Thread: Say it ain’t so: NFL season to begin with replacement refs

Prior to the Broncos-49ers’ preseason game Sunday, I was on the sideline talking with Mike Pereira, the former vice president of NFL officials. He was telling me there was no way an agreement between the league and striking officials would be reached prior to the regular season.

I told him I thought commissioner Roger Goodell was too smart to let such a monstrous event as the NFL regular season begin with a group of second-hand officials who have been at best been hesitant during the preseason and at worse incompetent.

The ref was right and the sports writer was wrong. I still think Goodell is smart; just not with this issue.

rest - http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/...nt-refs/15177/

With opening night of the 2012 NFL season one week away, the league office alerted all 32 teams Wednesday that the season will begin with replacement officials in place, according to a memo obtained by NFL.com and NFL Network.

Negotiations between the league and the NFL Referees' Association remain "deadlocked," according to the memo sent by NFL executive vice president Ray Anderson.

In an exclusive interview scheduled to air Wednesday on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access," Anderson said the NFL is committed to the replacement officials only on "a week-to-week-basis."

rest - http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100...headline_stack

Oh good . . . we get to see the 21st century version of the Keystone Kops . . .
.

Dear NFL,

Pay the refs you greedy money grubbing bastages!

Sincerely,
Every NFL fan, ever.

i just dont get it, its not like the refs are asking for millions of dollars.

from article:

"One of our key goals in this negotiation is to enhance our ability to recruit, train, and replace officials who are not performing adequately," Anderson said. "We believe that officials should be evaluated and performance issues addressed in the same way as players, coaches, club management and league staff. We have proposed several steps to accomplish this, including having a number of full-time officials and expanding the overall number of officials."

The NFL is offering to add three full officiating crews, increasing the total number of officials to 140. The NFLRA insists the compensation being offered with such an increase would reduce their pay.

The league is proposing having seven officials -- one per position of referee, umpire, line judge, side judge, back judge, field judge and head linesman -- who would train, scout, handle communications, safety issues and rules interpretations year-round. Now, all NFL game officials are part-time employees, with outside jobs ranging from lawyer to teacher to business owner.

full article - http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/83...regular-season

Maybe some on here knew this, which I did not, but the teams are the ones who pay for the referees.

Originally Posted by Denver Native (Carol)

from article:

full article - http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/83...regular-season

Maybe some on here knew this, which I did not, but the teams are the ones who pay for the referees.

Then no wonder they can't ensure the pay they want; that's like Rover paying the dogcatchers salary.

Guess what? I don't care!

It's probably best that the NFL do what it can to get the regular refs back, but if the regular refs think their claims of poor officiating by the replacements is a good reason to end the lockout, they need a new attack.

The "real" refs have been notorious for several years now about poor play calling. Anyonw remember the Jay Cutler "incomplete pass" (ie fumble) against SD? What about the pathetic play calling in the Seattle - Pittsburgh Super Bowl. That game was so poorly called that it made national news.

Just a couple of examples, but proof that claims of the regular refs being better at their job is bogus. This is also why the NFL has a point about full-time officials. If these boneheads actually had to spend time between games being evaluated (and repremanded when necessary) instead of working their other jobs, maybe they could actually become the great officials they claim to be.

Originally Posted by Broncos Mtnman

It's probably best that the NFL do what it can to get the regular refs back, but if the regular refs think their claims of poor officiating by the replacements is a good reason to end the lockout, they need a new attack.

The "real" refs have been notorious for several years now about poor play calling. Anyonw remember the Jay Cutler "incomplete pass" (ie fumble) against SD? What about the pathetic play calling in the Seattle - Pittsburgh Super Bowl. That game was so poorly called that it made national news.

Just a couple of examples, but proof tha[B]t claims of the regular refs being better at their job is bogus. This is also why the NFL has a point about full-time officials. If these boneheads actually had to spend time between games being evaluated (and repremanded when necessary) instead of working their other jobs, maybe they could actually become the great officials they claim to be.

I do not know how the NFL does it, but I do know that in college, the officials are evaluated, game by game. If that is done in college, I would think it is also being done in the NFL.

Also - full-time officials - what exactly would the officials do during the off season? Also, I am sure many of the existing officials have had their full time jobs for many years, so let's say that there is an official who is two years from retirement, who needs to work two more years for full retirement. There are NOT many who would want to give that up, regardless of where they work. So, for full time referees, what would they do - replace the existing referees, who all have full time jobs with 25 year olds, who are not established in a job?

Fans will complain the same whether it's replacement refs or the regular refs.

Originally Posted by Nomad

Fans will complain the same whether it's replacement refs or the regular refs.

bull-shit call ref

Originally Posted by Denver Native (Carol)

I do not know how the NFL does it, but I do know that in college, the officials are evaluated, game by game. If that is done in college, I would think it is also being done in the NFL.

Also - full-time officials - what exactly would the officials do during the off season? Also, I am sure many of the existing officials have had their full time jobs for many years, so let's say that there is an official who is two years from retirement, who needs to work two more years for full retirement. There are NOT many who would want to give that up, regardless of where they work. So, for full time referees, what would they do - replace the existing referees, who all have full time jobs with 25 year olds, who are not established in a job?

NFL officials are graded week to week, not just on calls they made, but on calls they didn't make, but should have. It's very difficult. Also, all of the NFL officials are on 1 year contracts so it really is a performance based business. I tell people all the time that officiating is MUCH more difficult than it looks. If anyone doesn't believe me, and I'm sure that many of you don't, please join your local officiating organization - I'm sure they can use the help.

Originally Posted by topscribe

Oh good . . . we get to see the 21st century version of the Keystone Kops . . .
.

Larry, Curly and Moe!

Originally Posted by spikerman

NFL officials are graded week to week, not just on calls they made, but on calls they didn't make, but should have. It's very difficult. Also, all of the NFL officials are on 1 year contracts so it really is a performance based business. I tell people all the time that officiating is MUCH more difficult than it looks. If anyone doesn't believe me, and I'm sure that many of you don't, please join your local officiating organization - I'm sure they can use the help.

I totally agree with everything you say. I have learned a lot about what the officials have to do from my son, and what they go thru, and you are exactly right - they get marked down for making a wrong call, and they get marked down for not making a call they should have.