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‘Put the referees on a pedestal’: Rob Gronkowski calls for NFL to punish referees
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- ‘Put the referees on a pedestal’: Rob Gronkowski calls for NFL to punish referees
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
NFL officiating has been under a microscope all season, with penalty flags flying at a record pace and players, coaches, and broadcasters all sounding off on questionable calls. Now, one of the league's most popular former players is calling for officials to face consequences.
Rob Gronkowski argued that referees should be held accountable the same way players and coaches are, saying that it would be "fair and square" for the league to punish them. The former New England Patriots tight end also pointed to a couple of specific penalties that he thinks the league needs to clean up.
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A Season of Flags
Officials have been throwing flags at a historic rate this season. Through Week 4, there were 963 accepted penalties, the most through four weeks since 1978, and penalties had already wiped out 17 touchdowns as the league's penalty problem became impossible to ignore.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell defended the officials , arguing that the players are the ones committing the fouls. "Because we don't commit the fouls, right?" Goodell said.
But the frustration has only grown. In Sunday's Lions win over the Packers, Green Bay was hit with two more questionable roughing-the-passer penalties, and All-Pro safety Xavier McKinney ripped the officiating , calling much of it "bulls***."
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Tom Brady, who called the game for Fox, didn't hold back either, saying that a hit flagged for unnecessary roughness was "allowed 99 out of 100" times. His comments could even get him in trouble , since his Raiders ownership stake reportedly prohibits him from being "egregiously critical of officiating."
'Fair and Square'
In an interview with OutKick's Jackson Thompson, Gronkowski said that he agreed with his former quarterback's concerns.
"I don't think the referees are doing that great of a job. I think they can definitely improve," Gronkowski said, via OutKick .
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Gronkowski argued that officials should face the same kind of accountability as everyone else on the field.
"So yeah, I think, you know, it would be fair and square to, you know, put the referees on a pedestal as well and — and have punishment just like any coach or any NFL player can be punished just like that," he said.
Asked whether officials need more accountability, Gronkowski pointed to how quickly players can lose their jobs.
"I think so, actually, because players are accountable. Players can be cut the very next day and you've seen players cut," he said.
Gronkowski singled out pass interference and roughing-the-passer calls as areas that need to improve before the postseason.
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"We want it to be fair and square. That's what fans want to see," he said. "Yes, you call it when it's appropriate, but when it's not appropriate, you know, it doesn't need to be called and affects the game in all ways."
Gronkowski also recalled his own frustrations with offensive pass interference calls during his career, when defenders would run into him and he would get flagged.
"It just didn't make any sense," he said.
Clearly, Gronkowski thinks it's time for the league to start holding its officials to the same standard as everyone else.
The post 'Put the referees on a pedestal': Rob Gronkowski calls for NFL to punish referees appeared first on The Comeback: Today's Top Sports Stories & Reactions .
