Replacement refs: The story the NFL wants to keep quiet

[Ruhskins]

From Bill Simmons' mailbag today. It was sad and funny at the same time (about replacement refs):

Q: Can you create a "Bad Officiating Crew League" next year? I call dibs on the Falcons-Broncos crew … wait, I want the guys who did the Rams-Skins game. No wait, I want the Ravens-Eagles crew. Actually, just flip a coin for me.
—Brian Lang, Philadelphia

SG: We briefly tried to figure out the BOCL before realizing it would be too hard to keep track. To do the league right, you'd need categories like "Number of times the home team's fans chanted that you sucked," "Number of flags you meekly picked up while pretending that it never happened," "Number of times the announcers knew the rules but you didn't," "Number of near-melees that threatened to become the biggest brawl in NFL history" and "Longest and most interminable delay between the thrown flag and the resolution of that flag." Either way, I'd pick the Rams-Redskins crew first in any BOCL draft — they looked the other way as the Rams were doing everything short of hitting Robert Griffin III with two-by-fours.

[Counter-Tre]

This is your ol' pal Counter-Tre with one of the replacement refs at the Saints vs. Skins game.

[NC_Skins]

That sir is awesome...lol



(with the glasses on, you favor Dan Snyder)

[Mechanix544]

Originally Posted by firstdown

I think you have that backwards. The longer it goes the better they will get and more of a chance for the NFL to tell the real ref's to go pound sand. I thought they did a pretty good job. A few non calls but I actually like the fact they let them play a little more not calling everthing they see. The one holding call they missed was the worse thing they did and even the announcers said that's an easy call to miss.

Originally Posted by Mechanix544
yes, last night wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, but that doesn't excuse it being absolutely putrid. I make a projection that after these scabs ruin a couple games through week 2, week 3 we will see Hoculi and his cohorts back on the field not calling holding penalties for Orakpo. Mark it down, these replacements wont get any better, they will only get worse as time goes on, and the outcry for the real refs to return will soon be a huge talking point in every medium of sports media.

The refs are getting worse. Now they are nervous, cause everyone is taling about them, looking at how bad they are calling these games. I have a feeling we will see alot of calls that shouldn't be called overreacted to moving forward, in a futile attempt to have some measure of control on the field. All they are going to do is piss players, coaches fans, and ultimately the NFL off. The real refs will eventually get their deal.

[NC_Skins]

https://m.nflplayers.com/articles.as...on-Ref-Lockout

MEMORANDUM

TO: Owners of NFL Teams

FROM: NFLPA Executive Committee

DATE: September 20, 2012

RE: Your Lockout of the NFL Referees and the Negative Impact on Football



The NFL Players Association Executive Committee is calling on you to end the lockout of our referees. We believe there is substantial evidence that you have failed in your obligation to provide as safe a working environment as possible.

Your decision to lock out officials with more than 1,500 years of collective NFL experience has led to a deterioration of order, safety and integrity. This affirmative decision has not only resulted in poor calls, missed calls and bad game management, but the combination of those deficiencies will only continue to jeopardize player health and safety and the integrity of the game that has taken decades to build.

As we predicted and explained to you weeks ago, the removal of the veteran officials from regular season games left a group of your replacements who have proved to be incapable of keeping pace with the speed of the game. Coaches and players have complained of numerous errors and failures including: erratic and missed calls on egregious holds and hits, increased skirmishes between players and confusion about game rules. Many replacements have lost control of games due to inexperience and unfamiliarity with players and rules.

The headlines are embarrassing: a scab working a game despite having been on the payroll of one of the teams, another who was assigned to referee a team he publicly supported on Facebook, and one who is a professional poker player when you propose even more stringent player rules on gambling.

It is lost on us as to how you allow a Commissioner to cavalierly issue suspensions and fines in the name of player health and safety yet permit the wholesale removal of the officials that you trained and entrusted to maintain that very health and safety. It has been reported that the two sides are apart by approximately $60,000 per team. We note that your Commissioner has fined an individual player as much in the name of “safety.” Your actions are looking more and more like simple greed. As players, we see this game as more than the “product” you reference at times. You cannot simply switch to a group of cheaper officials and fulfill your legal, moral, and duty obligations to us and our fans. You need to end the lockout and bring back the officials immediately.

We are all men who love and respect this game and believe that it represents something beyond just money. For our teammates, our coaches and our fans who deserve better, vote to end this lockout now.

Sincerely,



Domonique Foxworth, NFLPA President

Charlie Batch, NFLPA Vice President, Pittsburgh Steelers

Cornelius Bennett, NFLPA Former Players Board of Directors Chairman

Drew Brees, NFLPA Vice President, New Orleans Saints

Brian Dawkins, NFLPA Vice President

Scott Fujita, NFLPA Vice President, Cleveland Browns

Matt Hasselbeck, NFLPA Vice President, Tennessee Titans

Brandon Moore, NFLPA Vice President, New York Jets

Jeff Saturday, NFLPA Vice President, Green Bay Packers

Mickey Washington, NFLPA Former Players Board of Directors Member

Brian Waters, NFLPA Vice President, New England Patriots

Benjamin Watson, NFLPA Vice President, Cleveland Browns

These ****ing moron owners are holding out for $60,000 (per team)?? Are you shitting me?...lol

[ArtMonkDrillz]

Wow, I'm watching the Oakland vs Pitt game and you should see the ridiculous helmet-to-helmet/launching with the head/defenseless receiver call that was missed on the field. The ref was standing right there and totally missed a Steelers defender absolutely obliterate DHB, who is now being carted off the field.

These stupid F's are going to get someone seriously hurt.

[mooby]

Originally Posted by ArtMonkDrillz

Wow, I'm watching the Oakland vs Pitt game and you should see the ridiculous helmet-to-helmet/launching with the head/defenseless receiver call that was missed on the field. The ref was standing right there and totally missed a Steelers defender absolutely obliterate DHB, who is now being carted off the field.

These stupid F's are going to get someone seriously hurt.

It just might be DHB, the announcers just said it's a potential neck injury. I commented more on your post in the ATNFL thread though, but I'm just gonna copy/paste that here:

Originally Posted by myself; Around the NFL week 3 thread

Yeah, they could've gotten him for helmet-to-helmet or hitting a defenseless receiver on that one. Sometimes it feels like they are just standing there enjoying the experience too much to pay attention. Like the Steve Smith-Corey Webster wrestling match the other day where the ref stood right next to them and did nothing, it's ridiculous. I didn't think they were as bad this week as they were last week, but that's not saying much. They still aren't nearly as good as the regular refs.

[Mechanix544]

After no flag on that DHB hit, and that letter being made public, Id wager we'll see the replacement refs back either next week or the week after. This has got to stop.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

Anyone else think that when the real refs come back they are going to be BALL breakers?

[SouperMeister]

Originally Posted by TheMalcolmConnection

Anyone else think that when the real refs come back they are going to be BALL breakers?

They need to be. How is there no flag on the Heyward-Bey hit? Helmet to chin, and he was out cold before he even hit the ground. Somebody is going to get seriously hurt with these clowns calling games.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

Originally Posted by SouperMeister

They need to be. How is there no flag on the Heyward-Bey hit? Helmet to chin, and he was out cold before he even hit the ground. Somebody is going to get seriously hurt with these clowns calling games.

Agreed. Just think that Ed Hochuli might literally rip out someone's throat if they mouth off!

[mooby]

Originally Posted by TheMalcolmConnection

Anyone else think that when the real refs come back they are going to be BALL breakers?

Yup. But they have to be, because the players need to be reigned in.

[GridIron26]

Absolutely love NFLPA's letter

[Ruhskins]

I think one of these days we're going to see a fight break out like the Artest brawl in these games.

[BigHairedAristocrat]

Originally Posted by Ruhskins

I think one of these days we're going to see a fight break out like the Artest brawl in these games.

Yeah... Between the coaches and the replacement refs.