11/04/24
September 23, 2012
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
Just a little extra for our friends up north playing Pro-Line -- here's the value I like:
BEST BETS
CLEVELAND +3
MIAMI +1.5
ARIZONA +3.5
OTHER VALUE
TAMPA BAY +7.5
HOUSTON -2.5
PITTSBURGH -5.5
SAN DIEGO -3
This week I have a three-team parlay of Cleveland, Miami and San Diego, another three-team substituting Arizona for the Chargers and a six-teamer adding Detroit, Arizona and Pittsburgh.
Good luck!
posted by wfrazerjr at 12:17 PM on September 23, 2012
Maybe I wear Liverpool colored glasses but Halsey f'ed us today. Not just Shelvey's read but not giving any yellows to ManUtd until late and RvP getting a yellow for a tackle substantially the same as got Shelvey sent off. He repeatedly let go ManUtd when calling fouls on our players for the same things. Not to mention not awarding a PK for the boot to Suarez on Jonny Evans.
posted by billsaysthis at 02:51 PM on September 23, 2012
Replacement refs not improving in the third week. Serious blunders in the SF- Minn game.
posted by Scottymac at 04:08 PM on September 23, 2012
And the Tennessee-Detroit game.
What a clusterfuck.
posted by tommybiden at 04:44 PM on September 23, 2012
In re Jets-Dolphins, I do so enjoy it when icing the kicker backfires.
posted by Etrigan at 05:04 PM on September 23, 2012
What an awful weekend. Michigan managed to throw interceptions on five straight passing attempts last night. And only lost by a touchdown. Painful.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 05:20 PM on September 23, 2012
Michigan managed to throw interceptions on five straight passing attempts last night. And only lost by a touchdown. Painful.
I turned the channel after the third one, and just assumed it was a blowout.
posted by grum@work at 06:12 PM on September 23, 2012
The refs in the Jaguars-Colts game let an offsides defensive lineman tackle Blaine Gabbert hard, then flagged the offensive lineman who pushed him in anger.
Charles Barkley wants to put his blackness in Tiger Woods.
posted by rcade at 06:19 PM on September 23, 2012
Replacement refs not improving in the third week.
They are entertaining, though. Head official in the Cowboys/Bucs disaster could be Peyton Manning's voice-twin. The one in the KC/Saints game sounded just like Mayor Quimby.
posted by Ufez Jones at 07:18 PM on September 23, 2012
I sort of worry the NFL is going to view all of this ridiculous controversy over the renta refs as a positive thing.
posted by feloniousmonk at 07:21 PM on September 23, 2012
Well, the Players' Union is none too pleased:
"Your decision to lock out officials with more than 1,500 years of collective NFL experience has led to a deterioration of order, safety and integrity," the NFLPA wrote. "This affirmative decision has not only resulted in poor calls, missed calls and bad game management, but the combination of those deficiencies will only continue to jeopardize player health and safety and the integrity of the game that has taken decades to build."
posted by Ufez Jones at 07:23 PM on September 23, 2012
So the Rams intercepted Jay Cutler, then fumbled the ball back to Chicago, who then fumbled the ball back to St. Louis.
Three turnovers*, one play.
*Except they ruled Finnegan down before the first fumble.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 07:29 PM on September 23, 2012
Wow, the Darius Heyward-Bey injury was super scary. I don't think I can recall seeing something as unnerving as that moment where his hand had to be lifted up by the medic.
posted by feloniousmonk at 07:30 PM on September 23, 2012
I turned the channel after the third one, and just assumed it was a blowout.
Far from it. Had Michigan managed to make a defensive stop they would have had an opportunity to attempt a game-tying touchdown drive during the final minute.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 07:49 PM on September 23, 2012
And best replacement ref play of the weekend...
posted by Mr Bismarck at 08:06 PM on September 23, 2012
Obviously he was just trying to help prevent illegal touching from occuring!
posted by bender at 08:54 PM on September 23, 2012
Is it just me or does it seem like the commercials during the NFL games have changed? It seems to be fewer breaks with longer ads.
posted by feloniousmonk at 09:41 PM on September 23, 2012
Replacement ref admits he didn't know the rules and gave Harbaugh two extra challenges he wasn't supposed to have in the SF-MN game.
I think this won't end until a player gets seriously, seriously hurt due to a blown call. Maybe then, we'll get the real refs back, but until that point we're stuck.
posted by evixir at 10:24 PM on September 23, 2012
They just said during halftime on SNF that talks had taken place today and broken down again, so it's not looking good on that front.
posted by feloniousmonk at 10:24 PM on September 23, 2012
So Bill took that well.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 12:16 AM on September 24, 2012
That Sunday night game was brutal. You can't challenge a kick that goes over the uprights, but man what a fitting way to end a bizarro game. This reffing situation is getting ugly.
posted by dfleming at 06:32 AM on September 24, 2012
If the late Bill Walsh were still coaching in the league, he'd probably be scouting the replacement refs to see which ones were the most inept and/or immobile, and would figure out a way to use that info to his advantage.
posted by beaverboard at 09:01 AM on September 24, 2012
A couple Adam Vinatieri kicks in the Jaguars-Colts game went over the uprights (or nearly did). Is it time to raise the uprights?
posted by rcade at 09:02 AM on September 24, 2012
Who is having their reputation enhanced more by absence: the regular refs, or Sean Payton?
posted by Mr Bismarck at 09:20 AM on September 24, 2012
Someone who could use a reputation enhancement: Greg Schiano. It sounds like he and his AD at Rutgers were a lot of fun.
posted by yerfatma at 09:32 AM on September 24, 2012
Who is having their reputation enhanced more by absence: the regular refs, or Sean Payton?
Oooh, that's a tough choice.
I'm going to say Sean Payton, because the refs never really had a good reputation before hand (being sports officials in general). However, they will be looked as saviours the first game they come back...until a call goes against the home team.
Then they'll be terrible again.
Payton, however, is getting better with every game that the Saints lose. It's like Peyton Manning and the Colts last year.
posted by grum@work at 10:44 AM on September 24, 2012
I was interested to read that piece on Schiano the other day. The good relationship he has with Belichick is curious indeed, based on how he gets along with other coaches.
Bet the Pats' scouts didn't have to stand in the sequestered zone at Rutgers practices like scouts from the other teams did. Wonder if the Pats got a closer look at players like McCourty than anyone else did.
Come to think of it, IIRC the Pats had multiple Rutgers guys on their roster last year or the year before. Maybe 3 or 4 players, including the training squad.
posted by beaverboard at 10:54 AM on September 24, 2012
The Hoser is up, although why anyone would be paying attention after Week One, I have no idea.