Referee bias? Nope

[MarcusRock]

Yup, me too. I was like, "Do I let tyke get it or do I take a swing?"

 

[morasp]

I'm going to try my theory this weekend in the divisional round of the playoffs by picking the winner of each game in the first quarter.

 

[terra]

Humans are biased. That is reality.

However the real problem is the fact that the NFL officials are frankly poor quality. Part of that has to be the FACT that the NFL is the ONLY PROFESSIONAL SPORTS LEAGUE IN THE WORLD WITHOUT PERMANENT OFFICIALS.

No one else uses part timers.

 

[Risen Star]

The Saints may have a legitimate grievance though.

 

[terra]

The Saints may have a legitimate grievance though.

But the referee apologists will claim its coincidental. Its poor quality part time refs that are the problem.

 

[shabazz]

I have a friend who's a Minnesota fan. Timberwolves, Vikings, Twins. He is 100% convinced that every sports league is so rigged that it's pre-determined and staged on the level of the WWE. Players are in on it, Coaches, Refs, Announcers, exactly like professional wrestling. On the Browns forum, there are a lot of people who think this way too. They get banned sometimes because they go so overboard with it. Cubs fans think they're "cursed." As do Indians fans.

Do you believe Steelers fans think the NFL is rigged? Ravens fans? Patriots fans? Do you think Yankees fans think baseball is rigged? Warriors fans think basketball is rigged?

There is a common denominator between all these theories: "Impressionable" fans of a team that doesn't win for long periods of time cannot accept that the team really is what they show on the field.

There's always going to be a team that's the least disciplined team in the league, that's how relativism works. Someone had to be at the bottom, and it's impossible, after everything you've seen over the last 3, 5, 10+ years, that it's Dallas? No other explanation than the NFL wants to lose money just so they don't see you move on in the playoffs?

Any Steelers, Packers or Patriots fan who thinks the officiating is biased against them needs to be in a straight jacket. It’s obvious these teams get more than fair treatment

My point has not been that there’s not just anti Cowboys bias….it’s that several teams seem to somehow be the only disciplined team even though coaches and players have changed through the years.

knowing that as Cowboy fans, we dislike the Skins and Eagles……but I would never say those teams have gotten the benefit from refs. As a matter of fact I have seen the Eagles get the shaft against the Steelers on many occasions courtesy of the refs……saying it’s a Cowboys issue is delusional but recognizing that other teams are getting the shaft shows a more open mind on the matter

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

I love the fuzzy logic of appealing to human bias as the mechanism and reason for the Cowboys getting supposedly jobbed.

Problem is these folks never stop and think:

1. If their pet theory was even remotely true, there could be just as many refs that are biased in favor of the Cowboys; and

2. Maybe their own biases as Cowboys fans shape the way they perceive the games being called.

Lulz.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

But the referee apologists will claim its coincidental. Its poor quality part time refs that are the problem.

NOBODY disputes that officiating across the league is awful.

 

[terra]

NOBODY disputes that officiating across the league is awful.

which means you can get biased refs as well, right? IF the quality is poor?

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

Any Steelers, Packers or Patriots fan who thinks the officiating is biased against them needs to be in a straight jacket. It’s obvious these teams get more than fair treatment

My point has not been that there’s not just anti Cowboys bias….it’s that several teams seem to somehow be the only disciplined team even though coaches and players have changed through the years.

knowing that as Cowboy fans, we dislike the Skins and Eagles……but I would never say those teams have gotten the benefit from refs. As a matter of fact I have seen the Eagles get the shaft against the Steelers on many occasions courtesy of the refs……saying it’s a Cowboys issue is delusional but recognizing that other teams are getting the shaft shows a more open mind on the matter

But the difference is the guy picking the players, the guy paying the players, the guy hiring those changing coaches is always the same. Jerry creates the atmosphere. Just as Howie and Lurie do, just as the Rooneys do. It's why the Steelers were an extremely discplined team under Cowher, and they continued to be under Tomlin, despite his Minnesota Vikings defense being third in the league in penalties assessed just the year prior to becoming a Steeler.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

which means you can get biased refs as well, right? IF the quality is poor?

But only “biased” against Cowboys right?

 

[Jake]

Humans are biased. That is reality.

However the real problem is the fact that the NFL officials are frankly poor quality. Part of that has to be the FACT that the NFL is the ONLY PROFESSIONAL SPORTS LEAGUE IN THE WORLD WITHOUT PERMANENT OFFICIALS.

No one else uses part timers.

NFL officials work one game per week. MLB, NHL, and NBA refs work several games per week (and still miss calls every game).

What are "permanent" officials in the NFL going to do all week, with no games, that would magically cause them to never miss calls?

 

[jazzcat22]

THERE ISNT ONE

THIS SEASON ALONE OUR OPPONENTS WERE FLAGGED THE 2ND MOST IN THE ENTIRE LEAGUE.

So what our opponents were flagged, it is the type of call and when is what hurts most. Yes there is a bias.

They called some meaningless penalties to even out the numbers, to make it not seem bias. But the calls on Dallas, were whoppers.

There, have a triple bagger to get some riled up.

Dallas caused their own losses for the most part, especially in the SF game.

 

[Jake]

The refs control games they want to control it's obvious to anyone with eyes and a brain... Not all penalties are created equally either. I've watched the Cowboys get hosed on some obvious bad calls that could of changed the game only to have the refs turn around and give out obvious make up calls by flagging the other team for medial things like holding on 1st down in the red zone with a chance to score.. We've all see it and thought to ourselves how obvious and calculated it was by the refs to flag our opponent in meaningless situations. I believe the league is rigged somewhat overall unfortunately, with so much money at stake, how could it not be?

The old "I can't prove anything I'm saying but if you don't agree with me then you're just stupid" canard.

The league makes billions no matter who wins. Most of it comes from TV, and no one gets better ratings than the Cowboys. So, logically, it makes no sense for them to screw the Cowboys out of the playoffs. The smart thing would be to keep Dallas in it as long as possible, and yet that doesn't happen. Go figure.

 

[Jake]

Many people don't really understand the concept of bias nor recognize that their bias impacts how they see things also.

Fans will apply bias to officials, always against their team (of course), while failing to acknowledge the one known bias is within themselves. Being a fan makes one inherently biased towards their favorite team. Naturally, their perception of everything becomes skewed based on that bias.

And yet, it's not them who is biased, it's some ref who works games across the league just so he can get an opportunity to screw their favorite team.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

Yup, me too. I was like, "Do I let tyke get it or do I take a swing?"

Whatcha got? I can take it.

 

[johneric8]

The old "I can't prove anything I'm saying but if you don't agree with me then you're just stupid" canard.

I do think Jerry rubs people the wrong way though, and he doesn't find favor with many in my opinion. Lots of people subscribe to the NFL being fixed, and if that's true, screwing Jerry may be part of the process for many reasons...

The league makes billions no matter who wins. Most of it comes from TV, and no one gets better ratings than the Cowboys. So, logically, it makes no sense for them to screw the Cowboys out of the playoffs. The smart thing would be to keep Dallas in it as long as possible, and yet that doesn't happen. Go figure.

The old "I can't prove anything I'm saying but if you don't agree with me then you're just stupid" canard.

The league makes billions no matter who wins. Most of it comes from TV, and no one gets better ratings than the Cowboys. So, logically, it makes no sense for them to screw the Cowboys out of the playoffs. The smart thing would be to keep Dallas in it as long as possible, and yet that doesn't happen. Go figure.

I do think Jerry rubs people the wrong way though, and he doesn't find favor with many in my opinion. Lots of people subscribe to the NFL being fixed, and if that's true, screwing Jerry may be part of the process for many reasons...

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

NFL officials work one game per week. MLB, NHL, and NBA refs work several games per week (and still miss calls every game).

What are "permanent" officials in the NFL going to do all week, with no games, that would magically cause them to never miss calls?

They’ll lift bro!!!

 

[tyke1doe]

There is a bias in everything humans do. It's not always intentional. Juts the way things get processed.

Your eye and brain don't see the world around you. It sees a construct. Your brain has to reassemble information it receives. It has to process and assess it's own information. There's no oversight.

So this brain has to judge a reconstruction of a ball or strike, a hold or twitch. It has to decide to call it or not call it. There are emotional "heat of the moment" factors involved. All kinds of factors, including "normal" human error.

It's true you could probably call a penalty on every play. Yet they don't. Bias.

It depends on what you mean by "bias." I don't call what you described as bias. Bias is applied primarily toward people, not objects or inanimate constructs like a strike zone. Here's an official definition: "prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair."

Now, I would agree with you that we all have biases, but with two exceptions.

Exception 1: Every moment of our lives aren't ruled by bias.

In split-second decisions, e.g., determining whether a runner is safe or out (which is what I'm talking about), I would argue strongly that there is no bias, meaning I'm not in that split-second decision of trying to make a fair call also calculating whether I like the runner or dislike the runner. The human mind doesn't work that way. The brain can't do two things at the same time unless trained to do so. And it is hard enough following the rules of a game and at the same time train yourself to make calls against a coach/player/team because you don't like them.

Now, if I have a chance to think about it (whether I liked the runner), bias might come in there. But, again, from my experience as an official, I have NEVER made calls against players, coaches or teams in a split-second decision because I dislike them. In fact, there are times when after I've made the call and processed the call, I discovered it favored a team whose coach I didn't particularly care for. LOL!

Exception 2: People can be TRAINED to overcome their biases.

We do this all the time. Doctors treat people who agree and disagree with them. Teachers instruct students who may have different belief systems and ways of life than they do. I could give other examples, but I don't want to transgress any forum rules.

And I have learned to overcome my biases because I try to live by a higher principle that embraces fairness for all. That doesn't mean I'm not human. Yes, I make mistakes in officiating. But that's not bias.

In this most recent case, yes, the ref should have been trailing the play quicker. But ... THAT IS NOT BIAS! And, you couldn't prove it even if you thought so unless the ref said, "I hated those Dallas Cowboys and took my precious time setting the ball." That would be bias because it involves a human articulating his disdain for a particular team and creating an unfair environment because of his emotions and feelings for a particular team.

Outside verifiable proof, I would call it a mistake.

Let's make sure we understand our terms before we assault another's character.

 

[tyke1doe]

The refs control games they want to control it's obvious to anyone with eyes and a brain... Not all penalties are created equally either. I've watched the Cowboys get hosed on some obvious bad calls that could of changed the game only to have the refs turn around and give out obvious make up calls by flagging the other team for medial things like holding on 1st down in the red zone with a chance to score.. We've all see it and thought to ourselves how obvious and calculated it was by the refs to flag our opponent in meaningless situations. I believe the league is rigged somewhat overall unfortunately, with so much money at stake, how could it not be?

Let's see ...

The game is rigged by the league.

It's all about money.

The Dallas Cowboys are the league's cash cow.

So the league colludes with the refs to prevent the Cowboys from winning and generating the league even more money, especially the Super Bowl when not just avid football fans but the world is tuned in and one of those teams is not the internationally popular Dallas Cowboys?