Gridiron Heroics
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Trending
    • Best Players in XFL Revealed
    • New York Jets Sign Former Chiefs Wide Receiver To 1-Year Deal
    • Saints Take Defensive Tackle in Latest Mel Kiper Mock Draft
    • Michigan Wolverines Score Another 3-Star Recruit Out Of Ohio
    • Jalen Mills Returns To New England on 1 Year Deal
    • Michigan Wolverines Get Commitment From Huge 4-Star Prospect
    • New York Giants Sign Former Commanders Cornerback
    • Trouble for the New England Patriots?
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Our Writers
    • Write for Gridiron Heroics
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Gridiron Heroics
    JOIN OUR FB GROUP
    Gridiron Heroics
    Home»NFL»Do Makeup Calls Ruin the Game?
    NFL

    Do Makeup Calls Ruin the Game?

    IW MoonBy IW MoonNovember 4, 2022Updated:November 5, 2022No Comments4 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    makeup calls
    Jed Jacobsohn / Getty Images
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    A makeup call happens when a referee calls a penalty they regret, then later calls a penalty on the opposing team to make up for it. Makeup calls have unofficially existed in sports for decades. At the highest levels, the assumption is they’re less frequently used.

    Are these calls just a figment of the disgusted viewer’s imagination? They certainly have a bad reputation, and there will always be skeptics. Mutterings about a makeup call affecting last year’s Super Bowl led to articles being written about it. There have been officials who tried to sue reporters ultimately because of makeup calls. There are backlogs and testimonials about them from current and ex-officials since the early days of the internet. The fact is, these calls happen in many sports, and officials from every level have attested to it.

    Makeup Calls and Flares

    Believe it or not, refs are humans too, and it’s a tough job. They occasionally make bad calls and feel remorse about it. The reason a ref may still use the calls at a professional level is because within the rulebook there is often no other way to replace what one team lost from the bad call. Makeup calls can cause feelings of joy to stir within one fanbase, while everything from sadness to rage can resonate within the other. And the ire of the fans can have consequences. Sometimes the refs are just trying to avoid having things launched at them.

    Flashback to when Spartak fans were that angry at the ref, they launched a flare at him. 😳

    Maybe Willie Collum could do with a stint in the Russian league? 😏 pic.twitter.com/UnBFdJZ5J8

    — 32Red (@32Red) November 8, 2018

    Fans want integrity in their sports, but then somehow get bamboozled into exchanging their integrity for a lowly makeup call. It’s kind of like getting the knock-off version of the expensive thing you wanted. It’s better than nothing. Sometimes though, it’s even worse than nothing.

    Since a bad call often goes unchecked, either by the lack of a rule or because a challenge flag didn’t get tossed, the refs wear the weight of the fans. Their subsequent makeup call may have just ruined the other team’s possession, when nothing should have been meddled with from the start. This often results in an uneven trade and can leave fans feeling lousy about the game’s outcome.

    How much thought has the corporate side of professional sports invested in this topic? Do the suit and tie wearers from the front offices unofficially support these makeup calls? Because a solution is so simple it’s almost annoying: give the coaches the ability to challenge every aspect of the game. Do the powers that be resist implementing simple solutions because an actual resolution takes away their ability to control an outcome? Nobody wants to admit it, but a single whistle blown at the right time could make or break the fortunes of those invested.

    Monkey Business

    Let’s get one thing straight, every major sport is a business. Everything that makes up any one game is part of that business. Players are businessmen in uniform, as are the refs, and even the mascots. They are conducting business like we common folk buy coffee, or ride the subway, only in an entirely different context. So, when you pump your fist rooting for your favorite team, it is essentially the same as rooting for the grocery store clerk swiping bar codes. Peyton Manning flashback, anyone?

    440px H%27Angus The Monkey
    Hartlepool United mascot H’Angus.

    Generally speaking, the pro players understand and accept their roles as public figures/businessmen. Some embrace it, some push it away, but they all know it’s there. Their substantial paychecks constantly remind them. It’s business before pleasure. It’s money before fun. And for the occasional player, it’s all business and no fun at all.

    The question of whether or not makeup calls ruin the game is an easy one to answer. It can easily ruin games. When you walk away feeling your team got cheated in the exchange of them, it does. When you know the corporate side of professional sports can easily amend the problem and instead chooses to look the other way, it becomes a question of integrity.

     

    Related

    For More Great Football Content

    Follow us on Twitter at @GridironHeroics for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Football news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE

    Checkout our latest podcast!

    [powerpress_playlist limit=1]
    makeup calls NFL
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    IW Moon
    • Twitter

    IW is a writer for Gridiron Heroics where he covers the NFL and NCAAF. He is also the host of a podcast called Simply Sports.

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    XFL

    Best Players in XFL Revealed

    By Christian LanceMarch 22, 20230
    New York Jets

    New York Jets Sign Former Chiefs Wide Receiver To 1-Year Deal

    By Matthew BrownMarch 22, 20230
    New Orleans Saints

    Saints Take Defensive Tackle in Latest Mel Kiper Mock Draft

    By Tyler EschetteMarch 22, 20230
    College Football

    Michigan Wolverines Score Another 3-Star Recruit Out Of Ohio

    By Matthew BrownMarch 22, 20230
    FOLLOW US
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    READ MORE
    2022 college football season 2022 Fantasy Football 2022 NFL season Baltimore Ravens Big Ten Browns Buffalo Bills BYU BYU Cougars BYU Defense BYU football BYU Offense Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns College Football Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Fantasy Football Football Green Bay Packers Jalen Hurts Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers LSU Tigers Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets NFL Ohio State Buckeyes Patrick Mahomes Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks SEC Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tom Brady Washington Commanders
    Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest
    © 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.