Don't blame refs, but Ravens' claims deserve attention

Can we cut the BS with this team... They talk more than any other team in the league... they folded under pressure like some Jr high team throwing temper tantrums... If all you have to do is call someone a "boy" and this team folds... it shows how weak minded they are. "you don't call a man with a wife and three kids a "boy"... well you do if your acting like one.

If a player can call a ref "man" it seems logical the ref can call the player "boy".

I realized that the league was "fixxed", such as pro wrestling, for example, back in 1979. The refs, the media, and (of course) the gamblers parlay into this equation.
As the NFL name appears, it will soon be compared to the WWE (pro wrestling) soon. Not For Long

The reality is that as the pressure mounted, the Ravens started mouthing off, grandstanding when they made plays, and started unwraveling. Sorry, but while there may be a legitimate gripe about being called a "boy," there were more than a few Ravens acting like children on that field, particularly near the end of the game.

Pats cheaters? Perhaps before this season. But I'll bet you they're playing the cleanest game in the NFL right now, and all the cheating accusations have done is pushed them even harder to win.

The Ravens absolutely owned that game last night. They beat themselves by being children.

The Patriots are cheaters?? Where did that come from? Even the league determined that they gained no advantage; isn't that the essence of cheating? You just continue to print that nonsense wehn, in fact, it was abundantly clear that, despite the crowd noise, despite all of the holding that the Ravens committed that wasn't called, and despite their nonsensical position as to what the game was about, the better team won. Period.

TD you must be a white boy. you do not call a grown man a boy especially a black man, your ancestor used that word to demeanned our black ancestor of their manhood. It is 2007 you have old white man calling a young black man in his 30's a boy, does not sit well with us. If I was on that field i would ran his butt over in the course of the game. White man opinions always going be different from a black man because your life is easier and you have idea how it is to be black,you **** .

The Patriots have been winning games like this for several years now and in this fashion - outgained, outplayed, out-hit - not because they are "known cheaters", but because they manage to keep their heads when it really counts and to make those ONE or TWO plays they HAVE to make.

I've got to disagree with one thing. Rodney Harrison deserved a worse response than Billick blowing kisses at him. And where was the flag on Harrison for that? Billick didn't say or do anything to warrant that, at least not that I saw. Maybe I missed something. But I bet damn well if any single one of the Ravens' defensive players started mouthing off at Bellicheat like that, flags would be flying left and right. It wouldn't suprise me if the refs really were mouthing off, too. That's no excuse for Scott's behavior at all, but it mighr explain why he went off. Usually he's one of the few on that defense who manages to keep his composure.

No doubt about it, the Ravens shot themselves in the foot in this one. The refs didn't make things much better, but they are not completely to blame. The players displayed a severe lack of discipline, which has been a problem over the last several years. I don't recall the championship team in '00 -'01 racking up penalties like this team has. I was a Billick defender for a while.. But the team's lack of discipline, poor clock and timeout management just further shows that it's time for some personnel changes. Namely in the headcoaching department.

We'll admit it, we got lucky. But chance favors the prepared mind. The Pats handled the pressure and the Ravens didn't. The Ravens looked very good until the pressure got to them. They GAVE Brady a chance and that's all he needs.

By the way, I'd be SHOCKED if calling someone "boy" was the worst thing heard on a football field. Get a grip; grow up.

Looks like old 96 was right when he said the the Pats play as a team, and his old team plays as individuals.

It's a good thing that game was on so late last night the way the Ravens acted, I wouldn't want my son picking up any of those bad mannerisms you displayed. You guys looked like a bunch of 1st graders having a tantrum every time there was a penalty called. The penalties were not made up either, you could see them happening on every replay. So lets not blame the loss on that. Maybe it's time to start fresh with all new players and coaching staff. You really came off as street thugs playing street ball. McGahee is a great player and wow can he run, but the showboating after his plays, come on, look at your record, and the score board. You dont go showing off like that when you are up by 3 or 7.. Pathetic and the rest of the nation saw this as well. You guys should be embarrassed of your team the way the acted. I'm not a patriots fan but man are the calm,poised and classy. Enough with the "cheating" thing as well. I think they proved themselves above and beyond what they are capable of. I have never written on a post before ,but after seeing thast display last nigh i thought i would..

Workplace racial discrimination and hostile environement workplace racial harrassment is illigeal in Maryland. It appears that when Scott objected to the racial harrassment of his teammates, the NFL took retaliatory action against him (unsportsmanlike penalty). This is also illegal under Maryland law.

This needs to be investigated by the Maryland AGs office (oh and if the league censors the players for complaining about the refs racial slurs, that would be obstruction of justice, which is a felony in Maryland, and those issuing fines or censoring such speech should have warrants issued for their arrest).

Racial discrimination in the workplace is illegal in Maryland and cannot be tolerated.

It isn't logical Mikey. You have know idea what logical means, Mikey. Don't use the word logical any more until you know what it means, Mikey.

Ray Lewis Murder Victim wrote:

Stop whining and show some discipline!

With today's 24-7 oversaturation of media coverage, don't you think someone else would have come forward or some indisputable evidence had been released to the news hounds about that old charge? Especially when you study other examples of NFL player crimes? The answer is: of course! So to still indict Lewis on that old incident only shows that you are yet another under-informed NE idiot who can't bring himself to analyze issues more deeply than his first initial emotion-based knee-jerk assumptions. No wonder you're all Democrats up there. There is a reason the symbol for the Dems is none other than a jackass.

Chris wrote:

The Patriots are cheaters?? Where did that come from? Even the league determined that they gained no advantage; isn't that the essence of cheating? You just continue to print that nonsense wehn, in fact, it was abundantly clear that, despite the crowd noise, despite all of the holding that the Ravens committed that wasn't called, and despite their nonsensical position as to what the game was about, the better team won. Period.

I think the cheating fines establish beyond dispute the Patriots are cheaters. The 1972 Dolphins didn't need referee intervention to win. Put a big asterisk next to the 2007 Pats if they go 16-0.

The ticky-tack holding call in the final minute was the third or fourth on the Ravens, who were mugging and holding the Pats receivers all night - just review the tape. Also, on the Hail Mary, at least two Pats were being assaulted by Ravens. This was one of the keys to the fact that the Ravens were even close last night. At least two of the sacks were the result of this "good" coverage.

Also, the Pats got a holding and then an illegal player downfield call against them just as they were driving after the interception - which the Network failed to show on replay - so don't give me that crap about them legislating against Baltimore. Also, if Watson doesn't drop one of about 10 dropped balls - it's off to the races for NE.

Also, consider this. If Gaffney's catch is ruled incomplete, the Pats have the ball on the 4 with 50 seconds left, after Scott's stupid melt down. Think Brady doesn't get a score in 4 tries? Think again.

We all know the refs stink - just look at the Browns/Ravens stupidity, and the phantom offensive interference calls against Moss - but don't blame the Patriots. Yes, it's true that Belichick got caught cheating, you, of course, had to get that in your article, but how long are you going to use that excuse for sucky coaching, mental mistakes, and lack of focus when the games are on the line.

Also tell Ray-Ray, the crybaby accomplice to murder, to knock off the tears. Nobody buys his act anymore.

As a Patriots fan, I agree. There is no place in professional sports for referrees to be jawing with players. The Ravens should lodge a complaint and the NFL should investigate. However, this had nothing to do with the outcome of the game. There was a "conspiracy" leading to the Ravens loss -- a "conspiracy" of three events:(1) a boneheaded pass by Boller into 4 Patriot defenders; (2) the idiotic time-out call; and (3) the inability to run on the Patriots late in the game. The Ravens couldn't kill the clock and get 1st downs late in the game when they needed to. It's as simple as that. Additionally, the Ravens defenders were holding the Pats receivers ALL GAME. If the refs had made all those holding calls, the Pats would have had a first down on every play and today's controversy would have been about the Pats running up the score. Just because an official doesn't flag you once for committing a penalty doesn't give you a blessing to commit that same penalty all game. The Ravens got caught holding on that 4th down play the same way they should have been flagged for holding several other times.

Ray Lewis Murder Victim wrote:

Stop whining and show some discipline!

You should be slapped for even putting that as your name.

So that makes it ok for you to call him a white boy? What a hypocrite

Kristopher,

I'm hearing there was ALOT of trash talking. Even the annoucers mentioned how the Ravens were playing "Smash mouth" ball.

I agree the Ravens shot themsevles in the foot. I just wish more fans would realize that, suck it up and settle the score on the field, rather than whine and moan