There has always been a long-standing rivalry between NFL referees and fans. With the feeling of fans that their team is being targeted by certain officials and their crews, there is no love lost between the two groups. And it looks like this Week 8’s Monday Night Football added just another chapter to the feud.
During Monday night’s game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Detroit Lions, there was a questionable non-call of intentional grounding on the first drive of the game by the Lions. The call was defended by NFL senior V.P. of officiating Walt Anderson as ESPN opted to cut to him for an explanation in real-time.
That is where things got interesting.
NFL Fans React to Walt Anderson’s Defense of a Non-Call
Anderson appeared during the broadcast live from NFL headquarters and explained to the masses that the rule “allows a lot of flexibility” for quarterbacks in that situation who are trying to get rid of the ball.
He further stated that the throw was in the “direction and vicinity” of the intended receiver and that it was properly called on the field.
MORE: Davante Adams Expresses Frustration After Raiders Loss to Lions
“Yeah Joe, thank you, uh, really, with the intentional grounding rules allow a lot of flexibility for the quarterback to get rid of the ball, as long as he’s doing so in the direction and vicinity,” Anderson said.
“The quarterback — Detroit quarterback — threw the ball right over the head of the receiver, number 26. He probably could have even reached up and touched it. So we feel this was both in the direction and vicinity and was properly not called a foul.”
You thought that public confidence in NFL officiating couldn’t sink any lower. Put this man on television more often and prepare yourself to be amaaaaazed. pic.twitter.com/NgwhsQ1Pl7
— Michael Hurley (@michaelFhurley) October 31, 2023
While that was Anderson’s explanation for the non-call, it completely contradicted ESPN rules analyst John Parry and his explanation. It certainly was an interesting look for the league, as having two referees in two different settings say vastly different things mere minutes apart.
It raised eyebrows and left fans wondering about just what was going on here.
Transparency doesn’t always mean clarity. And NFL fans were quick to point out the confusion this appearance caused. “Walt Anderson just stumbled through an explanation of a no call and gave us zero information.”
Some are beginning to wonder if that idea is going to do more harm than good for the NFL. CBS Sports Senior NFL Writer Will Brinson openly questioned the NFL’s motives.
“If the NFL is trying to bolster the public’s belief in the officiating department, this Walt Anderson appearance ain’t it.”
Is It the Thought That Counts for the NFL?
While the feeling around Anderson’s appearance seems to be one of confusion, the idea surely was rooted in good intentions. The NFL understands there is a lot of distrust between fans and the referees that call the game, and trying to bring accountability in real-time feels like an attempt to bridge that gap between the two groups.
However, last night’s attempt at that left more questions than answers, and many have left that experience feeling worse than they did before. It further drove home the point of disconnect between the rule and what is being called on the field.
The NFL may continue to mend the fence here, but what they did last night may not be the way to go about it.
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