Warren Sapp's ejection-A Result of continous horrid officiating in the NFL?

Thoughts from the Dark Side

December 27, 2007

Warren Sapp's ejection-A Result of continous horrid officiating in the NFL?

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Warren Sapp was ejected from the Oakland Raider-Jacksonville Jaguar tilt on Sunday after jawing with the officials. Considering that the officiating in the NFL is generally a step or two above the WWE despite Mike Pereira's protestations and justifications on NFL Total Access, it is not surprising that Warren Sapp finally said his piece to the zebras. He was ejected for supposedly bumping one of the officials, but somehow no video evidence of any contact with the zebra exists. The trouble ostensibly started when the officials called a holding penalty on the Jags but were prepared to call it declined without talking to Lane Kiffin or the Raiders first. That was probably just the straw that broke the camel's back.

First off, all season, it seems as if there is any kind of close call or non-call it goes against the Raiders. Yeah, I know that sounds like the ramblings of a paranoid conspiracy theorist worthy of an Oliver Stone movie. During Fred Taylor's 60+ touchdown run Nnamdi Asomugha clearly gets blocked in the back right between the 2 and the 1, but no yellow hankies hit the field, and that is just one example. There is also the pivotal fourth and seven last week against the Colts where Jerry Porter was clearly interfered with to name another.

That spotty officiating has probably been weighing on Sapp all season. He is a fierce competitor and leader on the defense. With the continuous bad calls as a backdrop, the ref declining a penalty against the Jaguars without consulting the Raiders was more than he could take and he blew. Many Raider fans have wanted to do that to the zebras for years, but finally a player had enough.

According to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee, Sapp said of the incident, "I should have whipped somebody's ass. I should have beaten somebody up so at least they put you on SportsCenter for whipping some ass. At least you get a little respect.��

Maybe that would have opened the league's eyes to the colossal incompetence of their officiating crews every game. They know their crews are bad, as they send Mike Pereira the head of officiating to defend their calls on Total Access on the league's organ network. Notice how Rich Eisen never plays hardball with Pereira. Eisen knows who pays his bills.

Tags: NFL, Oakland Raiders, Raiders

Discussion

11 Comments on "Warren Sapp's ejection-A Result of continous horrid officiating in the NFL?"

Posted by David Hannes, December 27, 2007 6:29 AM

Nick Barnett of Green Bay also was a victim of poor officiating on Sunday, albeit of a different stripe--this time, and official yanked him by the neck.

Unions or not, the new commish needs to start cracking down on these guys.

Posted by The RaiderCast » Blog Archive » Thoughts from the Dark Side: Warren Sapp��s ejection-A, December 27, 2007 8:01 AM

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Posted by Joseph Budd, December 27, 2007 8:16 AM

Oakland seems to own the original patent for being blamed on calls. Pass interference, or like in the Green Bay game, the Refs botched three plays, in one series, costing the Raiders 2 first downs, and finally giving Green Bay the Touchdown. It wasn't surprising, being that it was in Green Bay, but It's frustrating when the officials are so biased, that you can count the other team as having extra players on the field.

And who can forget that wonderful call, hint sarcasm, from the denver game, with the timeout?

Time to start holding some of these Refs accountable...or let a player truly touch an official. Maybe then, they wouldn't get away with bad calls.

Posted by louisviller8r, December 27, 2007 8:29 AM

Nice article Pat. This thing has been building for a LOOONG time now. These refs think they are God and are destroying the integrity of the game by making bad decisions which sway the outcome. The tuck rule is a great example of this crime. It is time for a change!

Posted by Andy, December 27, 2007 8:39 AM

This is rediculous, quit crying, the Raiders got their asses handed to them in Jacksonville and Warren Sapp is an idiot. He's a blow hard who needs to grow up and shut up. ITS A GAME. He's getting paid millions upon millions of dollars and he's gonna complain about a stupid call in a game. He should have shut the **** up after the first 15 yard penalty. My message to him: GROW UP, the NFL is a league for adults.

Posted by Dizzle, December 28, 2007 2:37 AM

Andy if you were at work trying to get your work done and someone keep holding you back from doing it week after week you would be mad too. It may not be the 1st week but my be week 15. I bet you wouldn't like it and you would get mad and say something to them. You say its just a game, but it a game that is his work. So before you get on him put yourself in his shoes and think how you would feel.

Posted by HorrorScope, December 28, 2007 9:09 AM

I know as Raider fans we have all been called paranoid over the years because of bad playcalling. Why I don't buy that is that I am fans of other teams in other sports. The closest relation would be USC, I have never once and I've been following them since the 70's to, felt there was a conspiracy against the Trojans, yead being a Raider fan I can still get a bad call here or there and that is what I see with all other teams I follow. However in Raiderland that is far from the case, the amount of penalities but even moreso the timing and then when there is a review there are too many times of WTF, there wasn't a hold or a bump. This has only happened with me with the Raiders, I say if I am paranoid then why am I not this way with any other team I have followed? Answer is, there is a conspiracy and imo if someone was to do the legwork they could make a very damning video tape against the league.

Posted by ottojimotto, December 28, 2007 9:14 AM

Andy, come on....where is the video evidence that Sapp made contact. If the incident was called on another team, it would be talked about, scrutinised, disected, and played over and over on ESPN and NFL Network. This has been building up for several seasons. Holding calls, pass interference calls, non-calls, TD awarded when opponent steps out of bounds, its rediculous. Several of these calls are commented on by the network announcers doing the game too. So it isn't just Raider fans seeing it. Quote Randy Cross from the Colt game, "wow, you (Porter) can't catch the ball when you have one hand being held back".

Posted by Silver_N_Black, December 28, 2007 2:30 PM

We continually get the short end of the stick and enough is enough. The league needs to shore up their officiating crews and run them through more training. This event just further proves what we Raider fans have known for years. Phantom fouls, gimme TD's and no calls are status quo for our franchise. This nonsense needs to stop now.

#10

Posted by 16 to 88, December 29, 2007 5:07 AM

Pat, you NAILED it.

Pereria is an apologist and explains away every week why the officiating sucks through out the NFL. It would not surprise me in the least if the pot was simmering and finally reached a boil.

It would be interesting to see just how Pereria could explain away again just how HIS officiating crew did not do one of the most basic elements of their jobs�Ķ ASK the team if they accept or decline a penalty.

#11

Posted by s. neisess, January 2, 2008 8:50 AM

As the calls go against the raiders, they are consistantly FOR the Patriots. Against the ravens, several bad calls gave the game to new england, includinga "touchdown" where the reciever CLEARLY did not have control of the ball. I saw the same situation in a later game that the same freakin thing happened and it was NOT a touckdown...... and lets not even rehash the so-called tuck rule....... NFL refs ,for the most part, are obiously paid off or stupid- take your pick mike- and are eliminating the credibility of the sport......