NFL officiating has been a hot topic for a couple of years now, especially after the 2023-24 season filled with controversial calls. Recently, on the Pick Six NFL podcast, hosts Will Brinson and Leger Douzable dived deep into the reasons, they feel, are behind Roger Goodell and his management’s reluctance to adopt cutting-edge tech like microchips.
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Will Brinson kicked off the chat by floating the idea that Roger Goodell might secretly enjoy the controversy swirling around NFL officiating. He believes the commissioner sees it as free publicity, basically, drama that draws eyeballs.
The NFL Insider also noted that while NFL owners are all about pushing rule changes, they’re a bit “little less aggressive in trying to be progressive and make these rule changes.” He added,
“They could flip a switch and have microchips tracking footballs, etc, etc. We got the technology, they just seem to, sort of, be hesitant to actually use it.”
Meanwhile, Douzable had a different take, proposing that Roger Goodell and the NFL brass might actually embrace the “human element” of officiating. They seem to enjoy the unpredictability it brings, you know, keeps things interesting.
But even he had to admit, there have been some “god-awful” calls lately, suggesting Brady’s game against the Atlanta Falcons in the 2022-23 season as an example, where Brady seemed to get the benefit of the doubt. The duo then floated the idea of stationing 3-4 sharp minds in a back office, maybe in NYC, to keep a hawk eye on the games and step in when needed.
“Call somebody in New York, they get all different angles on the replay, if it’s not a clear-cut roughing. Pick up the flag and let’s play football.” Leger added.
They even delved into the inconsistency in “roughing the passer” calls, which they feel varies widely among refs. Douzable joked that if you asked 10 refs to make the same call, you’d probably get 10 different outcomes. It’s no wonder even the legendary Tom Brady thinks the officiating’s been off.
Tom Brady Called Out NFL Referees For Making The League “Less and Less Physical”
Even the GOAT, Tom Brady, had his say last year on his podcast, “Let’s Go,” in conversation with co-hosts Jim Gray and Larry Fitzgerald. Brady, long accused of benefiting from rule changes, couldn’t resist airing his critiques when he sat back at home and reviewed some referee calls.
“Football is a physical sport, there’s a physical element to all of this. You throw a 15-yard flag for something that, you know, 20 years ago maybe wouldn’t have had a flag. That affects the game in a big way.” Said Tom Brady.
Brady even made a tongue-in-cheek remark, suggesting that if the Roger Goodell-operated NFL continues softening its officiating, the fans might see the league transition to flag football! He quipped that as flag football is headed to the Olympics in 2028, who knows, maybe NFL football will follow suit over time.
More so, with Tom Brady stepping into the broadcasting world at FOX Sports, fans would be excited to see him critique missed calls and referee decisions. There’s anticipation about whether he’ll reflect on calls that once went his way and share his insights from the commentator’s chair.
