After watching the championship games Sunday, I saw a ton of posts on the bad calls from both the games.
It’s all part of the game, though. The referees are as much a part of an outcome as players and coaches. They are variables. They always impact outcomes. Always have. We like to believe the game is just the players and coaches, but that’s far from true. Weather, health, coaching, turf, and inside versus outside are all factors—referees, too. I wouldn’t have it any other way lest the game becomes too predictable. Hell, I love using bad calls as an excuse for a loss.
Some of these “bad calls” become reasons for rule changes. It’s not always a good thing, though. Let’s not forget the controversial Bert Emanuel catch/no catch or the Brady Tuck rule. Fans are always going to complain about the officiating of games. That’s just part of the thrill of sports.
It’s when calls and officiating actually continue to cause rule changes that it bothers me. Be aware there will always be blown calls. No one is perfect, but for those calls to cause enough uproar that rules begin to be changed for the worse, that’s when we should become concerned. Hopefully the league leaves well enough alone.
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Written by: Johnny Dean
