Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Spanking The Zebras

Well, there I was, about to rant about the travesty of logic and justice known as Mike Pereira, when an email arrived from H, who was copying me on a letter he sent to the National Football League regarding Pereira.

As you all know by now, Pereira, the NFL’s head of officiating, traded barbs with Queen of Darkness Amy Trask at a recent panel discussion. Not only did Pereira suggest that a blown call is more excusable if the wronged team made its own mistakes earlier in the game, he also took a cheap shot at the Oakland Raiders.

Several Raider Take regulars made some great points in the comments section of the previous take, and I was ready to weigh in myself, but H essentially took the words right out of my mouth. Here’s what he had to say to the NFL:

"Mike Pereira recently took a cheap shot at Amy Trask of the Oakland Raiders. I won't go into details as to what was said, but I refer to the opening salvo where Mr. Pereira complained that he gets most emails on Mondays about ‘bad calls’ and pointed out that, on a blown pass interference call, he reminded himself about the six turnovers earlier in the game.

Well, Mr. Pereira just doesn't get it. Part of football is just like part of life, and that part is overcoming adversity. The team with the six turnovers had fought back, overcome adversity and put themselves in a position to win the game. To dismiss the blown call as having no effect on the outcome of the game due to earlier turnovers is the height of arrogance.

In football, officiating is the one subjective area of any game. To act as if it has no impact on a given game is supercilious at best. This type of attitude does nothing to enhance the image of an official in the eyes of the average fan.

Blown calls, especially late in a game, do affect the outcome, as there is insufficient time to overcome that call. Yet, we hear nothing about what is done to a particular official who missed the call, or non-call in some cases, while players are called out and publicly and humiliated on national television. All we hear about is an occasional ‘oops’ letter to a team, and even that is only rumor, nothing public.

I believe Mr. Pereira owes an apology to Ms. Trask and the Raiders in particular, and to football fans in general.”

To me, this is the epitome of the perfect complaint letter: respectful yet forceful, and precisely argued with facts and logic. Well played, H!

As for all of us Raiders fans, it just goes to show once again, just because we’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get us.

26 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I really like your blog!

12:42 PM  
Blogger BlandaRocked said...

RT:

Thanks for that. The NFL goes to great pains to protect its cast of incompetents to the point of eliminating the 1st Amendment to the Constitution of the US to shut up the broadcast crews, the coaches and the players. They haven't quite figured out a way to shut up the fans yet, although their working at it. They've discussed penalizing the team if the fans shout complaints at the officials. Is it any wonder that stadiums frequently rock with the phrase, "Bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit!"

If the NFL were at all serious about resolving any of these issues, they'd professionalize the officiating crews like they do in every other profession sport. I honestly believe that the NFL prefers it the way it is because when they want to control the outcome of a game, they can.

1:18 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Forgive my ignorance, but who is "H"? Whoever it is great job! I hope this thing is widely documented and hopefully it leads to something being done with respect to policy changes, or whatever it takes to even the playing field around here. I think it was the L.A. Times who broke the story so that's a good start.

I talked about documenting this for future use. RT has been known to pull things up from years' past so I feel in good hands now that there is a "Take" on the subject. Thanks RT.

Psycho

2:16 PM  
Blogger Raider Take said...

Thanks, BlandaRocked and Psycho. One of my first takes here at Raider Take, in September of 2005, was entitled The Zebra Conspiracy, in reference to blown calls that cost us a game against KC. The more things change, the more they stay the same!

"H" is a nickname/handle for an eloquent Raiders fan. Don't know much about him, but his next beer's on me!

2:40 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bama7
Nice job. Of course the snow job is the worst example ever... is it really true that Walt Coleman changed that play from upstairs without a challenge from the Patriots? In other words did the refs actually take it upon themselves to "review" and ultimately reverse a call on the field?

3:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Mike Pereira is up on his high horse, but he better realize one thing.

The Oakland Raiders won only 2 games last year, and STILL had a better season than the NFL officials !!!!!!!

Talk about the blind leading the blind. With Pereira in charge, it now makes perfect sense as to why NFL official's are the WORST in the history of sports.

3:10 PM  
Blogger BlandaRocked said...

Bama:

Yes that's true. If you'll remember the clock was under 2 minutes. After the 2 minute warning, no team can chanllege a call. It has to be challenged from the booth.

To change the result requires that the replay unambiguously shows the original call was wrong. So even if their interpretation of the rule was correct, the video didn't support their theory.

It was a theft, pure and simple. The NFL wanted the Pats in the Super Bowl so they screwed the Raiders. And this is why they DON'T want professional officials.

3:44 PM  
Blogger PantyRaider said...

This is most likely a waisted effort but something needs to be done and maybe that something needs to be done by the "Fan"s...I "CopyPosted" this from the last "Take"...

"ZebraThought"s.....

As was noted there has never been any action taken against the "Zebra"s for their flagrant actions...therefore....as fans what can we do...

Could we claim financial loss due to corupt "Zebra"s...leagle gambling losses...

Could we claim "Torment-n-InHumain Treatment"....

Could we claim emotional stress which has caused sleeplessness and alchohal addiction....

Could we claim.....

Why can't we just get together as "Fan"s and file a class action suit against the bastards....whether we win or loose is not important...it would put them under stress and take away the "Anti-Favoratism" because it would all be evedence to support the suit....every bad call that is very obvious and called against us would be held up and scrutinized under a leagal magnafing glass...that ota make the "Zebra"s change their practices....

PantyRaider....Open-to-Sugestions-n-Willing!!!!

11:47 AM

Now on a less sour note...

"I Got IT"....NFL Films 1977 double OverTime Victory by the Raiders over the BaltimoreColts....ToNight....sit back with a cold beer and relive the moment....just hope NFL Films did not screw it up....Just show the plays....

PantyRaider....EagerToWatch!!!!

4:06 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Since Raider Take was kind enough to post my letter and Psycho is wondering who I am. I will introduce myself, somewhat.

I’m just a very long in the tooth Raiders fan. I discovered the Raiders one Sunday in 1964 while watching an AFL game on a 17 inch black and white TV. As you know their uniforms look pretty much the same in black and white as they do in color. Pretty simple, they were the best looking team and the best team that Sunday. And, Ben Davidson was probably the largest man I had ever seen.

The rest is history. I grew up with them almost from the beginning. I have posted several comments over the last year or so under the pseudonym “H” which is a nickname/code name given to me by a close friend several years ago and it stuck. So, that’s what I use.

I live in the east, grew up in Lower Alabama and currently live outside Atlanta. I’ve never been to a Raiders home game but plan to in the next year or so. Hopefully to sit in the Black Hole. Thanks to my favorite local bartender (until he sold the bar) and Direct TV I’ve seen every Raiders game for the last 10 years.

And Take, if I make it to a home game, don’t worry about buying me a beer. I make my own and I’ll bring a case for the tailgating, you can provide the meat.

H

8:19 PM  
Blogger Raider Take said...

Crikey, dude even brews his own beer!

8:47 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I would bet that Al Davis has similar opinions on the refs as most of us do, as far as being unprofesional part-timers and all. I would be really interested in hearing what the old man has to say about the whole thing. Anyone know of any previous Davis comments?

I know Al is a team player when it comes to improving the NFL as a whole and maintaining respectability as an organization. This type of thing, as well as all the piss poor officiating out there on a yearly basis, has to be a black eye for the NFL. Maybe if they spent less time worrying about punishing Pacman, Tank & soon Vick, they can focus on bigger issues, such as actual games involving players who are serious about working for a living, and who shouldn't have to worry about getting screwed over by 'it's own'. I mean, seriously. Say the Snow Job never happened and we won the Super Bowl that year. The livelyhood of every Raiders player & coach is drastically changed. Players get big free agent contracts & recognition, and coaches gain respectability & higher positions. Super Bowl winners are also more likely to gain positions in broadcasting and sponsership deals even long after their football careers. If John Madden were screwed in '76 as he was in '77, would we see his face plastered all over TV and video games? It's a travesty on many levels.

Nice to 'meet' you H!

Psycho

7:38 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

About "the snowjob call" if you remember that was the year of Sep. 11, the stupidiatings were looking for something "pure" and "patriotic", what better than the little bitches from new england to fill the void that most of us were filling, we were the better team, we were the ones making the plays and we were going to the superbowl, they weren't going to let us leave foxboro with a win even if they would have forced us to forfeit the game.

On another note, my best friend which happens to also be a Big Raider's fan says that when the skunks f*&k up a call as important as the one in foxboro the team should just leave the field or if not at least just stand up for one play without making an effort to stop the upcoming play and even move away from the offensive player if they get close to one of them, do as if they can't touch the offensive players because they will get penalized!

Unique way of thinking HA!

raiderdecoachella

PS. when does organized training begin!

9:21 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I could go for an "H" brew right about now.

Psycho

9:28 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

those comments by fairyra were totally classless.

good job with the letter H!

9:46 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Psycho, thanks for the input. I was going to make some custom lables for the next batch.

H Brew! I like it.

For raiderdecoachella, training camp opens July 27th.

H

11:03 AM  
Blogger PantyRaider said...

History of Bad Calls...

Last night I watchaed the 1977 double-overtime game between the Raiders-n-Colts....I could not help paying atention to the bad calls in that game....

"WR" Blitnkof makes a great catch low to the ground and it is rulled "InC"....Coach Madden is all over the oficial up and down the side line....But the Raiders came back out and followed up with another great play and scored...

"RB" MarkVaEagan is grabed by the face mask and his head is spun back and pulled toward the ground but he plays thru it and continues to the goal line...."TD"...but NO call....it should have been walked off on the kick-off.....

"WR" is in the end zone and he is ran into by the "DB"....no call....

Baltimore tries 3 times from the 2 yard line to score but the Raiders hold....on 4th down the Raiders hold again but the officials give them the "TD"....even in interviews their coach admitted it was a gift....it was obvious in the video...

I remember the next game against the "Donk-0"s....we out played them but the "Zebra"s made bad calls one after another and the "Donk-0"s went to the "SB"....where they were "Punked" by the "CowGirl"s...they had no business on the same field with that team....it should have been us with a repete....but the "NFL" did not allow it....Same thing happened the next time we should have repeted...this time against "NE" and the "Zebra"s gave them that game and they were spanked by the "Bear"s....again it should have been us...we were by far the best team....

Against the colts in that game we outgained them about 2 1/2 to 1....the game never should have been so close....without the "Zebra"s help it would not have gone to "OT"....

This was a great game to watch again...there were several things I did not remember and did not know....like one of our "LB" broke his neck in the first half....got back in the game and played all the way thru making 20 tackles....Several plays are omitted but the meat of the game is there with interviews spliced inbetween the plays...exelent watching....I already want to see it again....

Also there are all the well known plays..."ImaculantDeception"...."Sea-0-Hands"...."HiedyBowl"....which I have not watched yet...

PantyRaider...Recomending!!!!

11:34 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That reminds me. Tomorow @ 6:00 P.M. (I think) Thursday the NFL Network will show the OAK/DEN game in the snow where Curry made 'The Catch'

Psycho

12:50 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

From: azraider

Doobie,
For some reason I cannot send to your email address:

doobie77_at_gmail.com

Any suggestions? Still looking to get you a copy of the 1984 Raiders vs Dolphins game on DVD.

11:03 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sad thing about Snow game is sack by Woodson was first play after the 2 minute warning...if it had happended right before the timeout, NE could not have challenged..they had used them.

6:41 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Does anybody remember the game against the chefs in their home turf, Montana was playing for them and in this particular play he ran out of bounds he had a Raiders defender 2 or 3 yards behind him when they went out of bounds, the skunk on the sideline called a late hit out of bounds? I remember Montana looking at the skunk with an expression like what are you talking about! this guy didn't even touch me! kinda thing, of course they went on to beat us.

9:21 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Does anybody remember the game against the chefs in their home turf, Montana was playing for them and in this particular play he ran out of bounds he had a Raiders defender 2 or 3 yards behind him when they went out of bounds, the skunk on the sideline called a late hit out of bounds? I remember Montana looking at the skunk with an expression like what are you talking about! this guy didn't even touch me! kinda thing, of course they went on to beat us.

h

I am sorry for sounding so ignorant but.... so they only practice for a week or so before they actually start pre season.

raiderdecoachella

9:23 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

RaiderDeCoachella:

Camp opens 7-27....PreSeason starts 8-11....so for the first game they only have 14 days to prepair and then they have each week durring the preseason to work on details.....

This does not sound like much time to us but remember these guys have been around football for 8 years or longer if they played through highschool....Back when I was in school we had 3 weeks to practice prior to our first game...but the core of players were already up to speed and it was the "NewBee"s who had to catch up....Today the players also have the "MiniCamps" to work and prepair for "TrainingCamp"...

This year with the new coach there will be alot more to prepair for....the bigest problem is that we have not signed all our draft picks yet....4/11 have signed....so 7 players will not be allowed in camp until they are under contract....

"DVD" History-0-Raiders....
This is great...it came with the 1977 "DoubleOvertimePlayOffGame"....You should all see this if you have not seen it yet....it goes from 1960 to 2003 "SB" loss....

It shows our first uniforms which I had never seen before...The logo on the helmit looks like a pirate with crossed swords and no shield,..

1960 I was 10 and not into football yet...it was the "62" season after AlDavis came to the team when I started watching and by then the Raiders were already winners....

OrderDVD:
http://www.amazon.com/NFL-Films-Oakland-Raiders-Complete/dp/B0002DRDIC

PantyRaider...Great"DVD"

11:30 AM  
Blogger BlandaRocked said...

Psycho:

I remember that game. I remember Montana actually being hit, but in bounds by about two or three yards. And it was just a shove to make sure he went out of bounds.

I remember also how the NFL mouthpieces for the network broadcast tried to spin it. "The officials are going to protect the old veteran!"

My feeling - If Montana was delicate he should have taken his walker and left the field.

2:41 PM  
Blogger PantyRaider said...

"AutomWind" recording...

http://members.tripod.com/~Chewy75/lyrics.html

Also would make a nice "Walpaper" for the computer....

PantyRaider.....Love-da-Sound!!!!

4:32 PM  
Blogger Raider Take said...

Hey PantyRaider, do you have the Power & Glory CD from NFL Films? It's $12 on Amazon. Has the Autumn wind, as well as many other NFL Films compositions from 60s and 70s.

5:02 PM  
Blogger PantyRaider said...

"RT"

No, I don't have it but I will look....in the "History"DVD there is an extension to the "AutomWind"....a second verse....I will copy-post it later....

PantyRaider....

9:42 PM  

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