I'm a fool to cry about bad calls. But....

[Hawg73]

So the game hinged, basically, on one call.

With the eyes of an NFL-crazed country focused on Bernard Pollard spearing Ridley with at least his 2nd helmet-to-helmet hit of the evening-- this time the biggest cheap shot artist in the history of the NFL struck paydirt with a dirty, filthy knockout and the resultant "fumble" which turned the tide of the game in Baltimore's favor.

So, after a lot of hours of following this team and the league and in the process being forced to sit through the fake referees, the idiot talking heads and endless hours of talking lizards, flying pigs and robot teacher's pets it all comes down to a crew of gutless refs and their faceless backups in the booth who watched that play in crystal-clear HD slo-mo and somehow didn't think the HELMET TO HELMET HIT was worth noticing. That it somehow wasn't relevant to the outcome of the play. Not only did they choose not to see it, but neither Simms or Nantz did, which was pretty remarkable to me. It was so obvious that anybody who saw it was either sickened or should have been.

So much for player safety, the rules and the entire rotten core of the NFL. They got what they wanted. A great story about backyard battles of two brothers and the noble warrior Ray Lewis riding clouds of glory straight to heaven to war dance with his good buddy God.

It's all sick and crooked and I feel like the world's dumbest asshole for wasting the hours of my life watching this phony game. This sad joke that promises honor and delivers disgrace.

Bill Belichick will probably quit in disgust and I wouldn't blame him if he did.

There is no solace, are no silver linings, no promise of tomorrow. It's all a sick, twisted lie. I wouldn't watch the Super Bowl if you promised me that Bernard Pollard would paralyze himself trying to cheap-shot Kaepernick.

 

[ParanoidPatriot]

So the game hinged, basically, on one call.

With the eyes of an NFL-crazed country focused on Bernard Pollard spearing Ridley with at least his 2nd helmet-to-helmet hit of the evening-- this time the biggest cheap shot artist in the history of the NFL struck paydirt with a dirty, filthy knockout and the resultant "fumble" which turned the tide of the game in Baltimore's favor.

So, after a lot of hours of following this team and the league and in the process being forced to sit through the fake referees, the idiot talking heads and endless hours of talking lizards, flying pigs and robot teacher's pets it all comes down to a crew of gutless refs and their faceless backups in the booth who watched that play in crystal-clear HD slo-mo and somehow didn't think the HELMET TO HELMET HIT was worth noticing. That it somehow wasn't relevant to the outcome of the play. Not only did they choose not to see it, but neither Simms or Nantz did, which was pretty remarkable to me. It was so obvious that anybody who saw it was either sickened or should have been.

So much for player safety, the rules and the entire rotten core of the NFL. They got what they wanted. A great story about backyard battles of two brothers and the noble warrior Ray Lewis riding clouds of glory straight to heaven to war dance with his good buddy God.

It's all sick and crooked and I feel like the world's dumbest asshole for wasting the hours of my life watching this phony game. This sad joke that promises honor and delivers disgrace.

Bill Belichick will probably quit in disgust and I wouldn't blame him if he did.

There is no solace, are no silver linings, no promise of tomorrow. It's all a sick, twisted lie. I wouldn't watch the Super Bowl if you promised me that Bernard Pollard would paralyze himself trying to cheap-shot Kaepernick.

Agree on the non-call but this game was lost on missed opportunities.

 

[midgar8784]

Correct me if I am wrong, but does the helmet to helmet thing not matter against the running backs on run plays?

 

[Pneumonic]

That non call wouldn't have made a difference in the outcome off this one unfortunately. The Pats didn't have the balls to beat this Ravens team.

 

[RonBrace]

It also looked like Ridley was down anyways.

 

[DeweyTime]

Correct me if I am wrong, but does the helmet to helmet thing not matter against the running backs on run plays?

No and that's the hypocritical problem. All running backs turn that helmet into a weapon and no one cares. I wish I could blame Pollard on that one, but Ridley set himself up for the knockout blow.

 

[megapwn]

Nah, man.

For one thing, the game didn't "hinge" on that play. The Patriots were already down 8 when that happened. They were still 11 yards short of midfield too, so a score was hardly imminent or assured. Considering their red zone woes all game long, I'd say the game hinged just as much on a number of other plays and mistakes - the failure to take the timeout at the end of the first half comes to mind.

For another, anyone with eyes could see that Pollard was aiming at the runner's chest. It became helmet-to-helmet because Ridley lowered his head. If you're going to penalize the defender for that, you might as well cancel football, because things are officially ridiculous. The only way you can make football less dangerous is to not have guys hitting each other at high velocity like that at all, because helmet collisions WILL happen and, as in this case, often times they'll just be highly dangerous accidents. (Which is not to say Pollard is or isn't a cheap shot artist or dirty player - but that play was clean.)

And of course the gist of your post is that somehow the game was rigged because of this no-call. Nope, sorry. No way the refs influenced the outcome. I actually was surprised how much they did NOT interject themselves into the game.

 

[Jaric]

Correct me if I am wrong, but does the helmet to helmet thing not matter against the running backs on run plays?

Yeah it's just QBs and receivers you can't hit in the head.

 

[The Hoodie]

I was very angry that it was a fumble mostly because I thought the head to head hit was illegal, but turns out it doesn't count for RBs.

However I do disagree that the call had a huge impact on the game. It certainly mattered, but other things have gone wrong.

 

[Providence Colt]

Q: Can you give an explanation on what you saw in the hood when you went to review the (Stevan Ridley) fumble in the fourth quarter that confirmed the ruling on the field?

Bill Leavy: “What I saw was the receiver was going to the ground, had both legs off the ground, no body part was on the ground. The ball hit his knee and dislodged from his hand before the rest of his body hit the ground, therefore it was a fumble and we confirmed it.”

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4738966/referee-explains-fumble-review

 

[HSanders]

It's OK, Pollard is too busy being mad at TB because he thought TB was trying to kick him.

Danny Picard ‏@DannyPicard
Bernard Pollard calls Tom Brady's high leg on the slide, "Bull crap."

 

[OSUBuckeye]

It's OK, Pollard is too busy being mad at TB because he thought TB was trying to kick him.

Danny Picard ‏@DannyPicard
Bernard Pollard calls Tom Brady's high leg on the slide, "Bull crap."

I'm just glad that Brady didn't break his own leg doing that.

I just watched the video of of it & he really could have hurt himself.

 

[HSanders]

Since this is a thread where we can bitch, Here's Suggs bitching too:

Dan Wetzel ‏@DanWetzel
Terrell Suggs: "These are the most arrogant pricks in the world starting with Belichick on down."
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/20/terrell-suggs-tears-into-patriots/

Terrell Suggs tears into Patriots

Posted by Mike Florio on January 20, 2013, 11:08 PM EST

Getty Images
Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs doesn’t like the Patriots. And now that he’s on his way to the first Super Bowl of his career after beating them in the AFC title game, Suggs has teed off on his team’s long-time nemesis.

“Tell them to have fun at the Pro Bowl,” Suggs said after the game, via Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports. “Arrogant f–kers.”

Suggs elaborated, explaining that, in his view, “These are the most arrogant pricks in the world starting with [coach Bill] Belichick on down.”

Suggs eventually calmed down, but only after pointing out that “ever since Spygate they haven’t been able to win.”

“All BS aside they are a hell of a ball club,” Suggs said. “They have the right to be arrogant.”

Under that standard, the Ravens do, too. Five straight playoff berths. Five straight years with at least one playoff win. Three AFC championship games. And now, finally, their first trip back to the Super Bowl in 12 years.

We’ve got a feeling that, win or lose, Suggs won’t be calling the 49ers coach an “arrogant prick” two weeks from tonight.

 

[patriots pam]

It's OK, Pollard is too busy being mad at TB because he thought TB was trying to kick him.

Danny Picard ‏@DannyPicard
Bernard Pollard calls Tom Brady's high leg on the slide, "Bull crap."

I kinda thought Brady was really trying to kick him in the nuts, which frankly, I thought was awesome. Sadly turned out to be the highlight of the game.
coffee
cilantrotasteslikesoap
bittertears

 

[Ras]

Piss and moan all you want about the call.....it was a fumble.

 

[HSanders]

Deion responds (sorry for the mini hijack, Hawg)

http://blog.masslive.com/patriots/2013/01/terrell_suggs_calls_new_englan.html

A few minutes later, in the Ravens locker room, Suggs told reporters that the Patriots are "arrogant" from "Belichick on down." When told of Suggs' comments by reporters in the locker room, Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch responded that champions are held to a higher standard.

"I think champions carry themselves a little differently," Branch said. "I think if you go and talk to Ray (Lewis) it might be a little bit different. You're hearing it from some other guys and those guys aren't champions. That's not the way a true champion talks, regardless of whether you win or lose."

 

[Providence Colt]

Deion responds (sorry for the mini hijack, Hawg)

http://blog.masslive.com/patriots/2013/01/terrell_suggs_calls_new_englan.html

A few minutes later, in the Ravens locker room, Suggs told reporters that the Patriots are "arrogant" from "Belichick on down." When told of Suggs' comments by reporters in the locker room, Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch responded that champions are held to a higher standard.

"I think champions carry themselves a little differently," Branch said. "I think if you go and talk to Ray (Lewis) it might be a little bit different. You're hearing it from some other guys and those guys aren't champions. That's not the way a true champion talks, regardless of whether you win or lose."

After Belichick stiffed CBS of an interview, I'm not sure if I'd be quite so condescending about how one's conducting themselves in the post-game aftermath.

 

[HSanders]

After Belichick stiffed CBS of an interview, I'm not sure if I'd be quite so condescending about how one's conducting themselves in the post-game aftermath.

BB and Harbaugh met up postgame and hugged and talked. Afterwards he said the Ravens did everything better than the Pats and deserved to win.He wasn't shrieking sh*ttalking crap to any reporter who would listen...that's the difference. What BB did contradicts nothing Deion said IMO. Honestly I'm kind of shocked Suggs talked all that mess. He handled himself very well after they lost last year's AFCC.

 

[anderson]

After Belichick stiffed CBS of an interview, I'm not sure if I'd be quite so condescending about how one's conducting themselves in the post-game aftermath.

Pretty sure declining an interview is a lot more gracious than calling the losers a bunch of arrogant ****ers.

 

[PatsFanDan]

Pretty sure declining an interview is a lot more gracious than calling the losers a bunch of arrogant ****ers.

Yeah, honestly this shit about Belichick and Brady being poor losers gets old. These guys hate to lose. If the rest of the league doesn't like it, F them. It's what makes these guys great.

You all would rather have your coaches and players all happy, go lucky shaking hands at mid field.

**** that.

I want my guys pissed off that they lost. And ready to kick the dog when they get home. You don't like it....piss off johnny. enuff said.