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Is the NFL predetermined?

Two Arena Football League referees pointing at a penalty flag during a football game on March 21, 2008. Photo credit: Jeramey Jannene
Two Arena Football League referees pointing at a penalty flag during a football game on March 21, 2008. Photo credit: Jeramey Jannene

With the recent controversial calls in NFL games, NFL fans have come to question if the NFL is predetermined. While the controversial calls make it seem that way the NFL is not predetermined but there is favoritism.

It seems the teams with the most popular athletes or the teams most favored to win the Super Bowl get favoritism and special treatment.

Teams like the Buffalo Bills with Josh Allen, the Baltimore Ravens with Lamar Jackson and the Kansas City Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes, for the last couple of seasons.

It seems all the defender has to do is touch the quarterback and they get called for roughing the passer.

The teams with the worst record such as the Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants don’t receive this benefit.

Support for player safety is important, however it is also important to be consistent.

There are also inconsistent calls with pass interference.

The rules of the game are in favor of the offense too much, such as: pass interference in theory, the defensive back has as much right to the ball as the wide receiver.

There have been too many instances in the NFL where games were decided on a controversial pass interference call.

In the NFL, a pass interference penalty is a spot foul meaning the ball is placed where the foul happened putting the defense at an immediate disadvantage.

The NFL has to find a way to balance out the rules to make the game more fair for the defense like making pass interference ruled like college football.

In college football, pass interference is just a 15-yard penalty in general which is a better option for the NFL so that the rules aren’t so much in favor of the offense that the game gets turned into flag football.

I understand deep routes and great catches bring the ratings up, however, fans also like to see great defensive plays such as interceptions and fumbles and fewer games determined by the referee’s whistle.

Two Arena Football League referees pointing at a penalty flag during a football game on March 21, 2008. Photo credit: Jeramey Jannene

Another question that makes NFL fans think the NFL is predetermined is how NFL owners get to choose a commissioner.

A position of such importance should be decided by a separate party to make it a fair process.

An example of how this way of choosing a commissioner isn’t fair is the Deflategate situation.

(According to ESPN) The NFL never released the results of the investigation in the Deflategate scandal, during the 2014 season The New England Patriots got away with a slap on the wrist.

Another example would be how just a few seasons ago it was reported that the owner of the Miami Dolphins offered a head coach a significant amount of money to purposely lose games.

Even with all these issues in the NFL, it’s not enough to make the fans of the NFL stop watching the sport but NFL fans need to share their frustrations with the structure of rules via social media.

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About the Contributor
Ivan Llata
Ivan Llata, Staff Writer
Ivan Llata is a staff writer at Talon Marks he is an aspiring sports journalist and likes to watch college and NFL football he enjoys listening to 1980’s Heavy Metal music such as AC/DC and Metallica.
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