What a horrible call: The "Brady" treatment reaches a new level (merged)

**rla20cpa** · 12-11-2011, 06:58 PM

London Fletcher roughing call on Brady. NFL officials are like the Keystone cops. The call was forearm to the head?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv1f3...layer_embedded

**BleedPurple92** · 12-11-2011, 07:06 PM

I saw that, that blew my mind..

I honestly hate what the NFL is turning into.

**MattSG** · 12-11-2011, 08:06 PM

That was a horrible a call. I guess you can't touch Brady.

**MarkS** · 12-12-2011, 01:37 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv1f37dVNZ8

You would think having played 5 seasons in the AFC East, London Fletcher would realize Mr. Brady gets to play by a separate set of rules. I guess he just forgot. "Forearm to the head". Wow.

**Bl1tz** · 12-12-2011, 02:54 AM

Once a b*tch, always a b*tch

I hate that wuss and the entire cheatriots franchise with a passion

**Purple nurple** · 12-12-2011, 03:04 AM

Brady wasn't even on the ground when fletcher hit him. The brady favoritism is getting ridiculous

**akashicrecorder** · 12-12-2011, 03:08 AM

And he comes up clapping like it was a dirty hit. He is actually a very poor sportsman.

**SouthJerseyRaven** · 12-12-2011, 03:14 AM

wow...pisses me off so bad...ridiculous...I hope we play them in the AFC Champ game in OUR house so Suggs can light him up

**Beerracuda** · 12-12-2011, 03:57 AM

Originally Posted by SouthJerseyRaven

wow...pisses me off so bad...ridiculous...I hope we play them in the AFC Champ game in OUR house so Suggs can light him up

Careful what you wish for... If that happens, the Ravens will have to beat Brady AND the refs. I can guarantee you that the NFL would much rather have Brady vs. Rodgers in the Super Bowl than Flacco v Rodgers.

**TL24x7** · 12-12-2011, 07:19 AM

**wickedsolo** · 12-12-2011, 07:24 AM

That's incredible.

Forearm to the head? Those ref's need some fucking glasses.

London Fletcher should countersue the NFL if they fine him for that hit. Those refs should be fined.

**PeterB58** · 12-12-2011, 07:28 AM

On just about any other QB, yes, that is a horrible call.

But it is Tom Brady. Any defender at this point that doesn't know that he has special rules is at fault here. London Fletcher should have come in with a "2-hand-touch" approach and just shoved him.

Complaining about this call is foolish at this point. It is what it is...

**Beerracuda** · 12-12-2011, 08:50 AM

Ridiculous call. If they want to call things like that, then make those calls challengeable.

**HoustonRaven** · 12-12-2011, 08:56 AM

The reffing in that game was detrimental to both teams, not just the Skins.

At one point, Rex scramble out of the pocket and is chased by a Pats defensive player. The defensive player dives to make the tackle and manages to get Rex in the legs.

He gets flagged for diving at a defenseless QB's legs.

**Bhcforlife** · 12-12-2011, 09:14 AM

I think you guys need to learn the rules, it's not a horrible call, once the QB starts to slide you can't hit him, certainly not like that, the play is dead when he starts to slide.

I couldn't find the NFL rulebook online (at work) but I did find this in the Wiki:

to protect himself from violent hits by opponents attempting to tackle him, the quarterback may choose to slide to the ground feet-first. This slide is interpreted as intentionally downing the ball, and opponents may then be penalized for hitting him.

Maybe if Fletcher didn't come in on him like a rocket it wouldn't have been flagged, but certainly a legit call. The explanation is bogus - should have been a late hit - but it is a penalty.

**PeterB58** · 12-12-2011, 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by Bhcforlife

I think you guys need to learn the rules, it's not a horrible call, once the QB starts to slide you can't hit him, certainly not like that, the play is dead when he starts to slide.

Had this been a "normal" QB, the problem with the call would have been that the QB started his slide and at almost the same moment the defender was making the hit. So, if watched in slow-mo replay, I think the rule was technically enforced correctly, I don't think that it was called correctly in the spirit of the rule...again, for any "normal" QB.

But, this is not a "normal" QB and Fletcher (and all defenders) should know better. So that is why I blame Fletcher more than the officials. You just cannot give Brady a hard hit...it will draw a flag every time.

**MarkS** · 12-12-2011, 09:36 AM

Originally Posted by Bhcforlife

I think you guys need to learn the rules, it's not a horrible call, once the QB starts to slide you can't hit him, certainly not like that, the play is dead when he starts to slide.

I couldn't find the NFL rulebook online (at work) but I did find this in the Wiki:

to protect himself from violent hits by opponents attempting to tackle him, the quarterback may choose to slide to the ground feet-first. This slide is interpreted as intentionally downing the ball, and opponents may then be penalized for hitting him.

Maybe if Fletcher didn't come in on him like a rocket it wouldn't have been flagged, but certainly a legit call. The explanation is bogus - should have been a late hit - but it is a penalty.

According to the NFL Rulebook, the play isn't dead until:
"..a runner declares himself down by sliding feet first on the ground. The ball is dead the instant the runner touches the ground with anything other than his hands or his feet"

Re-watch the video at the :49 mark - No part of Brady's body touched the ground until after Fletcher made contact. The play was still live.

More importantly, the rules also specifically address a defender's responsibility once a player initiates his slide:

"A defender must pull up when a runner begins a feet-first slide. This does not mean that all contact by
a defender is illegal. If a defender has already committed himself, and the contact is unavoidable, it is
not a foul unless the defender commits some other act, such as helmet-to-helmet contact or by
driving his forearm or shoulder into the head or neck area of the runner.

(2) A runner who desires to take advantage of this protection is responsible for starting his slide before
contact by a defensive player is imminent; if he does not, and waits until the last moment to begin his
slide, he puts himself in jeopardy of being contacted."

To me, it seems very clear that Brady started his slide way to late to expect Fletcher to be able to avoid contact.

And I'm not sure that's the issue anyway, since I don't buy the post-hoc rationalization that the refs, after conferring for a full minute, "misspoke" and named the wrong penalty. They didn't flag him for a late hit, because it wasn't. I believe they called what they meant to call - contact to the helmet, even though there wasn't any.

Either way, the call was (IMO) clearly horrible.

ETA: You might want to reconsider using Wikipedia as a source: Here's the link to the NFL Rule Book:

http://www.blogandtackle.net/wp-cont...FLRuleBook.pdf

**Steelgal** · 12-12-2011, 10:40 AM

The NFL is getting unwatchable......

Then in the vikes/Lions game, on the last play of the game the Vikings QB (can't think of his name) had his facemask grabbed and yanked, but NO call. I understand the refs are human and errors can be made, but each week gets worse.

**MattSG** · 12-12-2011, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by Steelgal

The NFL is getting unwatchable......

Then in the vikes/Lions game, on the last play of the game the Vikings QB (can't think of his name) had his facemask grabbed and yanked, but NO call. I understand the refs are human and errors can be made, but each week gets worse.

Yeah that missed facemask call might be the worst from yesterday. How can the refs miss that? It was on the qb in open space. As John Madden would say, " He got up looking through his ear hole." lol