The Conspiracy Thread

[Reaper Skins]

Redskins vs. Lions 2013. Griffin picks up a 21 yard scramble and when he gives himself up and goes down the ball is ruled a fumble instead of being a dead ball. Later in the 4th, Aldrick Robinson scores a go ahead touchdown in the 4th quarter that is ruled a touchdown, but then OVERTURNED on replay. Detroit goes on to win its first road game against the Redskins in 74 years!!

 

"It's the rule. It can be a (bad) rule, but it's still one of the NFL rules, and they said it's a fumble," Griffin said. "So, it's unfortunate, and I've just got to make sure if I dive forward, hold onto the ball. ... It was really unfortunate that we lost the game on two calls, two judgment calls."

http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=330922028
http://cover32.com/redskins/2013/09/23/a-bad-call-equals-more-frustration-for-the-redskins/
game film
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000248594/Week-3-Lions-vs-Redskins-highlights

Edited April 29, 2015 by Reaper Skins

[Reaper Skins]

Here's an interesting one that I didn't know about.  This is from the first game we played after Sean Taylor passed away.  People probably remember that we lost when Gibbs tried to call consecutive timeouts.  The fault definitley lies with Gibbs for not knowing the rules, but in this article he says he asked the refs about it and the ref said he could.....

 

"Gibbs said he asked an official if it was OK to call a second timeout, and the coach thought the official said yes. Still, the harried moments of a game's final seconds are hardly a good time to be learning the rule book."

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=271202028

 

still worth mentioning i think... we lost the game despite the defense not allowing any touchdowns which is pretty brutal

Edited April 24, 2015 by Reaper Skins

[Reaper Skins]

Dallas vs. Redskins 2013 - Botched call gives Dallas the ball on punt return, officials admit mistake after the fact

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/football-insider/wp/2013/10/15/shanahan-wrong-call-was-made-regarding-fumble-recovery/

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dallas-cowboys/headlines/20131016-mike-shanahan-washington-redskins-should-have-had-the-ball-after-fumble-but-officials-made-the-wrong-call.ece

 

Same game, Another Washington penalty had provided Harris with a second chance at a return. The Redskins were flagged for illegal motion, and Dallas accepted the penalty that forced them to kick again, setting up the fifth-longest punt return in Cowboys history.

 

http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=331013006

Edited April 24, 2015 by Reaper Skins

[Reaper Skins]

2010 against the Buccaneers, non holding call gives Bucs go ahead touchdown that wins them the game.   Picture shows ref looking at the hold and not calling it.

 

Orakpo couldn’t believe it when he didn’t receive the call on Sunday.  “Yeah I was shocked! I was stunned!” he said. “That one was blatant. Almost just like the Dallas one."

“Maybe I’m going to have to,” he said. “I try not to resort to that because I just want to play the game. But maybe I need to talk to those guys before the game and point out to them I’ve been getting holding calls every week. I can’t name a game that I haven’t. That was a play that could’ve turned the game around if I make the play, and to have somebody around my neck, it’s not fair. It’s not fair to out team, or to our defense that’s been working hard all game.”

 

http://www.tbd.com/blogs/tbd-skins/2010/12/brian-orakpo-being-held-refs-missed-call-proves-costly-5847.html

Edited April 29, 2015 by Reaper Skins

[s0crates]

[balki1867]

2010 against the Buccaneers, non holding call gives Bucs go ahead touchdown that wins them the game.   Picture shows ref looking at the hold and not calling it

 

http://www.tbd.com/blogs/tbd-skins/2010/12/brian-orakpo-being-held-refs-missed-call-proves-costly-5847.html

 

That was also the game where the Redskins got a 5th and goal at the very end and scored what would've been th game tying TD had they not botched the XP. 

[SWFLSkins]

[Reaper Skins]

Here's an article talking about how the league began discussions to ban the cut blocking technique used in Shanahan's scheme the year he started implementing it in Washington and we won the division in 2012.
"The technique has become prevalent in the NFL in recent years with the use of zone-blocking schemes and systems. Some teams -- the Texans, Broncos and Redskins -- have developed reputations for using cut blocks effectively. But Giants defensive players would welcome having the rules modified to outlaw those blocks."
http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/giants/umenyiora-canty-speak-out-on-nfl-cut-blocking-rules-1.4280286

 

I find this especially ironic considering how blatantly the Giants defensive line players cheat and fake injuries.  Here's two separate instances of them doing it: 

 

Vs. Rams in 2011

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/09/20/ref-was-powerless-on-giants-fake-injuries-but-nfl-is-not/

 

Vs. Cowboys 2013

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/09/jerry-jones-faking-injuries-giants

 

Pretty sure I never saw any follow up regarding the Giants getting fined or penalized for either of these.  Very convenient when you realize that the Giants owner Mara is the head of the Competition committee

 

Edited January 29, 2016 by Reaper Skins

[Stefanskins]

Here is a one that still bothers me.  

forgot about that one too... I thought the exact same thing at the time..

 

reminded me of this...

 

[Stefanskins]

LOL and this! Jews for Jesus?

 

 

and

 

ahahhahahahah!!

 

[Stefanskins]

 

I wish I had never seen this...

Edited April 25, 2015 by Stefanskins

[AzSkinsFan63]

Before the schedule release...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/football-insider/wp/2015/04/21/if-the-redskins-get-a-raw-deal-on-the-schedule-fans-can-hardly-complain/

 

After the schedule release..

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/which-nfl-teams-got-unfair-schedules--university-of-buffalo-engineers-know-170455822.html

 

The first article prophesied said event and basically tells the fans to shut up! And of course it's from the WP when it should have come from the Dallas news. 

 

5 games played against rested teams..WOW....I'm not sure you could even accidently pit a team against 5 opponets with rest in one season...LOL

Edited April 25, 2015 by AzSkinsFan63

[Stefanskins]

Some teams should be much happier with their draw. The Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals,Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals don't play any games against teams coming off a bye or a Thursday night game.

This all might not seem like much, but it is a disadvantage. In a 16-game season in which playoff spots are almost always determined by just one game or tiebreakers, it's worth noting. When the engineers studied the issue they found that from 2009-13 a team's average winning percentage decreased by 3.77 percent against rested teams. In 2013 it was a decrease of about seven percent. 

[IHOPSkins]

I looked at the Bye Bias also (although I only looked at bye week ..... NOT Thursday games)

 

I used years 2005 thru 2015 for number of byes

I used years 2005 thru 2014 for win/loss advantage

http://espn.go.com/nfl/schedulegrid

 

Also

 

Before this study I would have guessed that the F Giants would have an advantage....results below

 

But first........

 

I concur with the previously sited study that it IS an advantage to have a bye before playing an opponent......Out of 10 years;

     7 years had teams that played after a bye win more games than lose

     2 years it broke even

     Only 1 year (2014) were there more wins for the "victim" of the bye

So I agree it is an advantage

 

Now WHO has gotten this advantage?

 

Teams getting the LEAST amount of games vs a bye (over 11 years) are;

Panthers

Bengals

Cardinals

Vikings

 

Teams getting the MOST games vs a bye are;

Falcons

Texans

Bills

and of course you guessed it....my beloved Skins

 

It doesn't end there

 

As teams are segregated into divisions....I looked at our NFC East....and guess what I found?

 

The Giants are the ONLY team that had a positive balance! (less than 11 games vs Teams with a bye in 11 years)....they had 9

 

Both Dallas and Philly had 13 games......and of course we had the most at 15

 

F Mara

 

Some additional facts;

2011 is the only year no team had more then 2 games vs a bye team...But in 2009 5 teams had 3 or more (Atlanta, Baltimore, Denver, Jacksonville and Tennessee)

3 Teams have had a year that they played 4 bye teams (Philly 2012 - Atlanta 2009 and San Diego 2005) not counting Seahawks this year.

5 Teams had more than 1 season that they played 3 Bye teams (Atlanta, Baltimore, Buffalo, Tennessee and of course....Your Washington Redskins. (Seattle will join this club this year)

Carolina has gotten 7 years out of 11 that they had ZERO games vs a bye team.

 

and

 

The Giants have only had 1 year in my study that they had over one game vs a bye opponent (they had 2 in 2008)

Edited April 26, 2015 by IHOPSkins

[theTruthTeller]

...

 

1.  Dallas will be getting Greg Hardy back just in time to make a playoff push, and we are the only divisional team that will play him.  Not just once, were the only team that will see him AT ALL

http://espn.go.com/blog/washington-redskins/post/_/id/16837/redskins-still-face-greg-hardy-twice-giants-eagles-both-miss

 

...

 

At first I thought there wasn't much to this particular conspiracy theory, but then I checked previous years' schedules to see how common it was for the Cowboys not to play either the Giants or Eagles in the last six games.  I almost gave up, but it did happen in 1987 (however, they did play both Washington and the St. Louis Cardinals, so they did have two divisional games in their last six).  And assuming Hardy gets another two games knocked off at the appeal, the Giants and Eagles are still safe (as is Goodell's other best buddy, Robert Kraft).  I must change the status of this conspiracy theory from "somewhat suspicious" to "legit".

[illone]

I'll never forget the phantom motion penalty on James Thrash vs. Green Bay a few years back that negated a touchdown to Portis that would have won the game.

 

:evil:

[ThomasRoane]

I'm with you Reaper.  Tinfoil hat and all!  I'll be very interested to see how many more holding calls Rak gets as a Titan than he did when he was routinely in a stranglehold as a Redskin. 

 

The truth is out there...

[Reaper Skins]

I'll never forget the phantom motion penalty on James Thrash vs. Green Bay a few years back that negated a touchdown to Portis that would have won the game.

 

:evil:

A potential game-tying touchdown catch-and-run by Clinton Portis with 2:35 remaining is erased by a penalty, and the Redskins fall to 2-5 with a loss to Green Bay.

After he caught the pass in traffic, sliced through two tacklers and sprinted toward the goal line, Clinton Portis catapulted himself 7 yards deep into the end zone, instantly releasing two months of offensive frustration.

Portis' 43-yard play, Redskins quarterback Mark Brunell later said, was the kind of play that could have "launched our season."

 

But as teammates chased Portis around in celebration with 2:35 remaining and Washington poised to take a one-point lead, a flag was spotted on the far sideline -- a mysterious illegal motion penalty on receiver James Thrash that negated the touchdown.

http://articles.dailypress.com/2004-11-01/sports/0411010173_1_al-harris-intercepted-brunell-clinton-portis-redskins

Edited April 29, 2015 by Reaper Skins

[Reaper Skins]

Don't listen to anyone, man... I think this thread will be fun at the very least and it's a nice change from the norm.

 

I do think Snyder is generally disliked enough around the league that the organization gets zero benefit of the doubt or leniency (as we saw with the cap penalty) and I do think our team has stunk so bad for so long and in the most circus-like ways it has had a psychological effect on how the refs view us, simply because they're human. You know, the Jordan effect and whatnot.

 

I don't think there's anything else to the perceived "conspiracy against us", though. Just that.   

An update on the New England Patriots, the Michael Jordan of the NFL.  DeflateGate still has not been closed, and no punishments handed out with the draft 1 day away.

 

Goodell says that it will conclude "soon."  Anyone else suspect that this translates to "we'll let them get through the draft unaffected, then when there's a huge amount of post draft analysis going on, well, quietly give them little or no penalty while the media is too distracted to be outraged?"

 

“What we’re trying to do is just make sure we’re thorough,” Goodell said. “The most important thing here is: Was there a violation of the rules? And if so, how did that occur? We have a responsibility to the 32 teams — not just to one team, to 32 teams — and our fans, and the general public here to make sure that things were done fairly. I think it’s hard because you want to make sure you have all the information. One of the things that he would be asked to look for: Was it just one game?”

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/04/28/roger-goodell-expects-ted-wellss-deflategate-report-soon/

 

I really don't like how the fact that the balls were under-inflated is an inarguable fact.  We KNOW there was a violation of the rules already.   But he's already backtracking and acting like there isn't enough evidence to implement a penalty.  last time I checked ignorance isn't an excuse for rule violations.  If violating the "spirit of competitive fairness through the cap" was enough to get us 36 million dollars in penalties, despite no actual violations, then I find it extremely hypocritical to not hand out any penalty for an ACTUAL violation.

Edited April 29, 2015 by Reaper Skins

[ThomasRoane]

Oh! And I want Paul Allen to admit he ordered the Code Red prompting Carlos Rogers to drop an easy Pick six in the playoffs!

[Reaper Skins]

Let's not forget about the bus crash in week 8 of last season when the Minneapolis Police gave all our players whiplash and mentally psyched us out right before the game against the Vikings.  The timing is worth noting because this was supposed to be RG3's first game back after injury.  Not exactly the easiest return after 7 weeks on the injured list.  There was also never any follow up that explained what went wrong... 

 

There remains a feeling from some at Redskins Park that the national NFL audience doesn’t understand exactly how terrifying last Sunday’s bus accident was. 

“It was hairy,” Gruden said. “It wasn’t just a fender-bender. It was, maybe, for the bus behind us, but they had a good jolt on us. And after we got hit, our bus driver lost the brakes. And we were coasting down this cliff which would have taken us to another freeway — our bus would have flipped a couple of times and we would have landed on another freeway. We were about four tire revolutions from going over. Luckily the bus driver looked up at the last second and yanked it and then we went over the barricades. It was pretty scary there for a minute.”

With catastrophe narrowly averted, it goes without saying that the Minneapolis Police Department is trying to figure out what went wrong with its police escort on Sunday.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/wp/2014/11/06/redskins-bus-accident-prompts-minneapolis-police-department-to-re-examine-its-escort-policy/

 

On top of the bus crash, this was also the same week there was a huge protest about the team name going on outside the stadium.  It was ALSO the same week that there was the mysterious "leaked" article about team dis-harmony that came out right before the game.  I can absolutley see all of these things combining to have our players being distracted and not able to focus 100% on the game.

 

"A little later, a protest of thousands of people decrying their nickname took place outside the stadium. A report of disharmony in the locker room surrounding Griffin's return to the field also surfaced prior to the game."

http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400554351

 

Considering how the game came down to the final few minutes and involved a goal line stance, I'd say its worth noting that the Vikings were better prepared physically and mentally for this game.  The Redskins players downplayed the injuries but also admitted to being "shaken, and having some cuts and bruises.  At least one player, Silas Redd, had to be deactivated for the game.  Coach Gruden also said that he recieved whiplash.

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/vikings-ruin-rg3s-return-top-213111968--nfl.html

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/11/washington-redskins-bus-accident

Edited April 29, 2015 by Reaper Skins

[Alexa]

Whenever I see Ed Hochuli doing one of our games then I know it's going to be a real long day.

Edited April 29, 2015 by Alexa

[Reaper Skins]

Here's an article that says our team has been unfairly singled out for free speech rights

 

"A federal government decision to cancel the Washington Redskins’ trademark because it may be disparaging infringes on free-speech rights and unfairly singles the team out, lawyers argued in court papers filed Feb. 23."

 

http://www.cherokeephoenix.org/Article/index/8983

 

Edit:I really don't want to get into the whole name thing and would rather focus on just in game things, but wanted to mention this one just because it makes the comparison between the Redskins and other professional sports franchises.

Edited April 29, 2015 by Reaper Skins

[Reaper Skins]

Whenever I see Ed Hochuli doing one of our games then I know it's going to be a real long day.

Some Hoculi Highlights (Redskins and Other Teams)

http://was.247sports.com/Bolt/Hochuli-and-the-curious-not-overturned-fumble-32005536

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/157276/inside-slant-ed-hochulis-coin-toss-jungle-boy-and-more

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d80aeabaf/article/hochuli-devastated-following-blown-call

http://www.footballnation.com/content/ed-hochuli-gives-the-cowboys-their-fifth-win-2012/19413/

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/cheers-jeers-hochulis-reputation-is-taking-a-big-hit/article/10152

 

And here's the article that shows that Hoculi and Mike Carey, the ref who refuses to call Redskins games, were voted the best officials in the league

 

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/8/20/6049193/nfl-referee-washington-redskins-name

Edited April 29, 2015 by Reaper Skins

[Reaper Skins]

At first I thought there wasn't much to this particular conspiracy theory, but then I checked previous years' schedules to see how common it was for the Cowboys not to play either the Giants or Eagles in the last six games.  I almost gave up, but it did happen in 1987 (however, they did play both Washington and the St. Louis Cardinals, so they did have two divisional games in their last six).  And assuming Hardy gets another two games knocked off at the appeal, the Giants and Eagles are still safe (as is Goodell's other best buddy, Robert Kraft).  I must change the status of this conspiracy theory from "somewhat suspicious" to "legit".

Also worth noting is that we have 3 primetime games this season.  

Since Gibbs left we are 3-17 in Prime Time games.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/wp/2014/10/06/the-redskins-record-in-primetime-games-is-as-bad-as-you-thought/

 

Guess who we play in prime time this season?  That's right ALL 3 are against NFC East opponents.  

 

In addition to that,  2 out of the 3 (Eagles and Giants) are away games, and BOTH of them come on short weeks (Giants in week 3. Eagles in week 16)

 

The only home prime time game will be against the Cowboys in Week 13.  And even this advantage is minimized by the fact that it will be when they have Hardy, who no one else in the division has to play at all.

 

Smells fishy to me.  From a scheduling standpoint I have a hard time seeing how we're not starting out at a disadvantage compared to ALL 3 of our divisional rivals.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/football-insider/wp/2015/04/21/redskins-2015-schedule-instant-analysis/

Edited April 29, 2015 by Reaper Skins