NFL REFS SUCK 2016

There can be no argument from knowledgable NFL observers.. heck even the casual squirrel fan saw it: NFL Refs suck in the 2016 NFL season.
Even with what should be NASA-high-tech replay technology, refs week in and week out bumbled and blundered like blind mice right in front of millions of eyeballs.
Here are my random thoughts on how this officiating malaise can be cured:

1. All refs must be full-time.
How can the richest sport in the universe be the only professional sport WITHOUT full-time refs?
Full-time refs could travel together, work on film study, hone their rules knowledge.

2. Have a full-time (getting the theme here?) replay crew,
This crew reviews EVERY play, and when there is an egregious error,  the head ref doesn't need to hide under that puppet-show tent,  put on the 1980s headset and spend 3 minutes reviewing the replay like its the Zapruder film! No, a ref in front of 30 HD monitors can simply buzz in, correct the call and we move on!!!

3. EVERY stadium have Hawkeye technology for all sideline and end zone plays.
If you haven't see this technology, it's indisputable laser technology used by tennis on all line, close calls (http://www.hawkeyeinnovations.co.uk/)
In tennis - a sport now watched by 10 people and creating enough profit to fund an elementary school education - has this infallible line technology, yet the NFL uses what seems like VHS quality video.
Hey NFL: take one billion of that profit and install Hawkeye tech in every stadium tomorrow!

4. Scrap the what's a catch rule aka the Calvin Johnson rule.
Secure the ball, turn 38.5 degrees, take 2.5 "football" steps, complete the catch but do not move your left index finger off the ball unless the defender touches the right hand.... this the latest version of the rule, right?
Fact is NO ONE knows this ridiculous rule. Ditch it. Burn it.
Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher nailed it in a recent article: and was laid out succinctly by Deadspin's Drew Magary:

1.     You have secured clear possession of ball with either one hand or two. No juggling. We hate jugglers.

2.     You have both feet down, or the standard one knee/one elbow/one buttcheek down.

3.     That's it.

Imagine that: catch the ball, come down in-bounds, that's a catch.... genius!

5. Make Pass Interference replay eligible
Aside from refs blowing every other "catch" call, PI is only 2nd by a hair in number of blown/bad calls.
Seems DBs cough too hard, and they are flagged, while WRs now grab DBs, holding them down and not allowing DB to jump ... call it the Randy Moss move.
Or you can do like  Mike Evans here and just 2-hand show Sterling Moore, and Moore be called for the PI!
https://www.facebook.com/jeff.marcon/videos/10154690819462787/


6. Eliminate the ridiculous "ice the kicker" timeout.
This one needs no explanation.

7. Amend the Automatic 1st down on Illegal Contact
So, it's 3rd and 20, you can A) decapitate the receiver, get a personal foul, but not give up the 1st down or B) touch receiver with a feather and no matter where it is, give offense automatic first..... Yeah, you get the picture.

Ok, NFL refs you suck and are on double-secret probation, don't make me send in the tape to my guy Knuckles...

DJ, can you change that Miles' record, please?

I woke up this morning and realized LSU under Les Miles is like a collector's vinyl record, one everyone wants and the beauty is admired, but it has a gaping scratch that the needle is stuck on.  And that stuck point of the song keeps playing, and playing and playing.
We all hear and see it's stuck. We scream and point out it's stuck. But Les just aw-shucks it, and babbles some incomprehensible words as to why he won't pick up needle and play on.
And that needle stuck was never more evident then again in LSU's mind-numbing , disappointing and disgusting season-opening (and ending?) loss to Wisconsin.
LSU was and is infinitely more talented, but was woefully out-played, out-coached and out-schemed.
I have been ridiculed for years, by friends for my defense of Miles. I rationalize "Who's better out there?" and point to his exemplary winning record.
I've always been a Les Miles advocate. No more.
After watching yesterday's game, there simply is no hope for another championship with Miles at the helm. None. Zero. Zilch.
No one can question his unparalleled ability to recruit. No one can doubt the man bleeds LSU, and is a great human being.
But the bells toll loudly now that Miles' simply cannot coach his teams to the elite level LSU fans' expect and deserve.
The insanity is,  it's undoubtable that one thing alone has caused his imminent downfall:  Miles' maddening inflexibility and unwillingness to adapt his offense to the skill set of players he has will alternately be his downfall.
Even simpler part of this is Miles' complete incompetence to recruit and develop even a serviceable average passing QB.
Name one QB that has progressed under Miles' watch..... Crickets.
In his tenure, Miles' QBs cannot complete the most basic fundamental passes. Five-yard passes are an adventure.   
LSU QBs are laughingly inaccurate, as Harris proved repeatedly as he overthrew NFL-ready receivers... Well, that's why they don't pass, some say. 
I say this is incorrect: when your passing game consists of 2 passes, quick bubble screen and deep go-routes.. how does a QB develop accuracy and rhythm?
LSU torched Wisconsin everytime they ran a quick WR out, and let their WRs use open field. But after that one TD drive... no WR quick outs. Back to the broken record, backward-ass cloud of dust play calls.
And every LSU QB, again Harris a glaring example, has horrible mechanics: feet not set, shoulders not square.
This lady and gentlemen is bad coaching.
Every player, every fan, every opponent knows LSU has 2 plays: run Fournette between tackles despite 8-9 defenders in box and 7-step drop, long-developing pass routes with no safety valve options.
Amazingly, LSU still continues to win 9-10 games every year, and Fournette's transcendent talent somehow gets 130++ every game.
I dream about this: Imagine LSU's offensive talent under Houston's Hermann or Clemson's Sweeney?  I get giddy like a toddler about to see Mickey at Disneyworld...
Instead, we stare at the needle, wobbling up and down, and Les smirking at us, and about to call another Fournette run into a wall of 9 defenders.
And like vinyl records gradually were pushed into oblivion by the digital age, Miles' clock has struck midnight... and he must go.

How? Just say Yes.

Today in church,  in his message Brian Jeansonne said something that resonated with me, mainly because I've always tried to be a solution focused, not a problem, person.

Brian said a friend told him when faced with a difficult decision, and asking himself, "How?" that he should instead just say "Yes" then just figure out the How.

The message was geared to how when God moves us to something, how do we react.  And this message is so true of things in our, and really in my life.

In September 2013 when Denise blindsided me with news of her adulterous affair and declaration of not loving me anymore, my faith foundation was temporarily crushed.  The emotional avalanche of doubt, fear, hurt, devastation was like nothing I had ever felt before.

And in the ensuing several months, I realized I was experiencing a death, a complete crushing of my spirit literally to ashes.

In the midst of that soul-crushing storm and being humbled to my knees,  the choice of my life voyage was do I steer and stay in the darkness enveloping me or to pull myself to the light, to the promise of God's hope and His great plan  for me?

Despite the physically wrenching pain, I chose God. I chose to cling to the faith I had always professed in the good times.  I chose to know in the storm God was right there, holding my hand, holding me.

In those moments then and even now, I hold to His Hope, His Light, and ask not "How?" but just say "Yes."

O(U) so so close

First of all, huge kudos to the unranked LSU basketball team on their almost-upset of very very good, #1 OU team.

I applaud the energy and effort LSU gave until the very last, should've been a foul on Quartermann play. (Don't get me started on how I feel college refs absolutely stink..)

When focused and fired up, LSU showed it has the talent to compete with anyone.

But this was a game LSU deserved to win, and didn't for very apparent reasons.

And when I pointed out these reasons,  I was literally mocked (lol, actually called ignorant!)  on Twitter by very experienced, nationally know sports people for this post-game tweet:

OU patience, experience, well-coached offense trump LSU's sloppiness, effort and continued YMCA offense. Heartbreaker.

Notice I didn't call out players, I didn't demean or degrade a coach. I simply point out glaring facts:

- LSU guards = 8 turnovers

- Simmons - ZERO points in last 10 minutes, ONE - repeat ONE - shot in last 5 minutes

- in last 15 minutes, OU executed and got wide open jumpers all over the floor, especially the perfectly-run game winner with 3.8 seconds.

And the biggest culprit of LSU's double-digit 2nd half lead but eventual loss:

Johnny Jones offense: Miles 1.0

JJ is beyond a phenomal recruiter (and by all accounts, a great overall person).

But in year 4 of his tenure, why can't JJ implement any semblance of an offense? 

I have said for years, JJ's offense resembles a YMCA pickup game or an AAU run-n-gun game, pick your poison.

There were several instances in OU game, where a high pick-and-roll was set, guard passed back to picker, and picker was totally unprepared for the pick and pop. (cue the YMCA theme music...)

Also, LSU ran the same high double-screen play for Blakeney almost every time down court late and/ or swing ball and try futile (awful lob entry passes..) passes to Simmons posting up. OU sniffed out the former, and Blakeney rarely was open.

And the latter, if LSU knew how to execute a simply bounce pass, Simmons would have actually scored in last 10 minutes.

And to that point, how does JJ/LSU NOT somehow get Simmons the ball down the stretch?

I strongly disagree with  JJ's claim OU was doing a good job on Simmons. I watched every second of the game: and they didn't front him nor double team him almost entirety of the game. ESPN analysts at halftime, and then even Dick Vitale was screeching how Simmons needed to get the ball down the stretch in the post.

Heild is a relentless and incredible shooter, no doubt, 

But for  3/4 of game LSU played over every screen and also doubled Heild off screens, frustrating and checking him.

Then inexplicably  in last 10 minutes, they stopped this defensive strategy. Why?

Lastly, I'd have LSU guards for hours, literally do nothing but drill on how to execute simple passes, especially bounce passes.  I swear I don't know if I saw an LSU guard throw a bounce pass in the game! It is  maddening how sloppy our guards are with basic passes. Against OU, LSU guards had 8 TOs, and I'd guess half were just lazy and poor angle passes into the post.

Again, major props to LSU for putting OU on the ropes.  But this bout never should have come to the KO by OU with right under 4 seconds, if only JJ could implement a college-level offense and recognize they have a guy, #1 to-be NBA pick, Ben Simmons.