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What would your opinion have been about the fairness of the umpiring in this year's World Series if close calls that could have gone either way had repeatedly gone in the Yankees favor and after the final out was recorded and the Yankees won the series, Jorge Posada turned around and High-Fived the home plate umpire?
What would your opinion have been of the fairness of the legal proceedings in the O.J. Simpson murder trial if after O.J. Simpson was pronounced innocent, if he ran up to Judge Ito and they High-Fived?
Think about your own personal situation. How would you have looked at the fairness in the proceedings of a legal matter, a tryout to make a team, or any other instance when an authoritative figure may have had had the opportunity to decide the matter either in your favor or in the favor of your adversary or competition; and after the other party was declared the winner, they went and High-Fived the authoritative figure?
The NFL is so concerned with the appearance of games being fixed that Roger Goodell fined Chad Eight-Five $20,000 for his playful $1 antics. Yet, when Vince Young High-Fived NFL referee Jerome Boger after last week's highly contested Titans vs. Texans game, the NFL swept under the carpet by simply releasing a statement that said the official didn't mean to do it.
"It was not Jerome Boger's intent to exchange a high-five with the player. It began with the referee making the proper administrative signal and resulted in the appearance of an inappropriate action. As Vince Young took a knee on the game's final play, Jerome Boger jogged in with his right arm in the air to signify the play was over. That is the proper administrative signal for the referee. As Young turned around, he saw Boger approaching the line of scrimmage with his arm raised. As Boger moved toward the line of scrimmage, he started to bring his arm down. However, before he lowered his arm, Young, moving towards the referee, raised his own arm and the two exchanged what appeared to be a quick high-five."
He didn't mean to do it? You mean like, "Oh, I'm sorry I slipped and fell and my penis landed between your wife's legs by mistake, I didn't mean it." Like that?
The NFL cannot separate itself from the fact that the public wagers on NFL Football games. In fact, it doesn't want to. The NFL is like a cigarette company that tells your kids not to smoke while lobbying the Gov't to take a more liberal stance on it at the same time. Clearly the ‘interest' in the games makes the games more popular.
You can't have the head referee of an NFL game High-Five the most important player on the field of the winning team without sanctions being involved in some way shape or form. Whether or not the referee in fact meant to do it or was caught by surprise and it was a reflex is irrelevant.
The fact is that the act taking place creates a situation that leaves the integrity of the officiating in doubt. There were quite a few questionable calls coming down the stretch of that game. I wouldn't have called a horse -collar penalty on the Chris Johnson run by the sideline in the fourth quarter. That was a potential game changer. Without that the Titans would have had to put from inside their own 15 yard line up by only 3 points.
Roger Goodell spends so much of his time levying out punishment and fines everyone for everything. Just the week before this incident Goodell he fined Titans owner 86 year old Bud Adams $250,000 for giving Bills fans the finger!
I'm not saying that referee Jerome Boger or any of the officials made any calls on the field with the intent to help the Titans. In fact, I think that only a moron would think that; but there are plenty of NFL ‘interested' fans that are morons. The fact of the matter is that you can't have this happen and not address it in a forceful way removing 100% of the doubt from anyone's mind.
I'd like to see what Goodell has to say when I accidentally trip and fall next to his wife.......... - Robert Fairchild
Robert Fairchild is a professional sports gaming professional. He legally wages on professional and collegiate sporting events for a living. Robert is NOT suggesting that you quit your day job and try to wager on sports for a living. He is contributing his thoughts and experience to assist you in a recreational activity that you as an informed adult may choose to take part in.
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