Alan Greenwood

One question came to mind watching the Patriots on Sunday:

When did NBA refs begin moonlighting with the NFL?

This is not to suggest that all NFL officiating has sunk to the depths from which the NBA seems incapable of escaping. The crew working the Patriots-Chiefs game succeeded in making “awful” sound like faint praise.

To be clear, the Patriots did not lose Sunday simply because they got shafted. Believing that would be ignoring the offense’s continued struggles.

Tom Brady, dare we suggest, was not as bad as the officiating, but certainly shoulders a good-sized ration of blame.

The one expectation athletes at all levels, certainly teams in the National Football League, should have going into a game is that it will be competently officiated.

In that, the NFL failed in a particularly ugly

manner.

The two lowlights of the incompetence, in the same sequence of plays, have been greatly dissected, so here only need mention. The first came when Devin McCourty forced a fumble by Travis Kelce, which Stephon Gilmore scooped up and would have returned deep into Chiefs territory, if not all the way into the end zone … had a bumbling official not coughed into his whistle.

The second was N’Keal Harry’s catch-and-run down the sideline and dive into the end zone for a touchdown, taken away when he was mistakenly cited for stepping out of bounds at the 3.

The NFL’s vaunted replay system was of little help on one and no help at all on the other. The Pats’ challenge on the fumble recovery gave them the ball but could not restore the open field Gilmore saw between him and the Chiefs’ goal line.

The second could not be reviewed at all because the Patriots were out of challenges.

This is not a call for more challenge opportunities or rule revisions; it is a call for sheer competence.

Memo to Roger Goodell: If the quality of NFL officiating crews means anything to you, take Boger’s ship of fools and send it to the nearest flag football league.

TIME TRAVEL: Dec. 10, 1954 – “As part of a pre-season training program, coach Tony Marandos and his Nashua High hoop charges went to Groton yesterday afternoon for a game-length scrimmage with Lawrence Academy. It marks the first of such workouts for the Purple and Coach Marandos reported the session brought out many weaknesses, which will be worked on before the opening of the campaign on Dec. 22.

“The Nashuans stood out offensively, passing and shooting well, with Captain Tom Flahive having an exceptional day, but the team showed up rather ragged on defense…Almost the entire squad saw action in yesterday’s session and showing up well besides Captain Flahive were Steve Moody and Ray Brooks, both backcourt men, and Paul Breen as the other forward.”

Contact Alan Greenwood at 594-1248 or agreenwood@nashuatelegraph.com.

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