B.C.FAN wrote:The Lions and Bombers played an exciting, back and forth, high scoring game with lots of offence and big plays.
Players make mistakes on every play. Those mistakes add up to points scored and points given up, and they determine the outcome of a game. The Lions made lots of mistakes on Saturday, got fooled by two trick plays and turned the ball over three times, including a last minute third-and-one gamble at the Winnipeg five yard line. That's why they lost.
Officials make judgment calls on every play. That's an accepted part of sport. You don't hear baseball players, fans and announcers arguing that a called third strike should have been a ball. With or without video review, there will be questionable calls in all sports. Yet football fans, more than those in any other sport, have a tendency to become consumed with criticizing officials for questionable calls and blaming them when their team loses. They lose focus of what really counts. Don't leave a game in the hands of the officials. Focus on the mistakes that the players made and try to correct those.
Respectfully, I think you're missing the point. This is not about whether we
deserved to win the game or not. Yes, we turned the ball over more than they did, but we also had many more yards offense than Winnipeg. That is irrelevant. The fact is, regardless of whom you're cheering for, the Lions SHOULD HAVE been awarded the ball, first and goal at the 8 yard line, with :35 seconds remaining. That's unequivocal. Would they have won? Who knows? Winnipeg has the worst red-zone D in the league this year, and apparently 14 out of 17 drives starting on the Bomber 8 yard line since 2008 have resulted in TDs. But, we also blew a game in Calgary earlier this year under similar circumstances. Again, that is irrelevant.
This is not an indictment of the on-field officials either. A fumble would have been difficult to assess in real time unless you were in clear view of the play. Only Arakgi seemed convinced. No, this is about a Command Centre that is given high tech electronic equipment, multiple angles, and time to get the call right, and they blew it. End of story.
This can't happen in a professional league.
DH
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