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Hambone
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WestCoastJoe wrote:[The defender was close to Banks. Close enough to lay on a hand on the very fast Banks? Not in my opinion. Could the rule be tweaked to allow such a return? It is so close. A different official might not have called it. Is the official supposed to note that the returner is as quick as The Flash? No. A slower returner might have been caught by the defender. As noted, if it was uncalled, there would be a huge ground swell of criticism saying it should have been called, could have been called. The block was right in front on the screen, close to the returner. Not somewhere in the background. Best to chalk it up as a close one. Still a penalty? Gotta be called, as the rules interpretations stand now, I think, as it is right in front of everybody.
Totally agree WCJ. For the zebra making the call he has to call what he sees. He can't start making like Nostradamus and base his decision on what he thinks might happen between that instant and the ultimate end of the play. There's no denying there was a foul and it was within only a yard or two of the point of attack. I doubt he would've made a play on Banks there. As it was Banks went all the way across the field to finally turn the corner. Who's to say if at some point in the play outside contain might've turned him back into the flow where the clipped defender may have been able to make a tackle if not for being knocked offstride and out of the play completely. The official can't wait for those possibilities to sort themselves.
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Blue In BC
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It didn't appear that the Samp player would have made the tackle or even touched Banks. To say that he might not have influenced Banks thus changing the outcome of the return is more difficult. Would Banks have bubbled back a step seeing the Stamp closer without the block?

This is something we'll never know with certainty. However I feel it's a fair point to suggest that a returner is influenced by defenders in his field of vision. Without the illegal block, Banks may have slightly altered his direction or timing and this MAY have altered the rest of the return.

Regardless, it was a legitmate call for an illegal block. I don't think anyone wants the ref to make a subjective call based on whether something really would have impacted the result.
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WestCoastJoe
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Hambone wrote:
WestCoastJoe wrote:[The defender was close to Banks. Close enough to lay on a hand on the very fast Banks? Not in my opinion. Could the rule be tweaked to allow such a return? It is so close. A different official might not have called it. Is the official supposed to note that the returner is as quick as The Flash? No. A slower returner might have been caught by the defender. As noted, if it was uncalled, there would be a huge ground swell of criticism saying it should have been called, could have been called. The block was right in front on the screen, close to the returner. Not somewhere in the background. Best to chalk it up as a close one. Still a penalty? Gotta be called, as the rules interpretations stand now, I think, as it is right in front of everybody.
Totally agree WCJ. For the zebra making the call he has to call what he sees. He can't start making like Nostradamus and base his decision on what he thinks might happen between that instant and the ultimate end of the play. There's no denying there was a foul and it was within only a yard or two of the point of attack. I doubt he would've made a play on Banks there. As it was Banks went all the way across the field to finally turn the corner. Who's to say if at some point in the play outside contain might've turned him back into the flow where the clipped defender may have been able to make a tackle if not for being knocked offstride and out of the play completely. The official can't wait for those possibilities to sort themselves.
Yes. It is a close one, Hambone.

... Say the illegal block is not called. Yikes. Stampeders complain. Fans complain. Switchboards light up. And then one asks those who complain: "Could he have made contact with Banks?" Not sure?

Kind of a shame that such a great return cannot be rewarded. But due to the proximity of the defender, I agree that it had to be called. And not sure that the rule can be tweaked to allow such a return. In other words, if a defender gets close to the returner ... DO NOT BLOCK FROM BEHIND. I fully praise these coaches, but I do not think they get down to the detail of actually practicing running to an angle, as Taylor Reed could have done. Hold your angle. I think he had that angle, straight ahead. The defender would have had to move towards Reed, contend with him, and in that instant, Banks is gone. I haven't looked at replays to see if indeed Taylor Reed could have held that angle.

It is noteworthy how detailed coaching can get, given time. All the time available is well utiiized. It is a question of priorities. I expect teams will give this situation more consideration now.

When I was coaching basketball, there was focus on minute detail in the battle in the key, with the big guys, especially with back to the hoop, posting up. What is a foul? What is not a foul? What can the offensive player do with his arms? What can the defender do with his body? Very detailed ... I was no great expert, but one saw expertise at clinics, from pro coaches, NCAA coaches.
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TheLionKing
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The officials have to make the call as they see it. It was clearly a hit (or shove) from behind. Penalty. Period.
Ballistic Bob
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If it was far away from the play then yes let it go but it wasn't. Thnx. Bb
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WestCoastJoe
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Ballistic Bob wrote:If it was far away from the play then yes let it go but it wasn't. Thnx. Bb
Sounds about right.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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Robbie
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A distant but at least different vantage point taken by a fan as to whether there was an illegal block.
[video][/video]
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祝你龍年行大運。
恭喜西雅图海鹰直到第四十八屆超級盃最終四十三比八大勝曾拿下兩次超級盃冠軍的丹佛野馬拿下隊史第一個超級盃冠軍。
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Coast Mountain Lion
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Maybe I've missed it, but nobody's mentioned that one reason things like that are illegal is that it's dangerous to the guy who's getting hit from behind. Penalty, end of debate.
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sj-roc
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Image

One of the club lounges behind the Ham bench. Please tell me that's NOT an NFL broadcast on that TV. At the Grey Cup. If it is, smh.

It's prob just an NFL highlight package airing on TSN during a TV timeout of our game, or so I hope. Which would be fine. And plausible since it's a final score/stats graphic.
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
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sj-roc
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Grey Cup TV ratings were down this year according to this AP wire story on Sportsnet.

The average went from 4.5M viewers last year to 4.1M this year. So, basically, 400k Roughrider fans tuned out.

Reach was down from 11.5M to 10M, and peak dropped from 5.5M to 5.1M.

Also, the picture accompanying this article shows Jon Cornish holding the Cup aloft in one piece — in the correct manner as I described in an earlier post. Presumably it has been repaired.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/cfl/gr ... from-2013/
Grey Cup television ratings decline from 2013

Associated Press
December 1, 2014, 6:04 PM

TORONTO – The television ratings for Sunday’s 102nd Grey Cup between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Calgary Stampeders were down slightly from last season.

An average of 4.1 million viewers tuned in to TSN to watch the Stampeders edge the Ticats 20-16, according to preliminary data from the audience measurement firm Numeris.

That was down from the 4.5 million who watched last year’s game between Hamilton and Saskatchewan.

Overall, more than 10 million Canadians tuned in for some portion of Sunday’s game, 1.5 million fewer than last season.

Audience levels peaked at 5.1 million — 400,000 fewer than 2013 — late in the game as Hamilton mounted a fourth-quarter comeback that stalled when Brandon Banks’ touchdown return was nullified due to a penalty.

The Grey Cup record average of 6.1 million viewers was set in 2009 when the Montreal Alouettes defeated Saskatchewan 28-27. That game was played shortly after the introduction of a new ratings measurement system that has seen sports TV ratings skyrocket.
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
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WestCoastJoe
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Still checking the CFL news.

From cfl.ca, Pat Steinberg ...
Steinberg's MMQB: A classic Grey Cup

Posted: December 02, 2014 12:00 PM

Pat Steinberg CFL.ca

It didn’t start out like a classic, but it sure did finish as one. The 102nd Grey Cup at BC Place had most on the edge of their seats, and it had absolutely everything. There were signature performances, enduring moments, controversies, and more. In the end, the Calgary Stampeders are deserving champions in 2014, and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have nothing to hang their heads over.

One for the ages

Bo Levi Mitchell didn’t throw a touchdown. In fact, he ended up throwing more interceptions (one) than he did touchdowns. But make no mistake, the performance we saw from Calgary’s starting quarterback was as impressive a Grey Cup outing as we’ve seen in years.

Mitchell was on right from the very get go, and put together scoring drives of 55, 66, and 87 yards in the first half as the Stamps had a 17-7 lead after two quarters. He was accurate, poised, and composed throughout, and looked as if this was nothing new to him.

But it was Calgary’s final scoring drive that needs to truly be highlighted. That was when Mitchell engineered an 11-play masterpiece that ended in a Rene Parades 20 yard field goal in the third quarter. The drive, which started at the Calgary 27, saw Mitchell convert under pressure. It saw Mitchell come through in long yardage situations. And it ended up putting crucial points on the board for the Stampeders.

The only unfortunate thing is it didn’t end with a major. If Mitchell is able to get that thing in the endzone, we might be talking about one of the most legendary Grey Cup drives we’ve ever seen. Regardless, it was something to behold, as Mitchell continues to show the entire country what he’s all about.

Mitchell finished with 334 yards on 25-for-34 passing. On Sunday, however, the numbers don’t even begin to do justice to the type of game he had. He was the purrfect choice for Grey Cup MVP.
I thought Bo was great. Lots of help from Huf and Dave D.

Zach was also terrific.
Face the music

It’s going to take quite some time for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to get over their loss. They’ll be kicking themselves for their start, and they’ll be lamenting the points they left on the field. But, in the end, the Ticats should leave Vancouver with their heads held high, because they played a hell of a football game.

And special mention needs to go to Taylor Reed. The first year linebacker was the culprit flagged on Hamilton’s negated punt return touchdown in the final moments of Sunday’s game. It was him who was crouched on the ground, head in hands, at the Hamilton ten-yard line while everyone else was celebrating. He knew he’d been flagged, and he knew it had very likely cost his team a chance to win the Grey Cup.

And it was also Taylor Reed in the locker room, ready to answer the tough questions. Reed took the responsibility, put it all on himself, and didn’t for a second criticize the officials. That’s how a true professional handles making a mistake, costly or not.

In the end, the Tiger-Cats didn’t lose because of Reed’s penalty. You lose as a team and you win as a team, and that was very evident on Sunday. But that won’t make Reed feel any better, at least not right away. But, in time, when the Beaumont, Tex. product reflects back, he’ll know he didn’t shy away. He stood up and handled it like a true pro, and he deserves a lot of credit for it.
Full credit to Taylor Reed for facing the music.

Win as a team. Lose as a team. The TiCats had ample opportunities to win. They came up a bit short.

Good to see the TiCats back as a franchise that can contend on into the future.

http://www.cfl.ca/article/steinbergs-mm ... c-grey-cup
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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