Roger Goodell on Today's NFL Officiating: "I Don't Think It's Ever Been Better"
The NFL has consistently been scrutinized by its fans, media members, and sometimes even coaches when it comes to how games have been officiated. It's nothing new, but this year there seemed to be more questionable calls than normal.
Much of the blame is usually placed on the referee at the time the bad call or no-call happens, but overall it is a league-wide issue that has yet to be completely solved. Ultimately, it is up to the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, to ensure that the games are being officiated properly and without bias to maintain the integrity of the game. Even with all the complaints about the level of officiating recently, Goodell remains steadfast that today's officiating is the best it has ever been.
I understand where Goodell is coming from when he says he doesn't think it's ever been better in terms of maintaining player safety. Still, there are other aspects of calls made and not made that raise questions about what the NFL is actually doing to make sure games aren't swayed in one direction due to the officiating of games.
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There have been numerous games in the past 5 years or so that have come down to calls being made that maybe shouldn't have happened or maybe should have. We get it, people aren't perfect and mistakes are made, but at the end of the day, the customers (fans) want a product that will be legitimate in all areas - including officiating.
Clearly, there needs to be some sort of checks and balances when it comes to the NFL and its officials/officiating. Without that, we will continue to see blatant missed calls or no-calls that will directly influence the outcome of games.
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