NFL Week 3: Marcus Dupree Did Not Wear This Number ...

[LongTimeListener]

That's a fantastic example of how to mislead with a bar graph by setting the bottom axis arbitrarily.

Explain.

I don't know what Rick's explanation would be, but to me the graph makes it look like the first crew calls 400 percent more penalties than the last crew, when in reality the difference is 40 percent, and neither extreme seems to be more than 20 percent from the average. Overall, every refereeing crew calls between 10 and 14.5 penalties per game, which seems about right.

This is a wholly different issue from the fact that the officials suck and their bosses engineer the games to their liking, as Michael Gee points out.

 

[RickStain]

That's a fantastic example of how to mislead with a bar graph by setting the bottom axis arbitrarily.

Explain.

It looks to me like the average crew calls about 12 penalties, and all the crews are within two per game of that average.

Setting the bottom axis at 9 makes it look visually impressive, but if it were set to 0, it'd look much different.

 

[albert77]

As a Saints fanboy, I'm intrigued by the game Sunday vs. the Texans. Houston has offensive firepower to cause Saints some problems (see Rodgers, Aaron), especially if Foster is close to 100%. But I can't see the Texans slowing down Brees and the Saints. I look for a shootout.

 

[NickMordo]

I heard John Lynch this morning on Cowherd's show, that is one smart guy (Lynch, not Cowherd). He said that offenses are scoring at such a high clip because guys in the secondary are afraid to hit receivers with alligator arms because of fines possibly levied, and/or suspensions.

Maybe it's just what the NFL wants: more points. It reminds me of how the NBA was all about scoring, then the Pistons-Spurs played in the 2005 Finals and everyone hated it and nobody watched. People love scoring, chicks dig the long ball, fans love touchdown passes, enthusiasts love seeing a hockey hat trick.

 

[cjericho]

This thread title is classic, like the Cliff Clavin Jeopardy - Who are 3 people who've never been in my kitchen.

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

That's a fantastic example of how to mislead with a bar graph by setting the bottom axis arbitrarily.

Explain.

I don't know what Rick's explanation would be, but to me the graph makes it look like the first crew calls 400 percent more penalties than the last crew, when in reality the difference is 40 percent, and neither extreme seems to be more than 20 percent from the average. Overall, every refereeing crew calls between 10 and 14.5 penalties per game, which seems about right.

This is a wholly different issue from the fact that the officials suck and their bosses engineer the games to their liking, as Michael Gee points out.

That's a fantastic example of how to mislead with a bar graph by setting the bottom axis arbitrarily.

Explain.

It looks to me like the average crew calls about 12 penalties, and all the crews are within two per game of that average.

Setting the bottom axis at 9 makes it look visually impressive, but if it were set to 0, it'd look much different.

Four more penalties per will have a marked effect on a game.

That's 60 more flags thrown over the course of a typical 15-game officiating season.

Hochuli and Corrente are traditionally high. Morelli traditionally low. There is no cause for it.

 

[RickStain]

How big do you think is an acceptable difference between the most-penalizing and least-penalizing crews each year?

 

[YGBFKM]

15 yards for derailing this thread on a Thursday.

 

[Cubbiebum]

How big do you think is an acceptable difference between the most-penalizing and least-penalizing crews each year?

Why should there be a difference at all? One year can vary based on randomness of getting teams who commit more penalties but I have seen these numbers in the past and Hochuli and Triplette are always at the top. The NFL should strive have officials call games similarly. They don't Hochuli's is at the top for most penalties because he calls a ton more pass interference. I forget the exact numbers but I saw a graphic during a game last season and Hochuli is well above the next in the number of PI calls.

All this said, the difference in refs calling styles is prevalent in all sports, at all levels. The athletes have to learn the boundaries of each official. Baseball players certainly know umpires strike zone tendencies.

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

Hochuli's crew is also inordinately high in roughing calls each year.

 

[RickStain]

Because no matter how hard they try to avoid it, some of the rules are still judgment calls, and judgment varies.

 

[YGBFKM]

Because no matter how hard they try to avoid it, some of the rules are still judgment calls, and judgment varies.

Says you.

 

[LongTimeListener]

I can just see the directive from the league come down, "Try to average about 12 calls a game." What do you think Belichick is going to have his DBs do once the total gets around 16-18 and the refs are not looking to throw a flag?

Interestingly enough, despite their recent futility, the Raiders are 8-2 recently when they commit 10 or more penalties.

 

[JC]

How big do you think is an acceptable difference between the most-penalizing and least-penalizing crews each year?

Why should there be a difference at all? One year can vary based on randomness of getting teams who commit more penalties but I have seen these numbers in the past and Hochuli and Triplette are always at the top. The NFL should strive have officials call games similarly. They don't Hochuli's is at the top for most penalties because he calls a ton more pass interference. I forget the exact numbers but I saw a graphic during a game last season and Hochuli is well above the next in the number of PI calls.

All this said, the difference in refs calling styles is prevalent in all sports, at all levels. The athletes have to learn the boundaries of each official. Baseball players certainly know umpires strike zone tendencies.

How many of those PI's does Hochuli himself call?

 

[Ben_Hecht]

Again, big damn difference between questionable competence and intentionally changing the way games turn out.

The former is a legitimate discussion. The latter is tinfoil hat territory.

So you don't think it's embarrassing that Hochuli and Triplette seem to get an awful lot of important games.

They have done nothing to earn the privilege.

Hochuli is a boob and probably the most highly criticized official in the league, and loves the attention.

Triplette's been a horrifying boob, for years.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7003532/antonio-garay-san-diego-chargers-fined-15k-hit-tom-brady-new-england-patriots

Look at the ****ING picture. He still has the ball in his hand. How can you deliver a $15,000 fine for a hit (NOT ON HIS HEAD!) when the quarterback still has the ****ing ball?

Get out the flags and belts. The NFL is officially the NFFL (National Flag Football League).

Unbelievable.

Good Lord in heaven, Dan Marino would have thrown for 7,000 yards in 1984 under these rules.

And they still don't win the Super Bowl.

 

[Chef2]

How shocking is it that Ed's crew leads the world in flags? Him and the guns, and all that ****.

Shut up, and officiate the game.

Now, back to the Brady thing. Did the guy from the Chargers get flagged for the hit on Brady?

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

Triplette's been a horrifying boob, for years.

We'd have been spared a lot of this if that Browns lineman just would have terminated him so many years ago.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

15 yards for derailing this thread on a Thursday.

Loss of down, too?

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

I am on topic. But as you wish, I will lay down the battle axe for now.

Maybe we should talk about a washed out running back for two pages. That was enthralling.