Ref’s Blown Call Bad for New Jersey Sports Betting

It's one thing for an NFL referee to get a call wrong when sports betting is illegal... it's another thing when legal wagers are being placed in states like New Jersey.

You have to ask yourself with all the huddling, conferencing, and hood crawling these refs do, sometimes even calling New York for confirmation, how could they miss something so obvious as Rams defensive back Nickell Robey-Coleman wiping out, Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis before a pass intended for Lewis arrived?

It's so bad that there are lawsuits being planned. People want the commissioner to step in, but what can they actually do? You can't replay the game. You also have no guarantee that the Saints would have subsequently scored. What if there had been a fumble or interception on the plays after that? The Seahawks thought they won the Super Bowl until the Patriots Malcolm Butler intercepted Russell Wilson. The Cleveland Browns thought they were going to the Super Bowl until Ernest Byner fumbled, so you really never know.

What you do know, is that the NFL needs to get their officiating, which has been horrendous all year no matter who you root for, right. As fans, we have too much invested, both emotionally and in some cases financially, for them to be screwing it up as much as they do. I realize the players are invested as well, but they get paid no matter what the call is. We just have to live with the outcome.

The NFL has made their game way too complicated. Between what's a catch and let's review everything, maybe it needs to be simplified so that the referees, as well as the fans, understand what they are seeing without question. Also when there's a call or non-call as blatant as that, the coach should be able to challenge it. Charge them a time out if they are wrong, but there's no excuse for not getting it right.

As legalized sports betting continues to spread across the country, the NFL game and it's officiating are going to come under more scrutiny. There's no excuse for them not getting it right, especially with this much money on the line...or lines.