NFL Week 11

What We Learned: A Weekly Education

Every Tuesday, I examine what we learned about the NFL the previous weekend.
Some things that surprised us, some that were expected. In the NFL, there's always a new education.

This week, instead of listing several things We Learned in Week 11, I instead decided to look at something we've known for a while, but were reminded about last weekend:

The NFL wants to clean up a mess from an elephant that doesn't exist
My view on the ending of the Chargers/Steelers game last week and the NFL's response

There's a large elephant in the NFL's room. The league knows it, sees it, and smells it. Yet not only do they refuse to acknowledge it, they even want to clean up after that non-existent elephant makes a mess.

The Steelers/Chargers game on Sunday was just the latest example of how the league still refuses to publicly admit, yet is completely transparent, that gambling is a driving force behind many of their decisions.

Published reports state that there was a $64 million swing caused by the reversed (and reversed again) call that led to denying the Steelers a touchdown at the end of that game. The point spread was Pittsburgh -5.5. If the TD had stood, those who bet Pittsbugh won. Since it didn't, those who bet San Diego won. The NFL admits the wrong call was made and that the final score should have been 18-10 instead of the now cemented
11-10. Funny thing is....whether it's 18 or 11, the Steelers still won the game! So, it doesn't matter as far as standings are concerned. Yet, this has been the most talked about blown call since Ed Hochuli's inadvertent whistle in week two. Why? If the call didn't effect the outcome of the game (and it didn't), why does the league care so much that they are actually considering "tweaking" the replay system in order to prevent future errors on replay reversals? That answer is simple. Money. Specifically, gambling money.

The NFL knows how important it is for them to continue to be the most bet-on spectator sport in the United States. Vegas, bookmakers, offshore Internet sites, and the millions of fantasy football players around the world are the driving force behind the league's incredible money-making machine. There are radio and TV shows every week specifically devoted to NFL gambling and fantasy football. The "latest lines" are published every day in virtually every newspaper in the United States. And let's face it: the only reason there is even an injury report given each week is for gambling information purposes. The league frowns on coaches who do not give proper injury info. No other league has the same strict requirements.

Ask yourself this question: if the game was a blowout, say 30-10, and the exact same play occurred at the end of the contest, would the NFL still be talking about this issue three days later, much less actually pondering changing the replay rules? Of course not. In that case, all they would do is say, "we made a mistake," possibly disclose that the officiating crew was reprimanded, and move on from there. Case closed. There would be no outcry for a change to the system, the subject wouldn't be the lead story on sports talk shows across America, and columns like this would have no reason to be written. As long as the mistake has no effect in Vegas, it essentially has no reaction from the NFL.

I understand why the NFL doesn't want to publicly get into the gambling rhetoric or acknowledge its importance to their sport. There's definitely much more of a downside to doing that than there could be anything positive. The problem I have is their transparent hypocrisy. Don't tell the public how there could be some rules changes coming because of this one play that didn't even effect the outcome of a game, then turn the other cheek and play a charade when the subject of gambling is brought up. Mistakes happen. They stink. We've been living with them for many years and will continue to live with them. The NFL should have simply admitted there was a blown call and moved on. It's their own fault this story continues to have legs.