeal.

But, here is where the hand-wringing about small markets breaks down. The NFL shares revenue extensively. Teams equally divide revenues from the national media contracts, which currently exceed $7 billion and more than $220 per team.

Re: Bad Relationship Between Saints and NFL Will Get Worse in 2019
 

There needs to be an appropriate middle ground between "everything on every play is reviewable" and "something cannot be reviewed ever." The problem with the Lewis play was both the fact that it was egregious and that there was absolutely no recourse to correct it as it was a non-call.

Here's the idea I came up with that I believe gives sufficient balance between the two extremes: add an extra flag for the coach. Just because I call it the "Black Flag" system. When a black flag is thrown, everything on the previous play, judgement calls, non calls, everything, is reviewable for one single play.

The key to the system is to make it a "break glass in emergency only" type flag. This is done in two phases. The first is that each coach can use their black flag once in the 16 game regular season.. Not one per game, one for the entire regular season. This forces coaches to strategize the effectiveness of throwing the black flag in a regular season game as once it is used, it is gone.

Phase two is for the playoffs. As a reward for participating in each playoff game, each coach in every playoff game gets a black flag for the game. Again their black flag can be used at most once per playoff game. Essentially the black flag is a reward to a team for advancing in the playoffs.

This eliminates most of the common issues associated with the activity. Every play does not have to be reviewed. There is adequate recourse for egregious calls or non calls. The rarity of usage forces coaches to think about its usage. Note that the regular red flag system is still in place for ordinary challenges.

It's a system that fixes this problem without further burdening the game.

Thoughts?

SFIAH

Re: Bad Relationship Between Saints and NFL Will Get Worse in 2019
 

We made it through 2012 to the playoffs in 2013. We went to the NFCCG after a crushing defeat at Minnesota. We're going to the playoffs again.

Re: Bad Relationship Between Saints and NFL Will Get Worse in 2019
 

As fans that is what we do, players are conditioned to look/'try to look' past everything.

In order for most players to be successful they have to look past draft pick#, not starting as a rookie, underwhelming contracts, every bad call they are involved in on the field... so on and so forth.

Been on social media in the last couple years? Everyone is a victim and just struggling to breathe in the face of the tragedies brought on by social injustice. From the comfort of their air conditioned, WiFi covered, carpeted, snack filled, domicile. :)

Re: Bad Relationship Between Saints and NFL Will Get Worse in 2019
 

Just a thought, but maybe they should implement rules changes etc for the playoffs and Super bowl only, when teams are in a do or die situation, oh and maybe the last game of the regular season?

GEAUX SAINTS! WHO DAT! :-)

Re: Bad Relationship Between Saints and NFL Will Get Worse in 2019
 

It happened to the Saints....not New England. There will be no changes! :bang:

Re: Bad Relationship Between Saints and NFL Will Get Worse in 2019
 

Now, that's funny right there...

Re: Bad Relationship Between Saints and NFL Will Get Worse in 2019
 

If they called back a bunch of touchdowns for holding then guys would quit holding.

Duh!