Meet next weeks officiating crew! At least this way the NFL will have a good excuse for the stumblin/fumblin/bumblin... Uploaded with ImageShack.us
The size makes them look more like Oompa Loompas than Stooges which made me think...is there an oompa loompa song for this?
I dont particularly love unions but Id rather the NFL give in then watch horribly officiated football games. The best officials arent talked about when people are discussing the outcmes. They make the 10-15 calls a game they have to make and are forgotten about. Thats not to say they dont make mistakes but not some of the egregious ones we have seen these first three weeks. I mean these guys couldnt even officiate a game of Madden correctly.
Yep, heavens forbid people ask to receive the compensation they deserve....especially compared to the performance their replacements are churning out. I've seen about twenty "illegal contact" calls that were actually pass interference. Some happening 20+ yards down the field. Still a first down but a HUGE yardage shift.
I don't think you are. That's why this is such an impasse. IMO The league has the right side of this, which is unfortunate to coming to a solution.
Not to mention that most of these guys have never even officiated at a D3 level. Monday Night for example on that final play, the ref that signaled TD is one of the few that worked a major college game in his life. The ref that signaled TD is actually a BASKETBALL ref! If thats the alternative, just give the regular guys what they want or the product quality will continue to be diminished and the pricetag on credibility will continue to be discussed!
I may be in the minority on this but I don't think the substitute referees are nearly as bad as the media is making them out to be. I'm not saying they aren't making mistakes but the regular officials weren't perfect either. Anyone remember big Ben's fumble in the endzone a few years back that cost us the game? How many threads did we have last year about bad officiating? I think most of the outrage is based on perception and not a significant increase in bad calls.
The issue is that these refs are calling penalties that don't conform to the rule book. When you tackle the WR before the balls gets to his hands it isnt illegal contact.
Its not that bad calls dont happen, they do even with the regular refs. But the regular refs dont miss the easy ones usually. And these guys are missing lots of easy ones. And they dont go asking LeSean McCoy to do well for their fantasy team. The problem is the players and coaches have zero respect for these guys and so every call they make is being contested.
All officials make errors - they are human beings. That said, there is a marked, marked difference between these and the regular officials. The reality is, this is not a "short term" blip or pain (as the league is portraying it), because this is potentially having consequences for the entire season and the eventual champion. A team that gets a couple of bad calls that go the wrong way and leads to a loss or two may miss out on the playoffs (either just barely or it may cause them to reel a bit and lose other games - confidence and momentum can be a big deal in the NFL) or lose home field because of an early season loss. This can make a big difference in the eventual champion - and that has historical ramifications. But, it is what it is and we have to accept it (even if we don't like it). However, I don't like the "spin" the NFL is trying to put on this. Personally, I find it problematic - given the money that the league generates and given the great popularity of the league (it is the #1 sport and league in the states) - that they can't come to an agreement. But, I also recognize there are a couple of issues on both sides that are tough to remedy: 1. The pension money - the NFL wants to get rid of the pension because in our economy pensions become a huge drag and are very expensive. A fair compromise would be to grandfather in those who are already in and go to 401 Ks for those who are newly hired. 2. The rotating group - the league wants an extra crew of officials that do not work certain games and rotate in as replacement. They also want officials held more accountable for their calls. I understand this to a degree. But, I think this would make officials even more reluctant to make calls, more tentative. The officials also see this as a dilution of money distribution. This smacks to me as a strong arming by the league. I think that officials need to be held accountable to some degree; on the other hand, if you are the best, you are the best. At this level, the pressure is very high already and having some job security is important (imo, the league has shot itself in the foot in the past because they have not had full-time officials as MLB does with umpires). It's very difficult to maintain a regular job (as most of these do) and also be at the top of your game on the weekends. But, to get into this full-time and perhaps give up another career requires some greater degree of security and compensation, imo. It is a fine line between fear and security/confidence to perform at such a job. They need a little of both.
Btw, on the crew in the OP - I'll take a group of the 4th one you have pictured at the bottom. I think there'd be more respect on the field.
That is definitely a big issue right now. I think the players are feeding off the media hype and the coaches see an advantage they can exploit. I suspect that if the NFL snuck a regular officiating crew on a game this week, the announcers, players, coaches and fans would whine just as much about every call/non-call.
I don't care who is calling games really. I don't mind unions either. Just make most of the correct calls. The original picture was purely in jest.
I disagree that part-time refs, that are already making an extremely nice salary "deserve" a pension, irregardless of the performance of the current refs. The NFL has offered a significant payraise to go along with the 401K plan, something 90% of citizens would be fine with. Just on principle, I'm okay with a whole year of the replacement refs. I hope the NFL does not cave. screw the damn union.
I think the regular refs screw up as many calls as the replacement refs I get sick of some teams being able to hold all day every game but when the team they are against does anything close to it it's a flag and a first down.
Do you have any idea what the issues in the negotiations actually are, or is this just POFO's special toilet-brew getting out in the general population?
What exactly makes these individuals , "union thugs"? The owners are being paid billions of dollars a year in television revenue. It would cost each team an estimated $100,000 a piece to settle this issue and the owners refuse to settle. If anyone is being thugs in this matter, it is the owners, not the union.
It's true the regular refs do screw up (*cough*Pittsburgh Clemons fumble *cough*)....but that Packers game..that was blatantly wrong.
