View Full Version : Super Bowl officiating
Wreave
05 Feb 2008, 12:54 PM
Even before I became a referee myself, I was never one to criticize officials. As my Dad says, "Quality of officiating always exceeds quality of play." Referees make a lot fewer mistakes than players and coaches.
That having been said, I do have an eye for mistakes - it's part of being a ref - and I often see calls that I disagree with, even at the highest levels. In the games leading up to this weekend's big game, I saw several things I didn't like. The regular season Giants-Pats matchup saw, in the mind of this reviewer, a few really questionable calls.
However, the calls made (and not made) in the Super Bowl appeared, for all intents and purposes, to be flawless. In a game this close, with so much on the line, even the most minor errors would have been serious points of contention. However, I have neither heard nor seen word one about the game's officiating. The only real mention of the referees was in the melee at 59:59, when they had to clear the fields and run the last play. The only challenge was the one over the Giants player not clearing the field in time, and that was hardly a point of significance.
As I referee, I strive every time I take the field to deliver a perfect game to the players, so they can get every bit of the outcome they deserve. It's a hard task, and really the best we can hope for is that the mistakes we do make do not impact the final outcome. The ref crew on the Super Bowl really set a high bar - in a game of historical importance, with such a close score and the game down to the wire, they delivered nothing short of perfection.
Hats off!
:eek: The head slap to a defender by Burress on the first drive was egregious.
That said, the overall job was good.
Disclaimer: While I may cheer loud and long for Kraft's other football team, my Super Bowl interest was strictly mercenary. Giants "m2", Pats "n5" would have made me happy. ;)
ctreferee
05 Feb 2008, 03:15 PM
An official calling that in the superbowl would have been CRUCIFIED had it affected the game
An official calling that in the superbowl would have been CRUCIFIED had it affected the game
??? Not calling it was certainly a major component of the first possession of the game.
Calls and non-calls are all decisions of the game.
Craig P
05 Feb 2008, 04:18 PM
An official calling that in the superbowl would have been CRUCIFIED had it affected the game
Crucified for calling a flagrant offensive pass interference infraction correctly? Yeah, right. :rolleyes:
I assume we're talking about the play on the second possession (not the first) where Toomer (not Burress) pushed off on Hobbs to get the separation to catch the ball, and in pushing off got one hand up into Hobbs's facemask.
Fortunately, Manning was subsequently intercepted, so it didn't actually affect the outcome of the game (notwithstanding field position differences, neither team scored for the rest of the half).
Ref Flunkie
05 Feb 2008, 07:36 PM
I see some Patriots fans visit these boards quite often. No way that was a push off...both were hand fighting and Toomer won.
No homer here. The officials let the Patriot tackler on the first play get in two or three good elbows. Just saying that I don't think that the officiating was as pristine as the OP saw it.
ctreferee
05 Feb 2008, 07:55 PM
i was referring to the slaps that were exchanged after the play in the first drive, where i believe a no call was the correct call
Nesto
05 Feb 2008, 08:29 PM
I see some Patriots fans visit these boards quite often. No way that was a push off...both were hand fighting and Toomer won.
No way that was "hand fighting." Had Toomer's hand gone to the chest - no problem. But that was clearly to the facemask - no question. AR, errr.... side judge was in position to have seen it.
IMO, that was really the only missed call of the game. Not a pristine game, but I think the ref (who was doing his first Super Bowl) did a great job. Players were feisty in the first quarter, but it was a well played game.
USSF REF
05 Feb 2008, 08:50 PM
THE GIANTS ARE THE SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS!!! GO BIG BLUE!!
Mike Cary's crew gets top notch ratings from me.
refereejoe
05 Feb 2008, 10:24 PM
Definitely offensive pass interference. That was clear as day and an absolute missed call.
Giant's fumbled at the LOS with a Pat retrieving the ball. Clearly was down on the ground with his arms around the ball, players piled on top of him. TV shows three replays of it from different angles, and all angles showed the same.
But before the pile cleared a Giants player snatched the ball away. End result? Giants recovery.
Terrible, terrible missed calls that greatly affected the outcome of the game.
But probably not so much as Pats not going for a field goal on 4th and 13 or whatever that was. Ridiculous.
Craig P
06 Feb 2008, 02:22 AM
I disagree on the non-recovery by Woods. I don't think he actually gained possession of the ball, and that's why Bradshaw came out with it.
Ref Flunkie
06 Feb 2008, 06:51 AM
No way that was "hand fighting." Had Toomer's hand gone to the chest - no problem. But that was clearly to the facemask - no question. AR, errr.... side judge was in position to have seen it.
IMO, that was really the only missed call of the game. Not a pristine game, but I think the ref (who was doing his first Super Bowl) did a great job. Players were feisty in the first quarter, but it was a well played game.
It isn't a missed call then if he saw it :). Clearly the Side Judge knew what he was doing.
Sorry boys, but in football, you better hold onto that fumble that hits your hands or you don't get possession.
Typically, most Super Bowls go off without a hitch for the officiating crew. I can't say I can recall a Super Bowl its a major officiating controversy.
Wreave
06 Feb 2008, 10:12 AM
Giant's fumbled at the LOS with a Pat retrieving the ball. Clearly was down on the ground with his arms around the ball, players piled on top of him. TV shows three replays of it from different angles, and all angles showed the same.
All angles *did* show the same... that the Pats player landed on the ball, but did not get possession, with the ball down at his upper legs. At that point, the ball was swept away by the Giants, and they kept it.
Question: if the replays were so definitive, why did Coach Hoodie's flag not come out? Certainly, there were plenty of angles, and plenty of time for a booth review.
Answer: because even Coach Hoodie knew that the Giants recovered.
I'm getting kind of sorry I brought this up. It seemed to me that the game was called exceptionally well. Although there may be a few fans, including those on this board, who can't accept the outcome, the fact that not even the Boston media have mentioned officiating as a factor tells me that there is nothing to complain about.
...
But probably not so much as Pats not going for a field goal on 4th and 13 or whatever that was. Ridiculous.
Ayup! :rolleyes:
USSF REF
06 Feb 2008, 11:37 AM
All angles *did* show the same... that the Pats player landed on the ball, but did not get possession, with the ball down at his upper legs. At that point, the ball was swept away by the Giants, and they kept it.
Question: if the replays were so definitive, why did Coach Hoodie's flag not come out? Certainly, there were plenty of angles, and plenty of time for a booth review.
Answer: because even Coach Hoodie knew that the Giants recovered.
I'm getting kind of sorry I brought this up. It seemed to me that the game was called exceptionally well. Although there may be a few fans, including those on this board, who can't accept the outcome, the fact that not even the Boston media have mentioned officiating as a factor tells me that there is nothing to complain about.
That's right! Mr. Carey's crew did a great job, as I stated before. The Pats only have themselves to blame. GO GIANTS!
Jasonma
06 Feb 2008, 12:26 PM
Typically, most Super Bowls go off without a hitch for the officiating crew. I can't say I can recall a Super Bowl its a major officiating controversy.
Super Bowl XL, Steelers - Seahawks. Most noticeable on a whole list of questionable calls was Matt Hasslebeck being penalized for an illegal block...for trying to tackle the DB who had just intercepted him.
There were a number of other questionable calls, but I think the kicker is the fact that Holmgren went off on the officials at the pep rally in Seattle afte the game, and the NFL didn't even give him a slap on the wrist for it. This in a league where wearing the wrong color of socks or even looking at a ref the wrong way gets you fined.
Rufusabc
06 Feb 2008, 12:53 PM
I was listening to the radio during the week before the game, and the League VP of officiating was on with the guys from WFAN in New York. I don't think the podcast is available of the discussion, but from OUR standpoint it was very interesting. He discussed trifling calls of holding, and since the show is simulcast on the YES network there were vid clips of what he was talking about. He said you almost could call holding on every play, but what they look for is holding that AFFECTS the outcome, near the ball carrier for instance, or something that springs the ball carrier. I thought it was a frank discussion, which led the radio guys to allude to the Pitt-Seahawk Super Bowl of a couple years back. The league Guy didn't come right out and say it, but he led me to believe that the league agreed with Holmgren that the game was very poorly officiated and that several calls were dubious. I don't think Holmgren was fined for his 12th man comment that he made post game that year.
About that fumble, I heard a radio clip where the Pat lineman said he rolled over and the ball was taken off his stomach by the Giant. He had no beef with the way it was adjudicated. Also, Phil Simms said on the radio the day after that he didn't think that call was reviewable, but I'm not sure. And even if it was, the vid evidence seemed to be inconclusive.
bluedevils
06 Feb 2008, 01:01 PM
wreave, I'm glad you started this thread. As an impartial observer (on 1 hand, I wanted to see NE post an undefeated season, on the other hand I wanted the underdog NYG to pull off the upset) who saw about 80% of the game including some of the key calls discussed in this thread...it crossed my mind a couple times during the game that the crew was calling a great game. Mike Carey is one of the only NFL referees I recognize, and that's because I like his style and mannerisms when he is working a game.
Some people will bitch about the officiating no matter what, and this thread is proof of it.
USSF REF
06 Feb 2008, 01:50 PM
wreave, I'm glad you started this thread. As an impartial observer (on 1 hand, I wanted to see NE post an undefeated season, on the other hand I wanted the underdog NYG to pull off the upset) who saw about 80% of the game including some of the key calls discussed in this thread...it crossed my mind a couple times during the game that the crew was calling a great game. Mike Carey is one of the only NFL referees I recognize, and that's because I like his style and mannerisms when he is working a game.
Some people will bitch about the officiating no matter what, and this thread is proof of it.
Great point. Officials from all places get bashed all the time. It's impossible to get 100% of the calls right, considering at least 50% of the calls come down to judgment.
I know Mike Carey and I also know Ed Hochuli - he's the ref with the guns. http://www.jennyryu.com/myhollowleg/uploaded_images/hoch-747310.jpg
FIRST DOWN.