In the wake of their heart breaking 27-24 loss to the undefeated Patriots Monday night, several Raven players are complaining that the referees took verbal jabs at them at the end of the game. Some players even insinuated that the league wants to see the Patriots win in order to sell tickets.
“It is what it is. They put the crown on top of them. They want them to win. They won. The refs, they’re horrible. That’s the bottom line,” the Ravens’ Chris McAlister said.
“That’s the NFL for you man. When they got a guy like that that’s selling a lot of tickets. you want to keep him selling tickets. They’re the best. Make them prove it. That’s all I say. Don’t help them make the play. Let em make it,” Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs said.
“We got the ref in one of our player’s faces calling him a boy,” the Ravens’ Bart Scott said. “What’s that all about?”
Said Rolle: “Call me a boy like more than five times. … You don’t call a grown man with a wife and three kids a boy.”
Said Baltimore’s Derrick Mason: “You should have heard some of the verbal blasts we were taking from the refs. It was just despicable.”
There’s no question that the Patriots received some lucky breaks Monday night, but to go as far as to say that the league sets it up that way is a bit absurd. Some players and fans are always quick to point out that certain teams get special treatment when they’re winning. Maybe that’s true, maybe it isn’t, but the in regards to last night, the Ravens should look in the mirror first when placing blame for losing.
Baltimore had New England on the ropes for three quarters last night. Kyle Boller was playing very well, Willis McGahee was terrorizing the Patriots and the defense was aggressive. Then all of a sudden, Brian Billick took the pedal off the gas, Boller made a bad decision on an interception and NE got back into the ballgame. It wasn’t the refs’ faults that the Ravens’ sideline called time out after the defense had Tom Brady stuffed on 4th and 1 at the end of the game. It wasn’t the refs’ faults that Ed Reed had a great return after intercepting Brady close to halftime, yet fumbled it back to the Patriots and therefore possibly costing the Ravens more points.
The Ravens had several chances to win that game last night and didn’t. And those chances weren’t all thwarted by the refs.
