That's the biggest driver here. As you said their biggest fear is becoming the story of the game. Swallowing the whistle at the end of a playoff game (or not pulling the flag) in hockey, football, or basketball is usually the safest bet with that fear in mind. Obviously this strategy backfired epically in this case.

of the game.” It would have been the moron who Mack-trucked a WR while a perfectly thrown ball was coming to him.

Rewarding that kind of desperate stupidity is never OK. And if you don’t want to feel responsible for the progress of a football game, don’t become a ref. Because well-deserved penalties cannot but affect the outcome of a game. Grow up.

You're a professional referee because you're expected to enforce the rules with consistency, regardless of game situation.

I've seen the theory that this phenomenon extends even more deeply into college basketball, particularly during the NCAA tournament. Apparently the number of fouls called on each team is shockingly even during March; when one team accumulates a foul discrepancy, the stats seem to show that the refs will work pretty consistently to even the playing field - so as not to make refereeing the post-game "story".

As you said, it's fucking maddening.

distributed’ mind set of bb fans.