Quote:
Originally Posted by JRutledge
My point was that these things were not mutually exclusive. And I would disagree with you that we are only instruments, when we are asked all the time and used as the barometer for how and why rules are implemented. 
Peace |
We are asked, but we are not the final authority.
(I would also take just a moment to say that, while I disagree with Jeff on some things from time to time, I appear to be one of the few people here who has actually met him and dealt with him and one of fewer who can actually say that I like him, personally. Jeff's a damn good official and a dedicated one who not only cares a hell of a lot about the game of football, but also about the people who officiate it, especially those who are starting out and just trying to improve themselves. But - and not that he needs me to point this out to him and not that he particularly cares - his strong-mindedness, a benefit as an official, rubs some people here the wrong way, and I get that. For the sake of fairness, I just wanted to point out to all y'all from the perspective of someone who's dealt with Jeff Rutledge the official and the person that he's not always just trying to piss y'all off.)
Okay, end digression.
Here's one thing we're missing: suppose they tighten the numbering exception, whether it's through the proposed language or some other language that makes the most sense to however many people have the final say on it. Whatever.
Seriously - how many officials and how many teams is this
really affecting? Raise your hand if you've seen the A-11. I know Kurt would have you believe (and ESPN Mag would play up) that it's a great many, but how many of
us, the foot soldiers, the ones who are actually out there, and who form a fairly decent cross section of football officials across the nation, will
actually be affected by a change in this rule?
I would guess it's not a lot. So while we can have strong opinions about the offense, its intent, its inventor, the pub it gets, what words might be used to close the loophole or whatever, it seems to me to be a lot of sound and fury about something that probably isn't going to affect the majority of us, or even a decent number of us. Unless I'm reading this whole thing wrong.