Penalties, flags and REPLACEMENTS? .. Oh my!

Hey y'all it's your favorite SportsGal89 In the Building.... The last few weeks of football have been interesting. Not so much because of the games themselves, or the "Any Given Sunday" moments that happen, but simply because of the oddities that have occurred on the field due to calls and craziness, we have to really wonder if this is what we want to see.
   So what am I talking about? The Replacement Refs.. there is a current lockout between our Regular Refs and the NFL. And who has suffered, the fans and the players and the coaches.
   I understand that people are concerned about their money and what that means, but when the INTEGRITY of the game is at risk, when will we come to an agreement of what needs to be done.
   Why is this a big deal, tonight was Monday Night Football with the Packers and the Seahawks.. 8 seconds left and a 38 yard play by the Seahawks QB down 12-7. The last play QB Wilson throws a beauty to the corner of the Endzone to Tate and a field of Green including Jennings.. Jennings clearly had the ball, but the officials rule it as a TD on Tate.
  Not to mention the offensive pass interference that Tate had pushing off of one of the Green Bay Players to go up for the catch. A series of events that have sort have been the icing of the cake for frustrations of fans, players, coaches and commentators alike.
  But here are the larger questions:

•        What will the NFL do about it? The Integrity of the game is on the line. 
•         Can the NFL actually turn over the ruling on the field and what does that do moving forward?
•         Why can't we settle these disputes?  The players get hurt, but the Refs are people too. We need to make it different, we need to make it better because the game should be bigger and better then the money.

Moving forward I think we all wake up tomorrow morning with a sour taste in our mouth and now the NFL has to figure out how to get us back. It's one thing when you have the nail biters happen, but those shouldn't be based on the calls that are made on the field.

   At the end of the day, we'll talk more about this call then we will about the game and what skill was left on the gridiron-- and that's the part that will suck and will forever taint MNF.

FAN Loyalty: More than just points and wins

Hey y'all it's your FAVORITE SportsGal IN THE BUILDIN'! I hope that I still have some followers even though I have definitely been slacking. Please forgive me.. With school behind me I have committed more to making sure that I post once a week if not more. Particularly after MNF, but today I had to post and YES this one will be about the Steelers, but not in the way you think.

Today/tonight I watched the Steelers play the Raiders.. My last time in Oakland for a Raiders game was when the Steelers came to town. The Raiders won and I STILL got harassed all the way to my friend's car. So going into this game I knew it was just going to be exciting.

   The game was beautiful, despite a Steelers loss, it was exciting all the way to the end. BUT here is where I begin my post:
     #29 Ryan Mundy collides helmet to helmet with Raiders player Heyward-Bey. Heyward-Bey lays on the ground for who knows how long, but long enough for the fans, the coaches, players and everyone watching the game to pause and pray.
 Commentators are worried about the fact that replacement refs didn't call a flag for the helmet to helmet and I am sitting here wondering what that matters in this moment. When you are staring at a player on his back, not moving, with medics surrounding him and worried about whether or not he's okay. While you are watching, you are looking for some sort of movement, a thumbs up, eyes open something and those seconds turn into minutes and into what seems like forever. In those seconds it's not about whether the right call was made, at least right away. It's about making sure the player that needs the love is getting it.
   In those minutes it's not about fault, because believe you me, the player who hit him is praying, pleading that he didn't just end another person's career, let alone life.
  In those moments that seem like forever fans across the country hold their breath, knowing that could have been one of their own.
   It's not the time to point the fingers, it's not the time to worry about who messed up. At that time it's OUR collective responsibility to make sure that the game we love does better at ensuring the safety of the people who put their lives and bodies on the line each Sunday to make sure that we get enjoyment out of what they do.
   Shortly after the game concluded, I was filtering through some fan pages that I follow and someone posted "It's not over, til it's over. I'm sure Goodell (as in Roger Goodell, as in NFL Commissioner) is going to pick his pocket for that one." EXCUSE ME! I am a Steelers fan, you know that. And yes I don't like to see bad calls or penalties against my team, but can I go back to something I said before, it's more than just entertainment. As fans we have to remember that more than just points and wins, we have to make sure our players are safe, or their won't be a game. Yeah maybe fining isn't the best thing to do, but when that money goes back into funds for players who have been injured, and funds to continue research on spinal injuries etc, I am not sorry that MY player is getting fined. Steelers fan or not a hit to the helmet is UNACCEPTABLE.. I like Mundy and I don't think that ANY player intends to lay someone out and put them in a hospital, but as a fan if you are just worried that "it's not over" because you think someone is going to get fined, YOU DON'T GET THIS LIFE!! 

People's lives are on the line EVERY time that whistle blows and until you watch someone you care about not get up, you won't get what that means... 

I think that as fans we have a responsibility for the game that we love to do a better job to petition EVERYONE involved in the NFL to do a better job of player safety. This means Refs (replacements or not) have to do a better job of controlling fights, they have to call the penalties and the flags, even if that means  it's against the team you like or love. The coaches and the players have to train better, teach themselves how to hit differently do what they need to do to make themselves play a game that is more sustainable, for their health while they play and their health after. The NFLPA and the NFLCA and all those involved in research etc, need to do a much better job at petitioning for swift moves that encourage player safety. And yes the fans, y'all are even responsible for not getting butt-hurt because your player is going to be "fined". How about if it was your player on that field, your friend, your family? At what point would you want to have "Goodell pick [their] pockets?"

Player Safety FIRST and FOREMOST! 

  To this I hope Heyward-Bey is okay... It's time we all take a knee and pause and remember it's bigger than those seconds and minutes.. Sometimes it's forever. 

It's that time of year again...

Hey Y'all it's your FAVORITE (well hopefully) #SportsGeek, SportsGal89 in the Buildin'!! It has been a while and if I am writing you know what that means--- Football has begun and I have much to chat about much.
  Where to begin, well y'all KNOW I'm a Steelers fan, yup yup and we are still en rout for that "Stairway to 7." First team to 6 and we want to be the first team to 7 NFL Championship Titles. I say "we" because I am a through and true member of the STEELERSNation!
    So the 2012-2013 season is underway and my team is 1-1. I am getting excited for another great season and all the crazy antics that are ensuing. For instance, the officiating team- we have newbies on the field. They are being called "The Replacements," It's unfortunate because EVERYONE is giving them a hard time, commentators, coaches, players and fans. Some of it well deserved and some of it, well I guess we have to give them time to handle the situations as well. They are calling amazingly INACCURATE penalties that is driving everyone nuts. While they are learning, they take too much time to review plays that drags on games. It is so frustrating, I can only imagine what it is like being at the game, while you are sitting around already due to commercial breaks and then you have to sit around some more because of the refs needing to check the plays and the calls they are making. But I must say it is easier to judge while you are not actually in the game itself.
   The other part that is making this year SUPER exciting, is FANTASY FOOTBALL. In year's past I have participated in Fantasy Football, but have sucked royally at it. Instead this year, I still suck (I pretty much picked the ENTIRE, Steelers Team on both sides of the ball and set myself up to lose each week) but I am getting the hang of it and with that said trying to diversify my team a little bit. There are people I am going to have to give up to get a better core of players, but the part that I enjoy is that it is easy to learn.

  I don't know if I am getting more excited about watching the game or if I am getting more excited about seeing me lose in Fantasy. Lol, I get excited when I see the points come up, but when I am finding out that the teams I am up against are beating me by 11-12 points something has seriously got to give!
  Hopefully I can make some trades soon and pick up some better players and make some more amazing plays.