(02-15-2023, 02:21 PM)ZSDOne Wrote: I am actually amazed at how fast and effectively the NFL and their "gaming" partners have swept under the rug the fact that the NFL rulebook is full of vague uncertain rules that effectively allow the refs to throw a penalty any time they want - which given the proliferation of gambling should be a major consumer protection issue (especially after two straight Super Bowls were decided by the refs extremely suspiciously suddenly starting to call penalties at the end of the game)
If you have to resort to using still photos and slowed down video to defend a penalty call it shouldn't be a penalty.
Agreed 100 percent ... and I have what I feel is the world's easiest/best solution to all rules infractions controversies.
Because it's such a straightforward idea and pretty much foolproof, since this is the NFL we're talking about, it will never happen, but here goes.
1) Full stop and desist with all this nonsense about what kinds of calls are reviewable and when.
2) Each team gets two challenges per game ... not related to timeouts, not per half, anything like that.
3) They can use them on whatever kind of play they want to, at any point in the game. If they don't use them, they lose them.
4) Example - Green Bay's David Bakhtiari holds on almost every play. He does it so often that NFL refs almost never call it on him anymore, because they would absolutely kill the game flow if they called it on him every time he did it.
(Comp in basketball - Draymond Green has the longest leash for barking at officials because he does it all the time ... other players get technical fouls called on them much quicker)
5) Fine. So under my proposal, Detroit coach Dan Campbell notices this throughout the game ... but waits until the final drive when A-A-Ron Rodgers is marching down the field and sees that Bahktiari basically tackles Aidan Hutchinson but no call on the play ... Campbell throws one of his challenge flags and refs are forced to acknowledge the infraction and call the penalty.
I mean, it creates the perfect balance and tension between "let them play" and "you can't call that at that point in the game" because A) coaches will have to be strategic about when to use their challenges and B) players will now know they can get popped for bending/stretching/breaking the rules on any type of play, not just "reviewable" ones, at any point in the game including the last minute of the Super Bowl.
Now, if both coaches were smart they would save their challenges for the end of the game, and although it may bog down the game with four challenges in the last few minutes, at least there will be a much higher likelihood of getting it right.
