NFL damaging its own product with replacement officials
Shannon Eastin, from MEAC and first woman NFL official, is among replacements (AP photo)
For as much as the NFL is an image-conscious league, there is one unfortunate truth about its mind-numbing and protracted labor talks with game officials: The league isn’t in any hurry. There is no financial hit. The TV deals are safe, and no team is going to sell one less ticket or replica jersey if a replacement referee – whose resume highlights just may include the Lingerie Football League – happens to blow a call or refers to Atlanta as “Arizona.”
There is no reason to hide from any of that because even NFL vice president Ray Anderson, a former Falcons executive, shoved that reality up front in a phone conversation Friday: “We’ve offered raises of 5 to 11 percent. Just because the owners can afford to pay more doesn’t mean you do it. You’ve never paid for an NFL ticket to watch somebody officiate a game. Nobody has ever paid to watch me be the league supervisor for a game.”
He is right, of course. The problem is that the NFL season begins in less than three weeks, and there has been disturbing foreshadowing that suggests the referees may be the “entertainment.”
Two weeks into the exhibition season, we’ve seen a New York Giants punt returner called for holding (now that’s talent); a punt ruled a touchback even though it was clearly downed on the 4-yard line; a phantom facemask penalty against the Falcons’ Jonathan Babineaux (the official was the play); Atlanta being referred to as “Arizona” by a referee multiple times; a referee calling out the wrong winner of the coin flip before the Hall of Fame game; players witnessing debates between officials while they sort through confusion.
There almost certainly has been more. But that’s enough to paint a picture.
Most Falcons players wouldn’t bite on officiating questions, fearing they would be fined. But cornerback Dunta Robinson said after Thursday’s game, “I’m trying to take the good out of it and say: It’s preseason for them also. Some calls didn’t look like fouls to me. I think we got flagged just for playing hard. So Ed Hochuli: Get it right man. Come on back. We need you.” (Hochuli is a long-time respected official.)
Anderson, a point man for the league in talks with officials, has witnessed some mishaps in person, and whatever he has missed he has heard about later. But he’s not fazed. He said “there have been no more mistakes in the preseason” than there would be with regular officials, adding, “They’re just being highlighted because of the situation.”
Anderson said, “At this point, it’s very likely” replacement officials will start the regular season. (One Falcon said he was told to expect three games with replacements.)
“By the time the season starts, this will be a very credible group of officials,” Anderson said. “We’re frankly very comfortable.”
This is beyond silly. It’s irresponsible. It damages the product. Officials mistakes can determine game outcomes. Outcomes determine standings, playoff teams and seeding. We haven’t even addressed the potential of safety issues related to a poorly officiated game (rules are meant to protect players).
These replacement officials aren’t even as good as the ones who worked in 20o1. At least those were from BCS conferences. Most of these are from smaller conferences and the Arena League. Referee Craig Ochoa worked in the Lingerie Football League. Shannon Eastin, the first woman official, is from the MEAC.
The NFL is a $9.3 billion industry. It’s disingenuous enough when owners plead poverty and cut the pay of office staff during CBA talks, when network paychecks are hanging in the balance. But the difference between the two sides in these negotiations is relative change between the couch cushions.
The sides are roughly $2.2 million apart for the 2012 season and $16.5 million over five years. That’s a lot for us peasants. But let’s break it down. The $2.2 million equates to $65,750 per team. The $16.5 million over five years equates to $103,124 per team per year — or $6,445.31 per game. That’s roughly the cost of 60 game tickets, or the low end of a Georgia Dome suite for one game ($6,200-$14,000).
“So all we have to do is ask Arthur Blank to put another $100,000 in the pot with the other teams because he can afford it?” Anderson said. “Owners don’t do business that way. Owners will pay employees commensurate to their value.”
The message being: The NFL isn’t placing a high value on the officials.
They had better hope the right parties are providing the entertainment when the season starts.
By Jeff Schultz
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109 comments Add your comment
mmgtfan
August 17th, 2012
5:22 pm
First
KINGDAWG
August 17th, 2012
5:44 pm
Slow day between first and second..everyone’s at happy hr except myself and mmgtfan
chalkdawg4
August 17th, 2012
5:47 pm
Well said. I was there last night. The two that stood out were the Babineaux facemask and the roughing the QB call on Jerry. Didn’t see how that was roughing. One other point I haven’t seen brought up is that the Cincinatti QB seemed to have forever to throw the TD to Green over Samuel. Not sure we can put that on all on Asante. I’ve been to both games. They are supposedly showing the clips that the ref is viewing on the big screen during challenges. All I’ve seen on any of the reviews are two diffferent views that are not great angles. Seems like you get many more on TV. Not sure if the ref is just stupid and not looking at the right angles or if there are only a couple available during preseason.
Go Falcons!!! I thought they looked OK last night. Cincinatti is probably a pretty good team. Turner looks slow. Not sure he will not be cut.
Delbert D.
August 17th, 2012
5:47 pm
Change the subject. Boring.
JSS
August 17th, 2012
5:51 pm
I’ve said before, and I’ll say it again… It is like running a $1 billion dollar Corporation like a Church’s Chicken franchise! the National Football League is stealing your money!
Howard
August 17th, 2012
6:04 pm
Jeff…NFL officials also make horrendous calls, huddle together almost every other play to decide what was called, miss calls, get confused sometimes on the mike, etc. Plus in the NFL referees could call a foul on almost every play but they don’t…I myself don’t get flummoxed about these replacement guys and gal. The regulars will be back soon and then check the TV and see what gaffes the so-called experts commit.
dred
August 17th, 2012
6:05 pm
yea! it’s quittin’ time.
SirReal
August 17th, 2012
6:08 pm
Like I said last night Jeff, these refs are garbage….smh
briley parkway
August 17th, 2012
6:26 pm
Yeah they’re bad. But not really much worse than the regular guys who are pretty pitiful themselves.
lazlodawg
August 17th, 2012
6:33 pm
Give ‘em a break! In half a season or so, they’ll get to the point where they’re just as bad as the regular officials.
Josh
August 17th, 2012
6:37 pm
By not paying the refs, it seems as though the mighty NFL is cutting off it’s nose to spite it’s face. Pay them and move on. Jeff’s title says it all. The overall product will be damaged and this is a relatively small price to pay to keep the game moving forward.
Heavyweight Champion of the Earl
August 17th, 2012
7:03 pm
Please bring back the “real officials” don’t give the Failcants anymore excuses for losing games.
"Chef" Tim Dix
August 17th, 2012
7:06 pm
Forget safety and legal play for a sec and consider they control the clock. Scares Vegas to death.
Moneyball
August 17th, 2012
7:13 pm
Slow down, Schultzie, it’s preason. We don’t care (yet).9
Moneyball
August 17th, 2012
7:15 pm
preseason
Ace
August 17th, 2012
7:19 pm
The NFL was much better when it was a game and not a product…
I agree with Howard...
August 17th, 2012
7:21 pm
…how many “looonnngggg huddles” have we seen during “real” games where the refs confer about something that the talking heads have already said what should, and usually does, happen. Plus. those “real” refs make boneheaded calls, too, even the wrong call of a coin flip, Ed Hochuli ruling things over that affected the outcome of a game, etc… as others have said, it just ain’t that big of deal if these current replacements blow calls – it’s not like it hasn’t happened before-.
And, the 13 yard penalty mark off last night was funny, especially Wes Durham’s call on that…
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
August 17th, 2012
7:31 pm
DAVISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Hugh Jass
August 17th, 2012
7:45 pm
Dumb article. These guys get paid a 6-figure salary for a part-time job. Sounds good to me and anyone else who considers we are in a recession. I am thrilled that the NFL is standing up to the union and telling them they are already overpaid.
Twinkle Toes Turner
August 17th, 2012
7:49 pm
Ive said it for 3 years- turner is the most overrated RB in the entire league. Burner is the most ridiculous nickname. He’s like watching molasses hit a hole. The softest big running back I’ve seen in a long time
1eyedJack
August 17th, 2012
8:00 pm
Everybody wants a piece of pie.
BigDawg
August 17th, 2012
8:09 pm
Ask state employees how long it has been since the vast majority received a pay raise of 3%, about 10 plus years and about 5 years at 0%. The refs should take an offer of 5-11% pay raise. Do they impact lives as much as teachers who receive NO pay raises and continuously pay increased health care costs?!
RC--apoi
August 17th, 2012
8:43 pm
Well, at least us TV viewers get plenty of time for bathroom breaks now. If you leave the couch for 5 minutes right after a flag gets thrown, they’ll be deciding on the call when you get back. There ain’t no excuse for dribbling or wet zippers now.
100% Customer Satisfaction
August 17th, 2012
8:43 pm
I agree.
Najeh Davenpoop
August 17th, 2012
8:53 pm
The real refs should hope this continues into the season, because it is going to really boost their bargaining position.
Yeti
August 17th, 2012
9:00 pm
I am so sick of the media attacking the refs. Can someone please tell me the last time we heard how good the refs were. Give them some time and the old refs will not be missed at all. Sorry, I do not feel sorry for a part time employee who makes 6 figures. These guy should be full time employees.
ACE
August 17th, 2012
9:07 pm
The NFL officials don’t want to be full time employees, they don’t want 3 additional crews put on to give the current officials time off during the season, they also don’t want to have the under-performing officials pulled and replaced during the season even though they are rated ar poor.
In other words, what the current NFL officials want is more pay with no accountability and the chance to be fired/replaced for poor performance.
Mike Franklin
August 17th, 2012
9:20 pm
In this economy… and with the league already screwing its fan base with that sorry-ass NFL Network, this ref strike is just sauce for the cooked goose.
Thank gawd for the SEC.
Yeti
August 17th, 2012
9:36 pm
BTW-I love how Shultz or editor (although in the end it is a Shultz article) show the only woman as the example in an article about bad replacement refs. Only about 30 other refs he could have used. What a coincidence. Nice job!
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
August 17th, 2012
9:44 pm
Saints, Bucs and Panthers look good tonight
Mark
August 17th, 2012
9:55 pm
Haven’t seen an NFL game in my lifetime that someone was not complaining about refs. Give it a rest. These guys are no worse than the regular officials and have to learn the NFL rules and interpretations. Give them another 4 weeks like the players get to work out the kinks and nerves, then make the assessment. Would hate to have someone point out every mistake in one of these blogs everyday — how would that turn out?
IceColdATLien
August 17th, 2012
10:09 pm
They should worry about lawsuits by placing players in more dangerous conditions than necessary with these bush league refs.
Ken Stallings
August 17th, 2012
10:12 pm
The NFL is nickle and diming the umpires on this one. I like the idea of the extra crews, and even about full time officials, but then the pay and benefit scales the umpires are asking for are very reasonable and affordable. It is a silly stance by the owners of the league.
Wally
August 17th, 2012
10:35 pm
Credability, our ability to trust the referees, is at stake. NFL officials are experienced and have been required to go through extensive training. Yes they will miss some calls but they get it correct almost all the time. I do not trust rookie officials that do not even have the experience of big time college football. The NFL is headed for some major disasters with the fill-ins. Why risk it over a small amount of money.
Yeti
August 17th, 2012
10:36 pm
Mark- Exactly. I seem to remember the refs actually screwing up a coin toss a few years ago. Remember that instant replay was bought in because the refs were doing such a bad job. The media gets a thrill out of siding against ownership.
Dixie Red Coat Band
August 17th, 2012
11:09 pm
Not really people will watch/pay anything for boring nfl.
Dixie Red Coat Band
August 17th, 2012
11:15 pm
Have you people noticed that there isn’t one second of silence at the games anymore. Noise all the time for you people…
Dixie Redcoat band
August 17th, 2012
11:21 pm
Haven’t you people noticed that pa guys now do the ..”he scoooooores”.
The Big House doesn’t do this…yet?
Just Sayin'
August 17th, 2012
11:26 pm
eerily similar article in timing and content to this Ashley Fox article published several hours earlier on ESPN.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp12/story/_/id/8277672/nfl-nfl-needs-real-officials-back-now
Paddy
August 17th, 2012
11:36 pm
Get the real guys back. These things never go right.
FalconJim
August 18th, 2012
12:03 am
Geeezzz…..pay the money, and get the “real” officials in there. Enough of these “scabs”!!!!!!!!
Chef Boyardee
August 18th, 2012
12:20 am
Why would ANYBODY pay money to watch a pre-season football game? These games are barely distiguishable from a free scrimmage. I noticed that many fans came dressed in red as empty seats. If everyone dressed that way, maybe the players would get the message and be willing to play for real.
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August 18th, 2012
1:31 am
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Jim
August 18th, 2012
4:15 am
The NFL is all about the money. Fans want wins, but the owners are in it for the money. Owners would prefer a 5-11 money making team to a 11-5 money losing team. It has taken me quite a while to really get the feel of how all this works, but we fans are really kinda crazy to get all revved up about a team’s success on the field when the owners are revved primarily by the bottom line. $7 beers, $5 pretzels, etc…we really are just customers who value one thing while owners value another. The way Rankin Smith ran the Falcons is a perfect example…he had a captive audience for years (befoe Panthers, Titans, Jaguars, etc,, so why worry about winning.
J Moore
August 18th, 2012
7:00 am
No don’t pay these buffon s any more money. All unions must be dissolved if this country is ever to recover! Book it Dano.
Steak is good with Bacon
August 18th, 2012
7:07 am
Well so the refs are umps mess up after all it is pre-season ain’t it…sorta like Fans here callin for Matt Ryan be cut are traded for Mr I eat Pit bulldogs n train to fight..sorry Vick is hurtin and he never see a superbowl….Maybe vick get diaherra some day…Now lets worry about is this goin be a stinky year will Ryan finally shake his bad runs(excuse pun there) lead us to superbowl are will we fart up n be 7-9 this season n Home…Its coach smith break out if he fails his Job on Line too!
Jeffrey
August 18th, 2012
7:32 am
Goodell is horrible. I hate him so much when my football wouldn’t hold air anymore I bought a used one on eBay cause I don’t want his name on it.
Jerry
August 18th, 2012
8:31 am
Here is an example of where we can instantly improve the economic situation of 100 or more Americans. The NFL should go ahead and replace these officials with the college level guys doing the job now. Most of these current NFL officials have other jobs anyway or are old enough to retire. The new guys would work out the kinks by mid year anyway and after all, it’s only a football game. This would allow a 100 or more guys/gals to move up into the college ranks and make more money and would then provide 100 or more new job openings at the High School ranks. In other words a positive economic impact will roll down hill and help the little guy.
Much like the air traffic controllers, I think we would learn very quickly that no one is irreplacable and the economic impact would be very positive for several 100 people that could probably really benefit from making more money or just having a job.
Marvin Mangrum
August 18th, 2012
8:44 am
In a way, you are right, but mostly you are completely wrong. If you are trying to say, “golly I hope they will be almost as good as the regular refs”, that in itself is sad. The regular refs are pretty sorry themselves, so it reallyis just a manner of different degrees of sorry. To me, it is almost always obvious that the refs are for one team or the other, almost always. I reffed for 10 years, these guys have done so too, and I understand that the players are making up to a mil a game but that in no way has anything to do or say what the refs are making. If making $2 k a week aint enuf, quit! 20 years ago I would have done it for free, just for what it cost to get there and do it. Its time for some new crooks. At least I wont know before they walk out which ones are crooks. If you watch, if you really watch its clear to see the crooks.
Wilson Pickett
August 18th, 2012
9:02 am
There is a lot of confusion with the officials in just about every game you watch. Perhaps they will get better as they work as a team.
Gresham Brown
August 18th, 2012
9:11 am
Who cares.
John
August 18th, 2012
9:16 am
They can hire Ron Cherry.
Durt E. Byrd
August 18th, 2012
9:40 am
Sorry, I totally got caught off guard and read your article without realizing who had written it. Its the sort of dribble I have come to expect from you.
Why don’t YOU pony up the rest of the money you are asking Blank to give up? Its easy enough to say when you are talking about someone else’s money rather than your own.
Personally, I hate Unions – with very few exceptions. The Refs aren’t the sport,they aren’t the entertainment and they get numerous calls wrong too.
I can go the whole season with these replacements if need be… and another year without reading your slop.
=)
Chris Sanchez
August 18th, 2012
9:52 am
Let’s see: the NFL offered a new contract with guaranteed salary increased between 5 – 11% annually…BUT since owners are doing better, the referees union wants more. Hmmm? It sounds to me like this is a union problem! Keep the replacements! At least there will be some great moments on Sports Center to laugh about as they get up to speed. Seriously, its just football!
$olly $ol
August 18th, 2012
9:52 am
Why are so many people so upset about the officiating; whether you know it or not the scabs as you call them have to go to training also, whether its high school, college you compete against your peers. My advice if you can do better (which you probably can’t) go to an official camp and then at the blink of an eye make a call and then listen to the people on the sideline complain and then you will know what it feels like when you have millions of people criticizing you for doing what you worked for. When you become Mr. Perfect you and your crew won’t have to worry about instant replay because you will be able to see the all the violations, but you won’t accept the challenge all you will do is buckle your seat belt to your couch and complain like you are doing now.
Bill
August 18th, 2012
10:11 am
Female officials…ugh.
ALL REFS ARE LOOSERS
August 18th, 2012
10:12 am
So what? I can do a beter job of refing a game. These guys R paid 2 much as it is to make bad calls.
15 Minutes from the Hedges
August 18th, 2012
10:31 am
Anybody seen Phil Luckett??????? Go Bills, Go Falcons, Go MV7 and Eagles!!!…Eagles/49ers in the NFC Championship (with real refs)…bet on it!!!
Sargeant Hulka's Big Toe
August 18th, 2012
10:41 am
I say go as long as possible with the replacements. Don’t make the mistake MLB made where the umpires think people pay to see them.
JSS
August 18th, 2012
10:43 am
There is a “three year rotation of indoctrination” for NFL Solly Sol… None of these folks have gone through, this is not college or high school football… The group of “officials” who were next in line for that rotation (and those waiting to be called up) were locked out too even though they aren’t in the Refs union…
You are letting your anti-consumer and anti-union bias blind you… When they’ve gotten the training and not this is not a blatant attempt to screw the buying and paying customers, then put your feed bag on and cry!
oldfart
August 18th, 2012
10:49 am
WWVW – What Would Vegas Want?
perspective
August 18th, 2012
10:50 am
It’s preseason for them also…let’s all chill…fact is some of these guys will eventually be hired by the NFL.
They’ll wind up just as good/bad as all the others in the past.
Noone knows it all, especially not you bloggers
August 18th, 2012
10:52 am
NFL rulebook is bigger than “War and Peace”….that’s one heckuva headspin to learn.
just saying
August 18th, 2012
11:15 am
WOW I AM ABSOLUTELY AMAZED….THIS SPORTSWRITER ACTUALLY PICKED UP THE PHONE AND CALL SOMEBODY TO GET THEIR COMMENTS…and it didn’t hurt him one bit, Schultz survived and I congratulate him…I wish this sports section would go back to investigating/interviewing before posting their columns for comments on their blogs mostly from idiots….Auburn is full of deceit and is just one example. Why can’t AJC be the first to bring this deceptive school down instead of waiting for others to do it?
DB
August 18th, 2012
11:26 am
Ed Hochuli is a lawyer with a big law firm in Phoenix that his bares his name along with two others. I’m sure he make big bucks.
STFU
August 18th, 2012
11:51 am
I’m sorry but referees and football players are only worth what the market is willing to bear.
Don Abernethy
August 18th, 2012
11:53 am
Professional football is an entertainment business just like Hollywood. The motivation to win is money. Fans do not participate in the money just the teams so who wins really doesn’t effect fans. They just help pay the high salaries of the players. Refs are just part of the game and their calls can be reviewed so most of the calls will be correct.Refs are greedy for money like all the rest and if they think they can hold teams hostage for more money they will.I use to watch a lot of pro football but over the years I have switched to college and little league because they don’t get payed.
falcons fan
August 18th, 2012
11:55 am
Jeff – you are way off base with this column. The regular NFL officials on strike on not nearly as good as you think they are and the replacements are not nearly as bad as you think either. The one gripe I think the regular officials have is the NFL not wanting them to work their regular week jobs and officiate on weekends. Seems that has been working fine for a long time so why mess up a good thing. But at the end of the day I am against people going on strike for issues about money, etc and if the regular guys don’t like it – oh well. No one, and I mean no one, is irreplaceable in this world.
wfclyon
August 18th, 2012
12:10 pm
So every pass was perfect and was caught, every punt sailed for 40 yards with no return, every blocking assignment was executed to perfection, every play was perfectly drawn up, and every team will be 17-0 when playoffs start.
Try watching a major league baseball game. You will notice missed calls and the strike zone varying by umpire and then again by the mood of the umpire and even the star power of the batter.
Really.
August 18th, 2012
12:12 pm
They already make close to $130 gs a year. How much more do they need to be paid?
Grits
August 18th, 2012
12:13 pm
If you think these refs are bad just watch a SEC football game. Those guys are ignorant or throwing a game for money.
dirk dig
August 18th, 2012
12:22 pm
Everyone can be replaced, including NFL ref’s. Union’s are shooting themselves in the foot in a very difficult economy. Wake up ref’s and take the deal, before you end up working for minimum wage at Wal Mart.
Wrecker
August 18th, 2012
12:33 pm
It will not matter what fans think about refs in the long run. Expect the player and their union to start going ballistic if things are not hashed out soon. The players have more at stake with bad calls, both for the potential of injury and for their personal achievement or statistics. This is our entertainment, but it is their job.
Bud
August 18th, 2012
1:04 pm
HA, I love it! Anything that makes the boor, the bully, the NFL look bad is fine by me! The NFL has gotten full of itself and needs to be knocked a peg. I hope officials are there for four or five games and causes all kinds of havoc and chaos.
Falcon Jim
August 18th, 2012
1:30 pm
Just look for the Union label………………………….
Falcon Jim
August 18th, 2012
1:38 pm
Bad football, bad officiating, bad coverage. It was a BAD night.
Big Al
August 18th, 2012
1:45 pm
NFL referees shouldn’t be so full of themselves in feeling that the game absolutely can’t do without them. When I was a young man, a wise employer told me, “No one is indespensible. Graveyards are full of people who thought they were.” Also, the referees should remember what happened to the air traffic controllers when Reagan was president.
tripledart
August 18th, 2012
1:53 pm
Hey the officials should make a decent living.What is wrong with that.And have a package like any other job.They have more of an education than half the people watching and not to mention they are working.Hell everybody should be concerned about that sorry ass man in the white house instead of this.Oh excuse me the none working tv watching fans put him in office.
TimeTravel
August 18th, 2012
2:07 pm
officiating–overrated—these replacement refs are fine and work for a lot less money than the obscene salaries the regular refs want.
oldfart
August 18th, 2012
2:39 pm
Pro union, anti-union, none of this matters compared to credibility. The amount paid to the officials is chump change compared to the money changing hands between owners, coaches, players, tv networks, legal and illegal gambling… Think about it people, you want these jobs to pay enough that they don’t want to risk them.
GB's Hamburgers
August 18th, 2012
4:17 pm
Refs missed a call but it looked like the right call from his vantage point. Let’s get over it. They didn’t look any better or worse than the regular guys. It’s not that hard a job. Actually a little controversy spices up a pretty boring affair.
Hillbilly D
August 18th, 2012
5:37 pm
As long as folks keep buying tickets, the NFL can pretty much do as it pleases. Money talks and we know what walks.
shooter
August 18th, 2012
5:56 pm
bush league referees,nothing more nothing less. i watched the NO/JACKSONVILLE game and talk about bush league refs,the worst i ever saw,and the refs cost NO the game.
i will tell you what if they carry these jug heads into the opener i will not watch.
JSS
August 18th, 2012
5:59 pm
Exactly Hillbilly, that is why I call it stealing!
shooter
August 18th, 2012
6:12 pm
Unions Gave Us The Weekend,Unions Gave Us Fair Wages And Relative Income Equality,Unions Helped End Child Labor,Unions Won Widespread Employer-Based Health Coverage,. Unions Spearheaded The Fight For The Family And Medical Leave Act,exc.exc..
the NFL is a pro league these refs are not pros.
usjacket
August 18th, 2012
6:36 pm
Their just a bunch of SCABS!
JSS
August 18th, 2012
6:41 pm
Shooter, You’re wasting good knowledge on this bunch of flat earth, think the Earth is 2000 years old, and give their money false prophet followers…
Eat Me
August 18th, 2012
7:44 pm
Get a plug in there for the union, jerk.
Sid
August 18th, 2012
8:53 pm
They will all come to agreement in the 11th hour………….
Yeti
August 18th, 2012
9:52 pm
Unions promote lazy workers and can’t survive in a free market. Go ask Eastern Airlines and any of the US auto workers how great unions are.
Yeti
August 18th, 2012
9:56 pm
Also, the so called “scabs” should be considered heroes because they get off their rears and work. Which is more than you can say for the rest of the lazy Americans.
JASon
August 18th, 2012
11:48 pm
“The message being: The NFL isn’t placing a high value on the officials.”
How can you not even mention political bias toward major market teams. Do you not see steeler and cowboy logos plastered everywhere. There are teams the league wants to win.
vino
August 18th, 2012
11:53 pm
chump fans keep buying tickets, beer and food at obscene prices, owners / players keep bringing in millions. they could not care less who is officiating the game. just keep the chumps coming.
Paddy O
August 19th, 2012
1:16 am
If they insist on going with replacement refs, they need to double the coaches protest capability. We saw some awful calls in the Falcon/Cinci game.
Chuck Clausen
August 19th, 2012
6:52 am
The replacement officials get better each week – I coached in high school, Junior College, in the Big Ten and 18 seasons in the NFL – I am sure at every level I had a learning curve. The replacement officials will get better each week. It will be good for the league have available a talent pool that they can call upon as needed
Big Al
August 19th, 2012
8:44 am
Both teams are playing with the same set of referees.
Forget the stupid union stuff and play ball.
5150 UOAD
August 19th, 2012
9:12 am
IF you think this is bad for the NFL then you have a few choices.
Don’t go to the games
Don’t bet in Vegas or Offshore
Don’t Watch on TV.
If you continue to support an inferior product what is the reason for the NFL to change.
Dan
August 19th, 2012
9:14 am
An NFL game is extremely difficult to officiate, and everyone makes mistakes, but when you have a league that has had an elite ref screw up a coin toss in a playoff game, it pretty much undermines the claim that replacement refs can do any worse
JSS
August 19th, 2012
11:09 am
Dan, the coin toss was in a Thanksgiving Day game… Comparing 15 mistakes in a game doesn’t undermine the preferences of those more accepting of only 6 mistakes a game! “Arizona” ball!
Pompano
August 19th, 2012
11:24 am
The old Refs had become the most important play-makers on the field. All the phantom roughing calls and fake unprotected calls on receivers have ruined the game. Turnovers have the highest impact on the game and these calls on third-down have the same impact. Officiating in the NFL had become as blatantly terrible and biased as the NBA.
Cheers to the replacements!
Trailboss
August 19th, 2012
1:31 pm
This is all politics we see how much money these owner’s pull in for just sitting back playing the market with people.These most of the below to the GAS,OIL and PETROLEUM party and they hang out with Donald so what do you think they really care if you get a fair game of not. Like Mr.Anderson say the owner’s got they money they don’t want to pay the tax’s…they don’t want to pay their employee’s… remember the player’s had to take they to court just to get their share of the TV contract.The only way you can get their attention is empty seat.Semi Pro-Officials,Semi-Semi Pro Price’s and I’ll you your season tickets they’re not going to cut them prices.
Kobal
August 19th, 2012
4:15 pm
Pompano, you realize that those calls wern’t put in place by the officials them selves right? They were put in place by the same guys who’s call it is to put in new officials.
The Old officials have years and years of experience behind them, if I was going to have a doctor operate on me i’d rather have a professional of over 20+ years instead of some guy who’s either A) been fired from a respectable college conference or B) Some kid fresh out of school with no experience. The real officials are held at such a high standard, this isn’t something you can “learn” in 4 weeks like people are saying and it’s even more difficult to learn something when you don’t have a teacher. The people in charge of the current scabs have NO reffing experience and are going from the book 100%. Please tell me how many of you guys criticizing this go by the book 100% in your job? In every trade there’s tips and tricks that are learned and those are what distinguishes a rookie from a pro. The next time you need some work done on your house go pickup some of the guys in front of home depot and let me know how well your patio turns out. The bottom line is if you want quality pay for quality.
JDPalatine
August 19th, 2012
4:21 pm
I am really getting tired of the complaining about the replacement refs. I really haven’t noticed that much of a difference than the poor officiating I have seen for the past five years. One only needs to review the tapes when the announcers have looked at the same review film that the officials do and somehow come to a completely opposite conclusion. And famous non call like the helmet hit to Jay Cutler which gave him a split chin, and not even a yellow rag to stop the bleeding. Lastly, how many players have been fined by the league, even though there was no flag thrown?
Alan
August 20th, 2012
5:49 am
My issue is people are comparing the biggest mistakes the replacements referees are making to the best job the regular referees do. I’d be willing to be some of these replacement referees are better than the guys that are getting paid $180,000 per year. Let’s compare apples to apples, let’s compare the post game evaluations from last years pre-season and this years pre-season. Show me the difference. A lot less subjective of a bunch of analyst that are at best somewhat inconsistant themselves.
Milton
August 20th, 2012
11:58 am
Enter your comments here
Roddie White
August 21st, 2012
5:45 am
I got something to say, but somebody deleted the Twitter App off my phone!!
Milton Friedman
August 21st, 2012
11:36 am
Keynesian economics has never worked, is not working and will never work.
College football, Week 1: Somehow it keeps getting better | FOOTBALL
August 26th, 2012
10:46 pm
[...] – NFL is deleterious the possess product with deputy officials [...]