The Refs Strike - Do you care?

[MrHat]

I'm reading a lot about how the NFL is insane to go with replacement refs.....but do the fans actually care?

Personally I don't. I feel like I've seen as many missed/wrong calls in the preseason as I did watching the best of best refs try everything in their power to get Greenbay back into the game in the playoffs (to say nothing of them handing the game to Greenbay in the regular season).

I was reading on Giants blog:

From Sam Borden of The Times:

In one National Football League preseason game, the referee announced a penalty with his back to the television camera.

Seen that plenty of times. Lets also not forget how many national tv games where they forget to turn on/off the mic.

In another, an official twice referred to a team from Atlanta as Arizona. That referee, whose previous experience included a stint in the Lingerie Football League, also mixed up which team had won the coin toss

This happened in a PLAYOFF GAME....and how many times have we heard a ref blank out on a team name and just refer to the jersey color?

In another, an official identified a player returning a kick as being guilty of holding, which is impossible.

A ref calling out the wrong number? Never been done before ever...they should be ashamed.


I'm not saying that these refs aren't prone to making more mistakes/missing more calls, but I don't think what was there previously was some well oiled machine. I don't think the league will miss a beat without them, I don't think any of the good teams will be killed off with the new guys, I think the only thing that will be different is when they do the weekly highlights of blown calls like they do every time, some stupid analyst or writer will blame it on the replacement refs
h

[Busyman]

I think eventually the complaints of players & coaches will cause a settlement with the actual refs. THAT will make a different. But I agree with you Hat, I don't think fans will care. Most fans think the refs suck already, so I don't see any increase in the complaints from fans compared to past seasons.

[NickPapagiorgio]

People say they care but honestly does anyone remember that they used replacement refs a few years ago whenever that was? Of course they don't. If it wasn't for people reminding us about that lock out no one would remember, just like no one will remember this in 5 years.

That said, the NFL should just give them what they want. We are talking about peanuts for a multi billion dollar industry.

[MrHat]

While I understand its peanuts I can actually understand the NFLs point on this one. The refs are there for 20-24 games/days....why the hell should they have a pension plan when 75% of full time employees across the US have 401ks?

Yes, sure give them a raise (the NFL supposedly offered between 5-8% - when was the last time you got that?)...hell give them a 15% raise....but I don't see why a part-time gig should have something that most of us dont have.


Oh and this health stuff everyone keeps bringing up is stupid as well. I work with a guy who's a high school track & field and football ref. He was at the Olympic trials each of the last 3 Olympics trusted to determine the fate of who goes and represents this country.... years before it was done in the NFL, high school and college refs were trained to look for and act on concussion related injuries. While certainly there is a much more wide spread knowledge now, they've been doing it for years.

The biggest difference I think you'll see is less flags and some awkward mic/tv moments where they explain what happened. In a year that will be gone too.

[NickPapagiorgio]

While I understand its peanuts I can actually understand the NFLs point on this one. The refs are there for 20-24 games/days....why the hell should they have a pension plan when 75% of full time employees across the US have 401ks?

Yes, sure give them a raise (the NFL supposedly offered between 5-8% - when was the last time you got that?)...hell give them a 15% raise....but I don't see why a part-time gig should have something that most of us dont have.


Oh and this health stuff everyone keeps bringing up is stupid as well. I work with a guy who's a high school track & field and football ref. He was at the Olympic trials each of the last 3 Olympics trusted to determine the fate of who goes and represents this country.... years before it was done in the NFL, high school and college refs were trained to look for and act on concussion related injuries. While certainly there is a much more wide spread knowledge now, they've been doing it for years.

The biggest difference I think you'll see is less flags and some awkward mic/tv moments where they explain what happened. In a year that will be gone too.

I tend to agree that the NFL is probably right regarding the 401k vs pension stuff and from what I understand the refs have agreed to it with the caveat that old refs be grandfathered in which seems reasonable to me.

I also call bullshit on the health related stuff. That is just a smoke screen by the union to try and get the fans on their side. I mean why would a replacement ref mean more cheap shots, etc. If it did the problem lies with the players who would go out and hurt one of their own union members just because they think they can get away with it because the regular refs aren't there.

[anderoos]

Hey. Guys, I'll tell you what. Lingerie, although hidden from the eyes of others, is nevertheless the main attribute of the image of every girl. It is thanks to the leather lingerie set that self-confidence appears, the gait changes, and the feeling of one's attractiveness appears. Guys, I'd love to buy leather lingerie set on MarieMur.com. Who ordered the lingerie sets from this store? It seems to me that they have a large selection and assortment.