# NFL Week 6 - Now With Ranting! **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 16, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974 "2009-10-16T00:46:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974/161 "2009-10-19T00:51:59Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > Where were they on the field? It probably would have been more assholish if they’d kicked a field goal there instead of going for it, you know? > > Now, if they were on their own 25, then yeah, they’re a bunch of cockgobblers (and they probably are regardless), but if the choice was a certain +3 or an uncertain conversion, then you go for the conversion when you’re up by that much. They were somewhere around the Titan’s 35 or 40, I believe. Long field goal or short punt territory. Later they went for it on 4th down inside the ten instead of kicking the field goal. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974/162 "2009-10-19T01:00:33Z")
> [@Kolga](#): > > Hey, **Southern Yankee** , thanks for the clip! Holy cow, that was…something else. The resulting mess looked like a hockey game. I assume Wesley is going to get fined. What did Fox have to say? Anytime. I didn’t get to hear his presser. I should hear it later tonight or tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974/163 "2009-10-19T01:38:13Z")
Sheesh. Seems like in Oakland, even the [pigeons](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yztN2X6jUOM)are tough. That’s their 12th man. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974/164 "2009-10-19T01:56:16Z")
That was pretty awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974/165 "2009-10-19T02:03:51Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > They were somewhere around the Titan’s 35 or 40, I believe. Long field goal or short punt territory. Later they went for it on 4th down inside the ten instead of kicking the field goal. The alternative both times would have been to kick a field goal. Going for it on 4th down is considered much more respectful than kicking a meaningless field goal to run up the score. Even the announcers said that. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974/166 "2009-10-19T02:15:09Z")
I’ve always been of the opinion that it’s completely ok to run up the score anyway. This isn’t peewee confidence building football. This is grown-ass man football. Don’t like getting scored on? Stop it. Now don’t go showboating and dancing and whatnot after a score, but no reason to stop playing. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974/167 "2009-10-19T04:10:16Z")
I turned on that Patriots game today after the Vikings, but instead of the real game, they were playing a video of somebody’s Madden game. Weird. They should try to make those games more realistic. Brady could never put up those kinds of numbers in actual life. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974/168 "2009-10-19T04:16:15Z")
Clearly, whoever was playing as the Titans hasn’t played Madden since '06, because he was obviously having trouble understanding the QB vision cone feature. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974/169 "2009-10-19T07:27:57Z")
I thought they got rid of that. (Which annoys me, as I was pretty good with it.) ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974/170 "2009-10-19T10:47:43Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I turned on that Patriots game today after the Vikings, but instead of the real game, they were playing a video of somebody’s Madden game. Weird. They should try to make those games more realistic. Brady could never put up those kinds of numbers in actual life. Also, the snow looked really fake. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974/171 "2009-10-19T12:07:03Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > It was bizarre officiating, worthy of note - and I’m not sure it just happened to benefit the Steelers coincidentally, who are almost always on the right side of officiating screwups. I just read that the referee suggested it was a bad camera angle. I can’t imagine an angle that would make that look like a first down. As for the Steelers always benefitting from officiating screwups, that’s just patently absurd. ---
**Author:** ![storyteller0910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@storyteller0910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/storyteller0910)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974/172 "2009-10-19T12:14:50Z")
Everybody calm down, and let’s focus on what’s important. The Eagles lost to JaMarcus Russell. In the words of the great philosopher Muntz: _Ha_ ha. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974/173 "2009-10-19T12:25:39Z")
> [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](#): > > Sheesh. Seems like in Oakland, even the [pigeons](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yztN2X6jUOM)are tough. > > That’s their 12th man. Looked to me like he was clearly off-sides! That was pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974/174 "2009-10-19T12:51:23Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > As for the Steelers always benefitting from officiating screwups, that’s just patently absurd. C’mon, don’t you remember the Polamalu interception against the Colts in 2007? Remember? They helped us win the Super Bowl that year by, uh…wait, how did that work again? In all seriousness regarding the calls though, good teams are on the positive side of the calls more often than not. Good offenses apply pressure; good defenses apply pressure. That pressure leads to penalties. When the Steelers play the Browns we get the edge in penalties because we apply pressure on both sides of the ball. When we face the Colts they have the edge in penalties because our offensive linemen can’t handle Indy’s edge rushers without cheating, either by holding or creeping back off the line. The D cheats up on Peyton to try and get an edge. If the Steelers face the Patriots or Saints our defense will take a lot of penalties. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974/175 "2009-10-19T15:19:49Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > The alternative both times would have been to kick a field goal. Going for it on 4th down is considered much more respectful than kicking a meaningless field goal to run up the score. Even the announcers said that. What he said. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974/176 "2009-10-19T19:04:22Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > I just read that the referee suggested it was a bad camera angle. I can’t imagine an angle that would make that look like a first down. > > As for the Steelers always benefitting from officiating screwups, that’s just patently absurd. What the fuck kind of camera angle could cause that? The ball was an inch or two from the chain - the degree to which angle could influence the viewer’s perspective on each object is very limited. The ball is also placed paralell to the length of the field, and the ball appears to be seen directly from side-on in the image. If the camera angle was that far off the ball would appear to be at an angle. Is that white mark on the left side of that image a hash mark? If so, you can see the camera view is pretty straight on perpendicular to the ball and chain here. I heard from someone who rewatched the scene that the ref started doing his “first down” gesture windup before the chain was even fully extended, meaning he had already decided it was a first down before the measurement even took place. Considering they spotted it at least a half yard ahead of where it should’ve been, it does indeed seem like they decided it should be a first down regardless of what actually happened. As far as the Steelers getting favorable treatment from the refs - this is not just a bitter Browns fan talking. I’ve seen plenty of people talk about the Steelers getting all sorts of bullshit and borderline calls from a wide variety of fans. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974/177 "2009-10-19T19:09:23Z")
Justin Hartwig said he knew right away they were short as far as that goes. It was definitely a shit call. ---
**Author:** ![storyteller0910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@storyteller0910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/storyteller0910)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974/178 "2009-10-19T19:09:46Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > As far as the Steelers getting favorable treatment from the refs - this is not just a bitter Browns fan talking. I’ve seen plenty of people talk about the Steelers getting all sorts of bullshit and borderline calls from a wide variety of fans. I’m a Giants fan, and had no rooting interest going in, but Super Bowl XL was the one and only time I have ever seriously wondered if a professional football game was fixed. I’ll always wonder who would have won that game if it had been fairly officiated. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974/179 "2009-10-19T19:15:21Z")
I forgot to add - if it was a camera angle issue, then why the hell haven’t we seen this happen before in the history of the NFL? Did they suddenly discover a place to hold the camera that somehow totally warps the viewer’s perspective that has just never happened before? Additionally, the defense ran off the field celebrating and the Browns coaches on camera were cheering. Camera angle doesn’t cause that. I’m not directing this at the rest of the Steelers fans, btw, who have been reasonable about this. It’s only Hentor, who likes to stubbornly persist with whatever he wants to believe even when he knows (or should reasonably know by any stard) he’s wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974/180 "2009-10-19T19:19:02Z")
> [@storyteller0910](#): > > I’m a Giants fan, and had no rooting interest going in, but Super Bowl XL was the one and only time I have ever seriously wondered if a professional football game was fixed. I’ll always wonder who would have won that game if it had been fairly officiated. The Steelers, because it was. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-6-now-with-ranting/513974.md?page=10)