Sympathy for the Devil

Well gee, I wonder if anyone saw the end of Monday Night Football. I couldn’t be sure, having not seen the footage enough times, or from enough angles, through enough enhancement filters, with PHD Physicists discussing how much of the ball Golden Tate was touching with his fingertips by percentage (Not Hyperbole: “ESPN Sports Science”). I’ll go out on a limb though, and say that I think the replacement officials blew a pretty important call on Monday Night Football which cost Green Bay a game.

It’s a good week to be a charity.

The NFL League Offices have handed down various memos and fines throughout both preseason and regular season games, warning that coaches and players will be fined for any public comments or actions that condemn or attempt to coerce the Replacement Officials. As of Wednesday, September 26, two fines have already come down over behavior toward officials from games on Sunday. Coach Bill Belicheck was fined fifty thousand dollars for trying to grab a Replacement by the arm after their controversial loss in Baltimore. Denver Coach Jeff McDaniels was fined twenty-five thousand for running after a Replacement into the tunnel. On “Around the Horn”, sports writer Kevin Smith called it “money well spent”. There’s no telling just how much damage the debacle of MNF will inflict on players and coaches, not to mention the glut of Twitter profanity (something that in and of itself has earned fines in the past).

I’ve dubbed it: Tate-Gate. And it’s all anyone is talking about this week.

No mention of the Minnesota Miracle, wherein the 49ers got ambushed on the road, fighting back by befuddling the Replacements into granting challenges after no timeouts remained. No mention of Justin Tucker’s phantom field goal in Baltimore which sailed almost in, almost out, over the upright- a bizarre echo of the missed field goal that sent New England to the Super Bowl last year. It was just one of those freaky, fluke weeks where most of the home teams leaped on the visitors, regardless of talent. I’m putting the New Orleans @ Green Bay game this week on “Shootout Watch”. Start The Pack, start the Saints- both those teams want this one Bad-ly. Neither Defense is what it was in 2011.

Through all the griping, the shouting, the four letter words, the shame- Steve Young hit the nail on the head in week two when he called the demand for the NFL “inelastic”. Everybody’s so furious, and I promise you that Roger Goodell doesn’t give a flying (care). His job is to essentially be a corporate scapegoat, so when people get mad, he’s out front to eat it with a smile. He’s paid well to do this.

Goodell is not his own boss, it’s his responsibility to ensure that a group of equity partners continue to watch the profit margin go up. Partners like Jerry Jones, (redacted), (redacted) and (redacted). Here are some of Jerry’s comments after the Monday Night Game.

“It’s exciting. It gives us a lot to talk about on our shows that we have. Fundamentally, when I look at where the league is over the first three ballgames, it’s great. We have a lot of competition.”

-Jerry Jones: (cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/)

From Jerry’s perspective, all this controversy is great. It keeps him “trending” at his advanced age, keeps his stock prices rising and doesn’t affect his team directly. Viva La Tate-Gate. I’ve had people come up to me swearing that the players, the coaches, the owners, the broadcasters and everyone in between who works for the league needs to do something about these horrible injustices, completely missing the obvious fact that it’s we, the fans, who are really in control of the state of negotiations between the Officials and the League. As long as the numbers keep increasing, stock-holders couldn’t care less about the quality of product they put out.

“NFL fans on both sides of the aisle hope the refs’ lockout is settled soon.”
-President Barack Obama (SeattleTimes.com)

Wednesday Night Breaking News Update: After a long day of negotiations, at long last a Collective Bargaining Agreement has been reached. Ed Hoculi and the Regulars will return to active duty for the Thursday Night Football matchup between the Ravens and Browns. I have no doubt they will receive a very appreciative round of applause when they take the field for the first time in 2012. Let’s move on to some picks.

Players I’m High on.

Aaron Rodgers (QB-GB)- Nobody (except maybe teammate MD Jennings) has more to play for on Sunday than A-Rod. I like this to be the week that he shows all the doubters why he was drafted so high on fantasy boards.

Anquan Boldin & Torrey Smith (WR-Bal)- Thursday Night’s game just became a historical event, even before the coin flip. Look for often criticized, Joe Flacco to bring fireworks to a game where all contact downfield is called. With the officials, explosive offenses ought to come back as well.

Ahmad Bradshaw (RB- NYG)- He’s Ba-ack. The Giant’s offense has looked really great at times in ’12, at other times, not so much. Now that Andre Brown has established himself as a reliable sledge-hammer backup, look for these two to work in tandem to tear down Philly’s undersized D-Line in a week when LeSean McCoy and Osi Umeniyura have been trading talk show trash talk.

Players I’m Dry on.

DeMarco Murray (RB- Dal)- Cowboys are unreliable at best, and Chicago’s Defense seems to have located the fountain of youth this season. I anticipate the Cowboys to trail at half-time and all but abandon their hit-and-miss run game all together in the second half. Miles Austin is the Cowboy you want this week.

Robert Griffin III (QB- Was)- So, now that we have a respectable sample size on RG3, the cracks in his armor are starting to show. Lacks composure. Griffin has gone on record, more than once, criticizing the replacement refs for allowing him to take shots after the whistle. While he might have a point, there are two flaws in that argument: First, Griffin is a mobile Quarterback, he’s often praised and was highly drafted because of his elusiveness and escape ability. He doesn’t get to whine when linebackers counter that elusiveness by planting him in the turf. Secondly, I’m not convinced that the real refs are going to rally to Griffin’s cause the way he seems to think they will. Unless Pierre Garcon becomes suddenly a “Probable” start from his foot injury, it seems like a good week to bench RG3.

Every Single Pittsburg Steeler and Indianapolis Colt- Bye weeks have arrived, don’t get caught sleepin’.

Players I Cry On: Just one, to put a bow on it.

Roger Goodell (Commish- NFL)- I really do sympathize with Goodell this week. Controversies like Tate-Gate are the reason that Goodell makes so much to do so little. He’s out front, to protect the share-holders from mud slingers. Goodell’s job is fairly simple: Keep profits going up, keep lawsuits down (Meet Mitt Romney’s favorite NFL Superstar). He really has done a lot for reducing brain trauma, and last year took a lot of heat for the rule changes designed to protect players’ heads. I really do think that Goodell loves the game, and I also think that he wants to get the best possible product onto the field, but to him the NFL is a business, to we fans it’s religion. A CBA has been reached, let’s grow up a little and give thanks- or at very least, share a little sympathy for the Most Hated Man in America.

“We are sorry to have to put our fans through that, but it is something that in the short term you sometimes have to do to make sure you get the right kind of deal for the long term and make sure you continue to grow the game.”
-Roger Goodell (espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8431573/roger-goodell-apologizes-fans-replacement-refs)

Need a bye week fill in? Holla’ at ya boy! [email protected]