Randy Cross Gets It Regarding Silly Umpire Rule

by Brad Wells on Aug 31, 2010 2:42 PM EDT in 2010 Colts News

Randy Cross is a former offensive lineman who won a few Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers back in the 1980s. He's also an announcer for CBS Sports and a regular contributor to National Football Post. Like all people who have logically and objectively looked at this inconsistent and utterly bone-headed umpire position rule change, Randy sees nothing but contradictions:

Let me get this straight, there are 2 minutes and 20 seconds left and the clock is running. I run a play that gains 4 yards and get back on the ball quickly but before I can get the next play off the 2 minute warning is called. After a commercial break, TV returns and now the umpire is back in his old spot on the defensive side of the ball for the rest of the half or game. (So it's a safety issue and a health risk for the umpire for 56 minutes of the game but not for the 4 minutes that matter most? Is this just a tad bit moronic and nonsensical?)

Again, health and safety issues are the reason the umpires were moved. However, for four minutes of the game, the NFL is perfectly willing to move umpires back into the danger zone, exposing them to the very same health and safety issues they have supposedly grappled with for decades.

It's not a 'tad' moronic and nonsensical. It IS moronic and nonsensical.

If it truly is a health and safety issue, the umpires should remain behind the QB regardless of whether or not the game half is after the two minute warning. Since the league is more than willing to toss umpires back into the 'meat grinder' inside two minutes, it undermines their 'safety' reasoning.

If the issue is 'safety,' then make certain the umps are physically fit (regular fitness test), give them protective padding, and keep them where they were. If not, then keep them behind the quarterback and kiss goodbye any and all notions of a two-minute offense for the present and foreseeable future.

This is simply a dumb, consistent, poorly planned rule change. Despite the universal dislike and the glaring flaws, the NFL is moving forward with it anyway. In case you didn't know (cough * cough * 18 game regular season), the NFL does not listen to its fans.

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Comments

Over/ under 6 times there will be an illegal snap called in the first week of the season?

I’m going with the under at five but i hope its more to prove a point.

its really going to be an spark a fire if its called right before the two minute warning. this is going to be very frustrating for us colts fans

by Thedreamthejohn on Aug 31, 2010 2:54 PM EDT reply actions

First week?

If the first game goes by without an illegal snap called, I’ll be in shock.

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"How can a pickup truck contain enough mass to unfold into a towering machine? I say if Ringling Brothers can get 15 clowns into a Volkswagen, anything is possible."

Roger Ebert, Transformers review.

by E.M.H. on Aug 31, 2010 6:23 PM EDT up reply actions

under @5

teams will adjust. The Colts and the Saints are the only two teams that I can think of that were penalized. Some of that was testing the boundaries. I think it will be be an issue, and it COULD swing the outcome of more than one game this year. But then again, bad calls swing a few games every year…

"We ARE going to our own private island, Chris: it's called the State Fucking Fair!"

by naptown_ninja on Aug 31, 2010 9:44 PM EDT up reply actions

The math behind the safety argument is weak to me

Pretty sure I read that there were ~100 instances last year where the Umpire was knocked down during a game. If there are ~120 plays per game on average then for the regular season we’re talking not quite 31000 plays (tack on another 1300 or so for the Playoffs) assuming no OT, etc. So if the Ump gets knocked on his butt 100 times out of 31000 opportunities we’re talking about .3% (note that is a third of a percent), right?

Even less when you figure how many of those knock downs were injurious

A fraction of a fraction of the time, the Ump falls down and a fraction of those times, he gets hurt and for this, we get a new rule that creates a material change in the way the top offenses can run their games. No thanks

Steve Holt!

by AvonColtsFan on Aug 31, 2010 3:07 PM EDT reply actions

In other words a rule that does not affect the referees 99.66% of the time, and affects some teams 90% of the time. At best beurocratic red tape, at worst a blatant attempt to affect a change in the way certain teams play the game all while denying this attempt.

by Hoosier03 on Sep 1, 2010 8:39 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Really?

You don’t think fans want 18 REAL games during the regular season? Really? So you’re predicting empty stadiums and no TV audience for those two extra games? I’m guessing fans will vote with their wallets on this one (generously) and you can be sure the owners and NFL are listening.

"If I ever was myself, I wasn't that night"

by Via_Chicago on Aug 31, 2010 3:09 PM EDT reply actions

more on the safety argument

I am in no way a proponent of the rule change, but it isn’t entirely nonsensical for the refs to move back into the old position for 4 minutes of the game. If the refs are out of the way for the majority of the contest (56 of 60 minutes) then they are less likely to be injured. It makes sense to me as a way for the league to compromise with the fans, because if the rule was in place for the last 2 minutes of a game/half, that would suck monkey balls.

by RWaynecrush on Aug 31, 2010 3:18 PM EDT reply actions

With the emmergence of Fan Blogs,

It wouldn’t be difficult for the NFL to get a real feel for what the fans want from professional football. It’s so easy to find us on the web everywhere.
Since we are the driving force of the revenues that make multi-millionaires of so many people, our voices should count for something.
Mr. Goodell, here’s what I don’t like:
Moving the pro-bowl ( some of you might think this is unimportant, but I personally love Pro-bowl week ). I don’t mean the location, I mean the scheduling of it.
Having to pay full price for pre-season games.
A longer 18 game season. ( because I think the players would be more banged up and physically exhausted come play off time )
The umpire rule that allows the slower than molasses ref. dictate to Peyton when he can snap the ball. And the penalty that goes with it.
Finally, I don’t like not being able to be on the field during warm ups. This causes me to have to take binoculars which are heavy to carry. ( I couldn’t resist a little joke ).

"You can't defend the perfect throw, what can I say?" Peyton quoting Marino
"As I grow older, the list of people who can kiss my ass grows longer"-Ancient Hoosier Proverb.

by Indy Lori on Aug 31, 2010 4:40 PM EDT reply actions 3 recs

awesome

esp your last one

How can you not love a team that does this?

by LovinBlue on Aug 31, 2010 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions

Awesome, IL.

"I throw, you catch. It's NOT that hard!"
Peyton Manning, SNL, 2007

by peytonsthebest on Aug 31, 2010 7:51 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm so sick of people calling this "Peyton's" tweak...

Can’t wait of the regular season to start so it affects the performance of all the other teams.

by Dr. Brain on Aug 31, 2010 5:37 PM EDT reply actions

Yes, especially since other QB's - Drew Brees is one example - has been affected.

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"How can a pickup truck contain enough mass to unfold into a towering machine? I say if Ringling Brothers can get 15 clowns into a Volkswagen, anything is possible."

Roger Ebert, Transformers review.

by E.M.H. on Aug 31, 2010 6:25 PM EDT up reply actions

... have been affected

Grammar much, EMH?

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"How can a pickup truck contain enough mass to unfold into a towering machine? I say if Ringling Brothers can get 15 clowns into a Volkswagen, anything is possible."

Roger Ebert, Transformers review.

by E.M.H. on Aug 31, 2010 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions

I've been having a lot of typos lately myself.

These fingers can’t follow my brain like they used to. Without Cass around to catch us out, no one seems to notice much anyway.

"You can't defend the perfect throw, what can I say?" Peyton quoting Marino
"As I grow older, the list of people who can kiss my ass grows longer"-Ancient Hoosier Proverb.

by Indy Lori on Aug 31, 2010 7:26 PM EDT up reply actions