ESPN shows highlights of PI, uses last SF play of SB

**moose10101** · 12-17-2013, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by HoustonRaven

uhh, yeah they did. Both of them said that should have been a penalty.

IIRC, Gruden could barely choke out an "I don't know" on the shot to Flacco's knee.

And it seemed clear that the clips were shown to highlight how the Ravens have gotten away with PI's, even though at least two of the plays were clearly not PI. I'd like to listen to that part of the broadcast again to make sure it wasn't just my purple hearing aid.

**esmd** · 12-17-2013, 10:56 AM

I thought it was a hack job in that it only showed plays involving us. The least they could have done was show the Lions mugging our WR (Marlon, I think) inside the 5 yd line. They called them for helmet to helmet and gave us 15 yards to put us in FG range, but it should've been PI with 1st and goal inside the 5.

**Flacco2Boldin** · 12-17-2013, 10:57 AM

Blown calls do happen all the time, and we did benefit from some this year, but the montage was obviously biased to focus on the Ravens. Only had to look back to the PF (15 yes) call on the hit on Marlon Brown in lieu of the obvious PI (spot foul near the EZ) which should've been called, for an example of Detroit's "gift" from the refs. But that wasn't the point. Obviously the point was the Ravens get all the breaks. If bad calls/no calls was the point, and they only wanted to focus on the Ravens, they could have showed the no call on Tomlin. It's fresher than last year's SB, but that wasn't the case they were making.

**HoustonRaven** · 12-17-2013, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by moose10101

I'd like to listen to that part of the broadcast again to make sure it wasn't just my purple hearing aid.

Me too. I will gladly eat crow if I heard it wrong.

**trailhiker85** · 12-17-2013, 10:59 AM

Yeah, the whole "Ravens win all the Questionable PI calls" montage did get my attention. Still, we know that over time this happens with all teams. The Ravens simply happened to be a handy target last night, and we have been lucky the last couple of games on iffy calls.

The only clip I really take exception to was the play from the Super Bowl. It didn't belong in there with the others.

**goldenelite28** · 12-17-2013, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by trailhiker85

Yeah, the whole "Ravens win all the Questionable PI calls" montage did get my attention. Still, we know that over time this happens with all teams. The Ravens simply happened to be a handy target last night, and we have been lucky the last couple of games on iffy calls.

The only clip I really take exception to was the play from the Super Bowl. It didn't belong in there with the others.

In the Superbowl Joe got hit out of bounds on the prior drive and nobody cared. Should have been a flag.
In the Steeler game we got robbed of a TD because Tomlin. No flag.
In the Vikings game there was definitely holding on that play. Not PI, but it still would have negated the Int.

Of course when they only focus on the calls we got in those games it looks horrible.

**trailhiker85** · 12-17-2013, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by goldenelite28

In the Superbowl Joe got hit out of bounds on the prior drive and nobody cared. Should have been a flag.
In the Steeler game we got robbed of a TD because Tomlin. No flag.
In the Vikings game there was definitely holding on that play. Not PI, but it still would have negated the Int.

I'm not disagreeing, but the first two you mentioned had nothing to do with PI calls/non-calls, which is what ESPN chose for their little montage subject.

**esporter113** · 12-17-2013, 11:19 AM

It really bothered me. The words the announcers spoke were about the state of officiating in the league, but the video clips told a different story... one that suggests that the Ravens in particular have a history of benefitting from timely mis-calls. Which is a bunch of crap. Every team gets iffy calls for & against them all season. Singling out only Ravens clips was a very bizarre and inappropriate choice, in my opinion.

**JMUpurkfool** · 12-17-2013, 11:21 AM

Of course that shit pissed me off.

They would NEVER do that to the Patriots. NEVER. You know how many fucking favorable calls those massholes have gotten over the years. Every time they get a questionable call in the favor is ESPN gonna drag out a bunch of clips from past games and SEASONS!? FUCK NO.

You're fooling yourself if you think that could have been any team in that montage. They would never do that to one of their darling teams. That was clear disrespect of our organization. Everyone knows that officiating is terrible in this league right now. There is no reason to show a highlight reel of calls that ESPN thinks helped us in the past. The Super Bowl was an obvious no call and Chykie didn't even touch Sanders. If those are the plays you are showing then you are grasping at straws.

Everyone outside Baltimore already hates this team and that gave them another reason. I guarantee you if/when Bisciotti sees that he won't think it was warranted. He will take it personal, which it was.

**ravensnhokies** · 12-17-2013, 11:36 AM

I've been saying this for awhile. ESPN makes everything into a big story..... a big Sports drama. What does every great story have? A great villain. We are that VILLAIN. I'm gonna take this as a compliment. Darth Vader/Michael Corleone are damn cool in my book.

**dreamjo** · 12-17-2013, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by RavensDomination

I agree, they had that montage ready and waiting to be shown too. And showing the Super Bowl?! That was last season!

^This.

It was a pre-produced montage. It was brought up in the production meetings leading up to the game as a possible storyline for the contest. The clips from the Superbowl and the Steeler game were obtained and put in the servers for EVS playback probably Monday afternoon. Once the Webb play happened, they added that clip and the cue was given to roll that particular in-game, pre-produced package. In meetings that take place about three hours before airtime, Chucky and Tirico go over their lines and positions should that storyline come up in the game. They were pretty ready for that.

Whenever you see clips from another game (particularly if that other game was broadcast by another network), be certain that you're looking at a produced storyline that came up in network broadcast meetings weeks ago.

**RavenScallywag** · 12-17-2013, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by HoustonRaven

While I think the Super Bowl clip was over the top, are you saying the Ravens haven't had some questionable calls go their way recently?

It's a sign of the overall state of officiating, which was a narrative ESPN was discussing all evening. And rightfully so.

Officiating has been atrocious all year and we've benefitted a few times from that.

I'd agree with this, but the way it was presented made it seem like it was JUST the Ravens benefitting. Clearly, there have been a TON of horrid PI calls around the NFL, can't they show the one NE vs Browns one? Or some other team?

It seemed to be done to highlight how many gifts the Ravens get on PIs, not showing how poorly refs have called PI across the NFL.