If anyone from the NFL reads here- IT'S OVER THEY HAVE SETTLED!!!

[SaraJayne]

Anyone else want to defend the refs?

 

[AndyLL]

You get what you pay for.

NFL revenues are 9 billion a year and growing and they are trying to cut what they pay the refs ( when you include benefit cuts )

The owners are quibbling over 60K per team per year.

The 1st 3 weeks are proving that not just anyone can step in and do the job.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I'm done. I'm not watching, not wearing gear, not visiting my team's message board, etc, until the real refs are back.

I know what I said earlier, and it was a bit of sour grapes.

The refs have stunk all three weeks, but this is the last straw.

 

[Hannathy]

.
So where are these refs from? I would think even college refs at the Division I level would have a pretty good understanding of the pro system, despite the differences. Are these guys just totally clueless?

They aren't top College refs because Div 1 refs they are very well paid and none of them would want to jeopardize their contracts for college games or loose that gig for a 1 year fill in thing.

 

[ThisIsJason]

So where are these refs from? I would think even college refs at the Division I level would have a pretty good understanding of the pro system, despite the differences. Are these guys just totally clueless?

I know the woman is from MEAC. So a few are college. I could have sworn I heard that they pulled someone from the LFL, which is just stupid.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I've been trying not to watch. But I got intrigued while I was flipping through channels and watched about 5 minutes of this one. I'll resume my not watching until the regular refs come back.

 

[Gantu]

I call Shenanigans! How sad, very sad fans here!

 

[hidmickey:myantidrug]

So where are these refs from? I would think even college refs at the Division I level would have a pretty good understanding of the pro system, despite the differences. Are these guys just totally clueless?

That's just it. They would, but they have their jobs and, quite understandably, do not want to jeopardize them by stepping up for an unknown period of time, as a PP pointed out. So if you think of the normal officials as equivalent to starting players, second string would be the refs at the higher college level (OSU, Michigan, Penn State, etc.), third string at non-Big 10/12 schools... These replacement refs are fourth stringers at best. If any of our preferred teams were only playing fourth string players, we wouldn't be shocked that they were constantly blowing it, either. Annoyed, dismayed, appalled, and POed for sure, but not necessarily surprised. To be clear, I am not defending these calls whatsoever, but the fact is, they're totally unqualified to be calling these games, and we can only be so surprised when they prove that they have no business doing this. That being said, tonight's game may have been the line. And by 'might', I think most people would say 'was' if it hadn't been crossed for them yet already.

Hey, Goodell, if all the starters were striking, you'd pay up to get them back on the field. This isn't any different.

 

[robinb]

The people on ESPN are completely incensed. Every single one of them.

There is no joy in Wisconsin, even though Russ Wilson is an ex-Badger.

 

[Hrhpd]

That's just it. They would, but they have their jobs and, quite understandably, do not want to jeopardize them by stepping up for an unknown period of time, as a PP pointed out. So if you think of the normal officials as equivalent to starting players, second string would be the refs at the higher college level (OSU, Michigan, Penn State, etc.), third string at non-Big 10/12 schools... These replacement refs are fourth stringers at best. If any of our preferred teams were only playing fourth string players, we wouldn't be shocked that they were constantly blowing it, either. Annoyed, dismayed, appalled, and POed for sure, but not necessarily surprised. To be clear, I am not defending these calls whatsoever, but the fact is, they're totally unqualified to be calling these games, and we can only be so surprised when they prove that they have no business doing this. That being said, tonight's game may have been the line. And by 'might', I think most people would say 'was' if it hadn't been crossed for them yet already.

Hey, Goodell, if all the starters were striking, you'd pay up to get them back on the field. This isn't any different.

Read an article this morning that most of refs are from arena football and a few from the lowest college ranks.

 

[jdb in AZ]

When the calls were so blatantly in favor of the Sea Hawks, makes you wonder if the refs were paid bonuses to throw the game.

 

[hidmickey:myantidrug]

Read an article this morning that most of refs are from arena football and a few from the lowest college ranks.

Telling. Thanks for the 411

 

[AndyLL]

When the calls were so blatantly in favor of the Sea Hawks, makes you wonder if the refs were paid bonuses to throw the game.

Plenty of bad calls both ways. Packers got a TD because of a blown call.

3 millions dollars is what the owners are trying to save. About the cost of ONE player making the veteran minimum.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

NFL Offices
Phone: 1-212-450-2000
Fax: 212 – 681 – 7573

Commisioner’s e-mail:
roger.goodell@nfl.com

Send mail here :
National Football League
280 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017

 

[plyeng2ff]

The best line I hear all day yesterday came from Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes who tweeted “Can someone please tell these f*****g zebras foot locker called and they’re needed Back at work !!!!”

 

[londonderrydisneyfan]

I will never understand how that TD stood up to a review. It was a bad call to make life but considering how fast it all happened I can give the replacement refs a pass for that, but the replay official should never be allowed to officiate a game again.

Now that the outcome of a game has been affected I wonder if the NFL will come to their senses and settle.

 

[sam_gordon]

Has anyone considered that if these refs, however bad they may be, hadn't agreed to step up, there wouldn't BE football to watch?

As some posters have mentioned, if you REALLY want to protest, don't watch, don't go to the games, and don't buy the apparel. As long as enough people are doing all that, why should owners/Goodell care about the griping?

 

[sam_gordon]

I will never understand how that TD stood up to a review. It was a bad call to make life but considering how fast it all happened I can give the replacement refs a pass for that, but the replay official should never be allowed to officiate a game again.

Now that the outcome of a game has been affected I wonder if the NFL will come to their senses and settle.

Right. Because a blown call by a ref has never affected the outcome of a game.

 

[vcunning]

I will never understand how that TD stood up to a review. It was a bad call to make life but considering how fast it all happened I can give the replacement refs a pass for that, but the replay official should never be allowed to officiate a game again.

Now that the outcome of a game has been affected I wonder if the NFL will come to their senses and settle.

I didn't understand how the replay officials didnt overturn that call until this am, but apparently the replay rules CANNOT determine possession, only if it was a catch (i.e. it didn't the ground). I bet the replay officials wanted to overturn the call, but the rule book wouldn't let them. Bad call and incomplete rules.

 

[plutotek]

Watching the first half, I thought we might be in for a decent bit of officiating as I don't recall any extraordinary miscues on the part of the refs, but the 2nd half is as if they were a 3rd team down there and just as the Hawks and Packers made adjustments to their game, so did the refs. Yes, that was offensive pass interference by Rice and no, that was not a touchdown at the end of the game. I like to have them win, but not like that.