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Denver Native (Carol)
01-08-2014, 05:54 PM
Referee Clete Blakeman might not be well-known among Broncos fans — he hasn’t worked a Denver game this season. But he is well-known in New England and Carolina.

Blakeman — a four-year NFL ref who wears No. 34 — was in charge of the November game between the Patriots and Panthers that ended in controversial fashion. He overruled a back judge’s call of interference after Tom Brady threw toward Rob Gronkowski in the end zone. And the Panthers won.

And, further infuriating Pats fans, Blakeman didn’t give an explanation, saying only: “There is no foul on the play. The game is over.”

rest - http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2014/01/08/nfl-assigns-controversial-referee-clete-blakeman-to-broncos-chargers-playoff-game/24804/

Denver Native (Carol)
01-08-2014, 05:55 PM
from same article:


With six years in the NFL — four as a referee and two as a field judge — Blakeman is the least experienced ref in the NFL this season.

A quick glance at Blakeman’s stats shows that he called 5 percent more penalties against the home team this season than the league average. He and his crew also flagged the most offensive pass interference calls this season. But he calls slightly fewer penalties overall than the NFL ref average.

http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/...ff-game/24804/

VonDoom
01-08-2014, 05:58 PM
I thought his reputation was that he gave in to crowd pressure and therefore favored the home team.

If that's true, than I don't see a problem

Al Wilson 4 Mayor
01-08-2014, 05:58 PM
from same article:



st.com/broncos/2014/01/08/nfl-assigns-controversial-referee-clete-blakeman-to-broncos-chargers-playoff-game/24804/

Great...

Al Wilson 4 Mayor
01-08-2014, 05:59 PM
rest - http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2014/01/08/nfl-assigns-controversial-referee-clete-blakeman-to-broncos-chargers-playoff-game/24804/

I think that's a little inaccurate. They explained it afterwards saying that the ball wasn't catchable, which is why they withdrew the flag.

Northman
01-08-2014, 06:05 PM
This doesnt bode well. We will just have to win by 30.

Denver Native (Carol)
01-08-2014, 06:07 PM
I thought his reputation was that he gave in to crowd pressure and therefore favored the home team.

If that's true, than I don't see a problem

In the posted article, it says he called 5 percent more penalties against the home team this season.

Nomad
01-08-2014, 06:10 PM
He did the BRONCOS a favor, what's the problem here?

Joel
01-08-2014, 06:46 PM
In the posted article, it says he called 5 percent more penalties against the home team this season.
Right, but I believe the point was that he drew "controversy" SOLELY because he had his crew PICK UP a flag against the home team at the end of the NE@Carolina game. Before that, no one ever paid any attention to him, and we can't say, "he's an unfair ref because he unfairly penalizes home teams and unfairly overruled a penalty against the home team." Sounds like much ado about nothing, though the note about more offensive PIs is a bit alarming. We've periodically had problems with getting flagged for offensive PI and NOT getting clear DEFENSIVE PI calls.

Like Northman says, hopefully we bury them early so it doesn't matter; maybe get Osweiler some playoff experience doing more than handing off.

MOtorboat
01-08-2014, 06:58 PM
Referees: Something people worry WAY too much about.

Joel
01-08-2014, 07:04 PM
Referees: Something people worry WAY too much about.
No, this is an outrage: I DEMAND Ed Hochuli call this game! ;)

Ziggy
01-08-2014, 07:12 PM
There will be no excuses when we beat the Chargers. Not refs, not weather, not injuries. Denver will improvise, adapt, and overcome. Life is good.

VonDoom
01-08-2014, 07:12 PM
In the posted article, it says he called 5 percent more penalties against the home team this season.

I heard this anecdotally on another board; no idea if it's really true. There was this though ...


He did the BRONCOS a favor, what's the problem here?

This was definitely a call in the home team's favor, correct or not.

Really, we shouldn't be worried about the refs, the weather, the SI cover curse. I do hope we bury them early, though. It'll help my stress level getting my kids ready for bed.

Nomad
01-08-2014, 07:48 PM
Oh well....Bill Leavy helped the Steelers in their Superbowl win then he screwed the Steelers in the Chiefs-Chargers game.

No one wants to see a Philip Rivers vs Tom Brady AFCCG....that's why Blackeman was brought in:lol:

tripp
01-08-2014, 08:04 PM
Penalty trigger happy referee to an already undisciplined defense. Perfect.

spikerman
01-08-2014, 08:25 PM
Hopefully everyone understands that the Referee calls VERY few penalties himself. Yes, he announces them, but he relies on the crew to tell him what happened on most of the plays. For instance, the "uncatchable pass" - Blakeman would not have had them pick up the flag because he wouldn't have known from his position whether the pass was catchable or not. I guarantee another official (or more) came in and told him that it wasn't catchable so he picked it up. Now, it may be fair to say that his crew called more penalties, but that point is moot as well because this won't be his normal crew. These officials are picked based on their grades during the regular season.

Nothing to see here.

Timmy!
01-09-2014, 03:35 AM
Oh good god, not a whole extra 5% more than average against the home team! The horror.

SM19
01-09-2014, 06:14 AM
Count your blessings. This is much better than ever having to see that idiot Vinovich again in the playoffs.

topscribe
01-09-2014, 01:06 PM
No, this is an outrage: I DEMAND Ed Hochuli call this game! ;)
That would have been a kick for Hochuli to have been assigned to the game
and then watch the meltdown on the SD board. :laugh:
.

PatriotsGuy
01-09-2014, 01:11 PM
Good news guys! This means defenders hugging receivers in the end zone when the ball is in the air is allowed! Everyone snuggle Gates!

slim
01-09-2014, 01:44 PM
Good news guys! This means defenders hugging receivers in the end zone when the ball is in the air is allowed! Everyone snuggle Gates!

This only applies if you have a girly QB that underthrows the receiver by 10 yards. So not likely to happen to us.

PatriotsGuy
01-09-2014, 01:46 PM
This only applies if you have a girly QB that underthrows the receiver by 10 yards. So not likely to happen to us.

Hmmm, true. Your QB will throw it right to the defender.

WTE
01-09-2014, 02:01 PM
Hmmm, true. Your QB will throw it right to the defender.

and then display his pouty face.

Joel
01-09-2014, 02:09 PM
Hmmm, true. Your QB will throw it right to the defender.
It's funny, when your QB broke the season TD record by just 1 toss at the end of a close win (but couldn't win the postseason rematch) he needed Randy Moss to ALSO break the record for TD CATCHES in a season (22.) Yet when our QB regained his passing record (by 5, not 1) he did it without throwing >14 to any one receiver (but 10+ to FOUR different receivers.) Seems like he spreads the ball around pretty well and accurately. But hey, good luck with Edelman and Amendola trying to prove Brady doesn't need an elite receiver this weekend. ;)

As far as the Carolina game: Carolina picked Brady off at least 3 yds in front of Gronk, so even if Kuechly hadn't been on the field Gronk would've needed a 20' long jump (while running the other way) to make a play on that ball—and it would've been Offensive PI because he would've had to go through the guy who caught it. The ball was uncatchable because it never got anywhere near Bradys intended receiver; next time don't underthrow into traffic with the game on the line.

PatriotsGuy
01-09-2014, 02:13 PM
It's funny, when your QB broke the season TD record by just 1 toss at the end of a close win (but couldn't win the postseason rematch) he needed Randy Moss to ALSO break the record for TD CATCHES in a season (22.) Yet when our QB regained his passing record (by 5, not 1) he did it without throwing >14 to any one receiver (but 10+ to FOUR different receivers.) Seems like he spreads the ball around pretty well and accurately. But hey, good luck with Edelman and Amendola trying to prove Brady doesn't need an elite receiver this weekend. ;)

As far as the Carolina game: Carolina picked Brady off at least 3 yds in front of Gronk, so even if Kuechly hadn't been on the field Gronk would've needed a 20' long jump (while running the other way) to make a play on that ball—and it would've been Offensive PI because he would've had to go through the guy who caught it. The ball was uncatchable because it never got anywhere near Bradys intended receiver; next time don't underthrow into traffic with the game on the line.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vng4fR8O17I

Broncolingus
01-09-2014, 02:19 PM
I have (generally) never been a fan of NFL officials b/c I think they spend wayyyy too much time on TV than they should...

...that said, I think the Bronco's have plenty more to worry about (eg...defense and ST) for the playoffs than which State Farm reps they get...

...JMO.

Angel
01-09-2014, 02:53 PM
always glad to see a ref that refuses to give a game to the pats like most nfl refs do, Bronco's won't need any help from the refs to beat the chargers,

Bronco's 48 Chargers 16

Joel
01-09-2014, 03:06 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vng4fR8O17I
As you can see, I was being generous when I said the ball was picked "at least 3 yds" in front of Gronk (or rather, behind him, since he was running AWAY from the ball.) I concede for the sake of argument Gronk could've stopped his motion AWAY from the ball in the 0.5 second they claim, but STRONGLY dispute he could've used an 8' reach to close the 18' feet to the ball in 0.1 seconds. That's 18' in a 10th of a second: No freakin' way. d=½at​2, which in this case means 5.5m=½a(0.1s)2; solve for Gronks necessary acceleration:

5.5m=½a(0.1s)2
11m=a(0.1s)2
11m=a0.01s2
1100m/s2=a

Either 1) Rob Gronkowskis standing acceleration's ~2/3 of a MILE per second per second or 2) there's no way in HELL he can cross 6 yds in 0.1 seconds from a dead stop; Kuechly's irrelevant.

"Kuechly's irrelevant" translates directly into "uncatchable ball." And, even were all that not so, there's still the annoying fact that—even if Gronk DID strap a Saturn V to his back and cross 6 yds in a 10 tenth of a second from a dead stop—he'd STILL have to go through the Panthers DB to make the catch (i.e. Offensive PI.) Don't forget: It was 4th down with 0:02 left, Pats down 4; an incomplete pass ends the Pats possession and the game as surely as the pick did: Unless Gronk can catch it (which he couldn't) all else is irrelevant.

Also note that even your links conclusion doesn't offer any stronger argument for the penalty than "it PROBABLY didn't matter." Saying, "the refs probably got it right, but there's a small possibility they didn't" isn't much of a smoking gun (though I still contend even that small possibility is actually nonexistent unless Gronk can teleport.) If it makes you feel better, the refs also didn't call an obvious leg whip from your third string OT that took Carolinas best pass rusher out of the game for most of the second half.

BroncoNut
01-09-2014, 03:13 PM
Hopefully everyone understands that the Referee calls VERY few penalties himself. Yes, he announces them, but he relies on the crew to tell him what happened on most of the plays. For instance, the "uncatchable pass" - Blakeman would not have had them pick up the flag because he wouldn't have known from his position whether the pass was catchable or not. I guarantee another official (or more) came in and told him that it wasn't catchable so he picked it up. Now, it may be fair to say that his crew called more penalties, but that point is moot as well because this won't be his normal crew. These officials are picked based on their grades during the regular season.

Nothing to see here.

I appreciate your opinion, but in mine, referees do far more damage than good.

spikerman
01-09-2014, 05:44 PM
I appreciate your opinion, but in mine, referees do far more damage than good.
I thought most of the people came to the games to watch the officials.

Nomad
01-09-2014, 07:26 PM
Hopefully everyone understands that the Referee calls VERY few penalties himself. Yes, he announces them, but he relies on the crew to tell him what happened on most of the plays. For instance, the "uncatchable pass" - Blakeman would not have had them pick up the flag because he wouldn't have known from his position whether the pass was catchable or not. I guarantee another official (or more) came in and told him that it wasn't catchable so he picked it up. Now, it may be fair to say that his crew called more penalties, but that point is moot as well because this won't be his normal crew. These officials are picked based on their grades during the regular season.

Nothing to see here.

Damn refs!:tsk::D

spikerman
01-09-2014, 07:28 PM
Damn refs!:tsk::D

That's about the nicest thing anybody has said to me during a game. ;)

Hawgdriver
01-09-2014, 07:56 PM
Oh good god, not a whole extra 5% more than average against the home team! The horror.

I bet if they ranked refs from top to bottom, there would be just as many at 5% more as 5% less, and even some at 10% more.

:graspingatstraws: