The lockout of NFL referees seems to be at a stalemate, and
not beneficial for any side of the equation. The NFLRA is distraught with the
contractual changes the NFL has proposed because it strips the referees of
benefits for their families that have been promised to them. The NFL, who doesn’t
seem to be losing any money or sleep with the situation, is not making any
moves to prompt conversations. The players and coaches are thoroughly upset
with the issues of the replacement ref’s and their effect on the outcome of
games. Fans at home are disappointed with the product on the field, the delay
in game-play, and complete blown calls throughout these past two weeks. The media
personnel may be the only beneficiaries to this difficult situation, as
journalists and executives are using the Twitter sphere to poke fun at the
referees.
It is clear after only two weeks of the regular season that
there are major issues to be assessed with the replacement officials. I don’t
believe the NFL ever anticipated the learning curve associated with stepping in
to the position. It seems they thought anyone
could be a referee, and they underestimated the talent level of their current
officials. As they continue to take more criticism and Roger Goodell fails to
make a big move, the integrity of the league suffers.
It’s entirely possible that it will just take time for the
replacement referee’s to adjust to the many rule differences between the NFL
and collegiate football, and they will soon start to make calls quicker and
more efficiently, continuing to reduce their errors as well. Unfortunately, the
possibility is all too likely that the NFL officials will continue to holdout
and not return for a significant amount of time, if not the whole season. If
that’s the case, we’ll just have to hope the replacements don’t make the
drastic mistakes that determined the outcomes of numerous games so far. They’ll
have to tighten up their restrictions to keep the game safe for its players,
and still exciting for its fans.
@hzedeck
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