The Pats were ungood tonight.

Veteran guard Chris Gray wasn’t aware of the dramatic change in the numbers of holding calls, but he has seen some practical differences.

“Before the ’05 season they made holding an emphasis and I guess they called it more. There were a few calls that changed some games and I think there was a big stink made (afterward), so maybe they’ve backed off on calling it,” he said.

Gray said it was always safe to “lock on” to a defender inside his shoulders, but if he turned and it suddenly looked as if you had an arm around him, the flag would fly.

Kerney wanted to be careful and measured with his comments. No defender wants to look like a complainer – or, worse, get fined by the league.

“Let me bridle my tongue,” Kerney said. “I just don’t think they look for it anymore. The sad thing is, it has become a futile effort to remind the refs about holding.”

Kerney concedes that if a lineman gets his hands locked inside the shoulders, “then he won the battle.”

“When they get outside the framework and it (goes uncalled), it’s a shame. There are probably half a dozen times a game, on average, it could easily be called and doesn’t.”
January 10, 2008
http://www.thenewstribune.com/538/story/250728.html