"However, rules must be enforced equally if they are to have any legitimate meaning. Otherwise they are nothing more than a club used to selectively beat down certain individuals while leaving others unscathed."
Are you talking Chiefs football or the state of our justice system in 2023?
As far as the Chargers fan base goes, Bullmoose has special needs and you should take that into consideration.
I would say that there is a great deal of inequity in our justice system as well, for a variety of reasons that both sides of the aisle would agree/disagree with that are far too complicated to go into here!
I think that's part of why this bothers me a bit more than it ought to.
In 2008 my employer at the time had us take a personality profile and it turns out I have, in the immortal words of Count Rugen, "an overdeveloped sense of justice." So far it hasn't gotten me killed, but unfairness bugs the living *#$* out of me.
I just realized I have the quote wrong. It's "You've got an overdeveloped sense of vengeance." I've been lying to myself for years and years. Signed, 8.
It would be really interesting if Collinsworth spoke up about the selective officiating his comments provoked. I know a lot of people don't like him, but I've usually appreciated his candidness. He could help neutralize the situation.
I'm very curious how he handles it. I don't think he's someone who wants to be on Andy's bad side, BUT he's also not one to go away from a narrative. So I really don't know.
Not betting against that. I mean, the dude literally created this situation out of nothing, and I am sure he gets a power trip out of it. It is definitely not the first time. This is what he has become.
Let's hope this problem blows over as quickly as Chris Jones' holdout. My main worry is that they will stop calling it, then Surprise! call it again at a key moment in the playoffs. Cue the announcers: "well, he did struggle with this early on this season..."
Maybe its better if they change the rule, or enforce it strictly across the league.
That thing was all we, I'm including myself in that group, talked about for months but once it was signed and Chris came in dominating it was off the radar.
I hope Pat goes into this week's production meeting with a compilation of videos of other tackles doing the same thing on SNF and Tirico and Collinsworth never mentioning it. Ya know.....like the Lions in the exact same game.
Pat outta go scorched earth on that production crew.
Love the article Seth! Really necessary deep dive into this issue which has, frankly, gotten ridiculous. I am VERY glad that both Reid and Mahomes have stepped up to defend Taylor, and hopefully that pushback will be enough to get refs to leave him alone going forward.
I do worry that the issue will go away for the time being and then magically 'come back' during playoff time, but that's a long ways away and hopefully me just being pessimistic.
EDIT: I also want to commend you on your restraint for this article. Had it been me, I would have gotten a screenshot from EVERY SINGLE other NFL team showing the tackle lining up improperly just to completely and utterly prove the point.
I'm with you 100%. I posted today that I often retweet (or reX?) Seth because I don't have the grace or patience he has to deal with some knuckleheads.
If the Eagles had played in the opening Thursday game instead of the Chiefs, Minnesota would have beaten them in week two because Lane Johnson is more egregious about this than Taylor is and one or two close calls would have swung that game. That's how stupid this is. Thanks for the nice write up on the subject and especially for not only finding a Chargers fan but absolutely roasting him.
While I see your point, Lane Johnson didn't change teams and already plays for the high profile Eagles. Not sure he would have the same calls as Taylor. Its weird.
It is most definitely selective punishment at this time, we see it just like you. The question is can they be broken of that narrative. With Collinsworth calling the game we will see if he helps or just adds fuel to the flames
I agree with you and with all the commenters (19 comments as I write this). It is not fair that Taylor got singled out on national television. It is not fair that two officiating crews have given Collingsworth his pound of flesh over this.
Life isn't fair. Sports aren't fair. They never have been. I am a Spurs fan, which means I hated Shaq back in the day. (Sports hate, not real hate; but I still won't buy his big & tall clothing or watch TNT pregames when he is on it.) But there is no question that the rules were interpreted differently. You could beat him like a pinata and he wouldn't get calls because everyone else was so much smaller. Greg Maddux had pinpoint control as good as any pitcher in MLB history I'd reckon, but he also got an extra three inches on the outside of the plate.
So it sucks and it isn't fair that Taylor has been singled out. But he and the Chiefs can whine about it, or they can make sure that he lines up six inches closer to the line of scrimmage than every other tackle to make sure he doesn't get another call like this for the next six weeks. Then, hopefully his reputation is cleared and he can again play like every other tackle.
You wrote an article in the pre-season about this very topic because it was clear Taylor has been pushing the envelope as far as he could.
Finally, good work on getting a Taylor Swift lyric in without forcing it.
Seth, I actually wanted you to go harder on the verbage here, but that's likely my anger showing.
The fact anyone takes anything Collinsworth says to heart is pathetic. Collinsworth as a color analyst is on the same level as the Broncos performance on Sunday. No talent and no production. I often wait to watch Sunday night games to the following day so I don't have to listen to him as much.
Clark hopefully has been having a chat with Goodell today.
This is not uncommon for the NFL, our justice system, or any other regulating body. To our chagrin, we live in an unjust world, and only on rare occasions will things be fair. Furthermore, football is a VERY complex game with MANY rules (I still don't know what a catch is) and as the game evolves so does the interpretation of those rules. Due to the complexity of football, modern technology, and the money associated with the NFL, clear inconsistencies like this are magnified and put on a pedestal for all to criticize.
That being said, we all need to keep in mind the NFL is run by 32 egotistical billionaires who treat it like their plaything and always has been. They have no accountability to us as fans, nor do they really care what we think, and make no mistake the refs are an extension of the league and represent their interests on the field. The NFL operates much like the mob. If you play ball, everything is going to be alright. If not, well...
Appeal to them if you want, but I've seen enough from the NFL to know their interests are not aligned with equitable judgement or "fairness". The most likely result is this will fade away as the season goes on and it will only be used by losing teams who are looking for an excuse to say the other side cheated them, "Taylor's at it again. We would've beaten the Chiefs if this was called" blah blah blah.
They'll forget about it until they need to bring it back to stop a team from scoring in the playoffs...
When AR reiterated his view today that JT was being singled out, I decided that it really is unfair. It has to be very egregious for him to bring it up. I totally understand your viewpoint but think his voice does carry some weight because he's usually silent o these issues.
I agree that it is unfair, my point is I don't expect the NFL to be fair and there's little we can do to change that. Reid definitely has some significant pull however, so we'll see if that changes things.
The NFL is always an entertainment conglomerate before anything else. They don't care if it isn't fair, as long as perceived justice is dealt out to pacify viewers. They can't have fans believing that refs favor the Chiefs regardless to if they do or not. If there are enough commenter or social media complaints, they are going to push back to keep the appearance of parity in place. This is just as much a result of the Bengals late hit and Eagles holding calls as it is Collinsworth.
It's just an unfortunate side effect of being in the spot light so often. It's like when some injustice goes viral and immediately becomes the most important issue. However it gets ignored that the injustice has been in place for years and years. Then once that viral incident is dealt with, it goes back to the way it was.
You nailed it Seth. No one else across the entire league has been flagged except Taylor. I’m surprised an internal note hasn’t been sent telling refs they need to call other people before a lawsuit gets filed (yeah, right) for discriminatory practices. LOL
What I fine quite "interesting" is that the JAX coaches mentioned his alignment and how they need to watch him. I wonder if they did that when he was playing for them??
"However, rules must be enforced equally if they are to have any legitimate meaning. Otherwise they are nothing more than a club used to selectively beat down certain individuals while leaving others unscathed."
Are you talking Chiefs football or the state of our justice system in 2023?
As far as the Chargers fan base goes, Bullmoose has special needs and you should take that into consideration.
Ha, I thought I might be the only one to think that, but I guess not.
Whom one thinks is being treated unfairly is probably a great Rorschach test for determing the political leanings of the person.
I will leave that for all of the talks along those lines on this blog. Don't want to ruin it for everyone.
haha I appreciate you remaining vague and dipping out of it!
I'm a firm supporter of the DeSantis/Trump/Biden/Harris/Newsome ticket in 2024. :)
Haha before I read the entirety of that comment I almost had a panic attack and was like NONONONONO I NEED TO DELETE oh he's kidding lol
I personally like the Mahomes/Kelce ticket in 2024 😁
I would say that there is a great deal of inequity in our justice system as well, for a variety of reasons that both sides of the aisle would agree/disagree with that are far too complicated to go into here!
I think that's part of why this bothers me a bit more than it ought to.
In 2008 my employer at the time had us take a personality profile and it turns out I have, in the immortal words of Count Rugen, "an overdeveloped sense of justice." So far it hasn't gotten me killed, but unfairness bugs the living *#$* out of me.
I just realized I have the quote wrong. It's "You've got an overdeveloped sense of vengeance." I've been lying to myself for years and years. Signed, 8.
I've learned in my 39+ years the only things that offend me are:
Bullying
Injustice/unfairness
Being accused/called a hypocrite (unless valid critique b/c ultimately it's actually being one that is my concern)
Those are all good things to be offended by!
Well, Collingsworth is on Sunday’s game. My bet is he will want to prove himself right and stay on Taylor’s back!
It would be really interesting if Collinsworth spoke up about the selective officiating his comments provoked. I know a lot of people don't like him, but I've usually appreciated his candidness. He could help neutralize the situation.
I think, based on his history, that there's at least a chance he does that. It would somewhat surprise me, but there's a chance.
I'm very curious how he handles it. I don't think he's someone who wants to be on Andy's bad side, BUT he's also not one to go away from a narrative. So I really don't know.
But can he really call out the league and keep his job?
Not betting against that. I mean, the dude literally created this situation out of nothing, and I am sure he gets a power trip out of it. It is definitely not the first time. This is what he has become.
Let's hope this problem blows over as quickly as Chris Jones' holdout. My main worry is that they will stop calling it, then Surprise! call it again at a key moment in the playoffs. Cue the announcers: "well, he did struggle with this early on this season..."
Maybe its better if they change the rule, or enforce it strictly across the league.
Good analogy about Chris Jones' holdout.
That thing was all we, I'm including myself in that group, talked about for months but once it was signed and Chris came in dominating it was off the radar.
This too shall pass. (Hopefully)
Strongly agree.
I hope Pat goes into this week's production meeting with a compilation of videos of other tackles doing the same thing on SNF and Tirico and Collinsworth never mentioning it. Ya know.....like the Lions in the exact same game.
Pat outta go scorched earth on that production crew.
I would love the absolute pettiness of that.
Indeed! Maybe Pat could count on his fingers (and toes) for SNF the number of violations not called on other teams...
Love the article Seth! Really necessary deep dive into this issue which has, frankly, gotten ridiculous. I am VERY glad that both Reid and Mahomes have stepped up to defend Taylor, and hopefully that pushback will be enough to get refs to leave him alone going forward.
I do worry that the issue will go away for the time being and then magically 'come back' during playoff time, but that's a long ways away and hopefully me just being pessimistic.
EDIT: I also want to commend you on your restraint for this article. Had it been me, I would have gotten a screenshot from EVERY SINGLE other NFL team showing the tackle lining up improperly just to completely and utterly prove the point.
I like how you think.
I'm with you 100%. I posted today that I often retweet (or reX?) Seth because I don't have the grace or patience he has to deal with some knuckleheads.
Good article, Seth. I, too, wonder if Mark Donovan won't be in touch with the league on this topic.
If the Eagles had played in the opening Thursday game instead of the Chiefs, Minnesota would have beaten them in week two because Lane Johnson is more egregious about this than Taylor is and one or two close calls would have swung that game. That's how stupid this is. Thanks for the nice write up on the subject and especially for not only finding a Chargers fan but absolutely roasting him.
While I see your point, Lane Johnson didn't change teams and already plays for the high profile Eagles. Not sure he would have the same calls as Taylor. Its weird.
It is most definitely selective punishment at this time, we see it just like you. The question is can they be broken of that narrative. With Collinsworth calling the game we will see if he helps or just adds fuel to the flames
I agree with you and with all the commenters (19 comments as I write this). It is not fair that Taylor got singled out on national television. It is not fair that two officiating crews have given Collingsworth his pound of flesh over this.
Life isn't fair. Sports aren't fair. They never have been. I am a Spurs fan, which means I hated Shaq back in the day. (Sports hate, not real hate; but I still won't buy his big & tall clothing or watch TNT pregames when he is on it.) But there is no question that the rules were interpreted differently. You could beat him like a pinata and he wouldn't get calls because everyone else was so much smaller. Greg Maddux had pinpoint control as good as any pitcher in MLB history I'd reckon, but he also got an extra three inches on the outside of the plate.
So it sucks and it isn't fair that Taylor has been singled out. But he and the Chiefs can whine about it, or they can make sure that he lines up six inches closer to the line of scrimmage than every other tackle to make sure he doesn't get another call like this for the next six weeks. Then, hopefully his reputation is cleared and he can again play like every other tackle.
You wrote an article in the pre-season about this very topic because it was clear Taylor has been pushing the envelope as far as he could.
Finally, good work on getting a Taylor Swift lyric in without forcing it.
Dang. Greg Maddox and the strike zone. Hadn't thought about that in a loooong time. Nice dig.
Seth, there's family in EVERY article because we're all here. 😁
The Eagles play tonight. I wonder whether the broadcast team will point out how Lane Johnson fudged the rules. Or maybe he'll be on his best behavior?
Seth, I actually wanted you to go harder on the verbage here, but that's likely my anger showing.
The fact anyone takes anything Collinsworth says to heart is pathetic. Collinsworth as a color analyst is on the same level as the Broncos performance on Sunday. No talent and no production. I often wait to watch Sunday night games to the following day so I don't have to listen to him as much.
Clark hopefully has been having a chat with Goodell today.
Wish we had a "Manning Cast" type option for Sunday nights so we could tune him out...
This is not uncommon for the NFL, our justice system, or any other regulating body. To our chagrin, we live in an unjust world, and only on rare occasions will things be fair. Furthermore, football is a VERY complex game with MANY rules (I still don't know what a catch is) and as the game evolves so does the interpretation of those rules. Due to the complexity of football, modern technology, and the money associated with the NFL, clear inconsistencies like this are magnified and put on a pedestal for all to criticize.
That being said, we all need to keep in mind the NFL is run by 32 egotistical billionaires who treat it like their plaything and always has been. They have no accountability to us as fans, nor do they really care what we think, and make no mistake the refs are an extension of the league and represent their interests on the field. The NFL operates much like the mob. If you play ball, everything is going to be alright. If not, well...
Appeal to them if you want, but I've seen enough from the NFL to know their interests are not aligned with equitable judgement or "fairness". The most likely result is this will fade away as the season goes on and it will only be used by losing teams who are looking for an excuse to say the other side cheated them, "Taylor's at it again. We would've beaten the Chiefs if this was called" blah blah blah.
They'll forget about it until they need to bring it back to stop a team from scoring in the playoffs...
When AR reiterated his view today that JT was being singled out, I decided that it really is unfair. It has to be very egregious for him to bring it up. I totally understand your viewpoint but think his voice does carry some weight because he's usually silent o these issues.
I agree that it is unfair, my point is I don't expect the NFL to be fair and there's little we can do to change that. Reid definitely has some significant pull however, so we'll see if that changes things.
🤞🤞
The NFL is always an entertainment conglomerate before anything else. They don't care if it isn't fair, as long as perceived justice is dealt out to pacify viewers. They can't have fans believing that refs favor the Chiefs regardless to if they do or not. If there are enough commenter or social media complaints, they are going to push back to keep the appearance of parity in place. This is just as much a result of the Bengals late hit and Eagles holding calls as it is Collinsworth.
It's just an unfortunate side effect of being in the spot light so often. It's like when some injustice goes viral and immediately becomes the most important issue. However it gets ignored that the injustice has been in place for years and years. Then once that viral incident is dealt with, it goes back to the way it was.
You nailed it Seth. No one else across the entire league has been flagged except Taylor. I’m surprised an internal note hasn’t been sent telling refs they need to call other people before a lawsuit gets filed (yeah, right) for discriminatory practices. LOL
What I fine quite "interesting" is that the JAX coaches mentioned his alignment and how they need to watch him. I wonder if they did that when he was playing for them??