No Fun League Officials

Disclaimer: I am not blaming the Cardinal's loss on the officials. I am a Packer fan, but I was rooting for the Cardinals.

Is it just me or do the NFL officials ruin at least one game every week? Considering this past weekend was the Superbowl, I'm sure you know which game I am talking about. In general, I believe there were way too many penalties called. It takes away from the flow of the game, and it takes the game out of the players' hands. I wish they would just let them play. More specifically, a few problems I had from Sunday's game.

1. 15 yard facemask. I understand that is the rule, by definition the referee made the right call, but maybe the rules need to be looked at. How in the world can it be legal for a wide receiver to grab onto a defensive back's face mask while he stiff arms him, but the defender cannot even touch the wide receiver's mask without getting unsportsmanlike conduct.

2. Roughing the passer. I know, they want to protect the players. Well, apparently only the quarterbacks because a few weeks ago Willis McGahee took a vicious helmet to helmet hit, but that is legal. Big Ben was in no danger of being hurt on this play, it was a HUGE play in the game and could have easily gone either way. The ref insists on calling it? Well, that is okay but a few moments later Kurt Warner took a similiar shot and no flag. Be consistent.

3. Running over the holder? Again, this one is on the NFL, not the officials specifically. Is this seriously in the rule book? An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for that? You have got to be kidding me. I wish they would get rid of that and all of the running into the kicker penalties while they are at it. Then we would not have to see kickers and punters flopping all over the field.

4. Is it not illegal to use the ball as a prop during a celebration? I'm sure you all saw Santonio Holmes do it, and I'm sure that the refs did as well. Where was his unsportsmanlike conduct penalty? An extra 15 yards on the ensuing kick off would have been huge.

5. Why would you not review the final fumble? Was it a fumble? Hell if I know. To my untrained eye it looked like it very well could have gone either way. How in the biggest game of the year, on a play that is going to end the game are you not going to stop play and review it?

I love football and I love the NFL, but they really need to get things together for next season.