Replacement ref furor grows after wild Hawks win
NEW YORK (AP) — The furor over the work of replacement officials reached a fevered pitch during Week 3 in the NFL, especially Monday night when Seattle beat Green Bay on a desperation pass that many thought was an interception.
Seahawks receiver Golden Tate was awarded a touchdown on the final play after a scrum on the ground in the end zone. Packers safety M.D. Jennings appeared to catch the ball against his body, with Tate getting his arm around the ball.
After a few seconds, one official indicated a stoppage of play, but another signaled touchdown for a conclusion former NFL coach Jon Gruden, working the game on TV, called "tragic" and "comical."
Tate clearly shoved cornerback Sam Shields to the ground on the play, but as Gruden noted, offensive pass interference almost never is called on desperation passes.
"Very hard to swallow," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "I have never seen anything like that in my time in football."
One day after New England coach Bill Belichick was confused about a decisive field goal he thought was off-target and Detroit's Jim Schwartz couldn't understand a 27-yard penalty walk-off for unnecessary roughness, things had gotten even more chaotic.
"These games are a joke," Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman tweeted.
McCarthy was measured in his postgame remarks.
"Most unusual football game I have been a part of," he said. "I know it's been a wild weekend in the NFL and I guess we are part of it."
Packers guard T.J. Lang was even more emphatic, tweeting that the Packers were robbed "by the refs. Thanks NFL."
In Sunday night's Ravens-Patriots game, shoving matches followed even insignificant plays. One TV analyst called it the substitute-teacher syndrome: See how much you can get away with before the real thing returns.
"Nature says for us that we're going to go out there and push the limit regardless," Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway said. "If they're calling a game tight, if they're calling a game loose, it's going to be pushed to the limit. You are pushing it to the brink. If things are going to be called easier, and in some situations I feel like they've been less lenient, too, you've just got to play and see how (it's being called)."
If you can figure it out.
Broncos coach John Fox was fined $30,000 Monday and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio $25,000 for verbal abuse of the officials during a Monday night game against Atlanta on Sept. 17.
More fines are likely for Belichick and Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, and perhaps for others.
Fox and Del Rio were hit for their sideline histrionics, particularly when Fox was told he couldn't challenge a call of 12 men on the field — he was correct that he could challenge, although replays showed the Broncos were guilty.
Before grabbing the arm of an official, Belichick wanted to know why Justin Tucker's field goal was called good in Baltimore's 31-30 victory Sunday night. He couldn't tell from his angle on the sideline, he said.
"So when the game was over, I went out and I was really looking for an explanation from the officials as to whether the play was under review," he said, "and I did try to get the official's attention as he was coming off the field to ask that, but I really wasn't able to do that."
Most confusing was the mark-off for a Lions penalty in overtime at Tennessee. Officials wound up penalizing Detroit from its 44-yard line rather than from the original line of scrimmage, the Titans 44.
Soon after, Rob Bironas kicked a go-ahead field goal.
Schwartz noted that the alternate official who helps the replacements with administrating penalties was on the Detroit sideline.
"We said, 'You're enforcing it from the wrong spot.' He was adamant that they weren't doing so," Schwartz said. "At that point, we just needed to play."
They didn't play well enough to avoid losing 44-41, and Titans coach Mike Munchak wasn't apologizing for how his team won.
"I don't feel any guilt," Munchak said. "For us, really the obvious answer is there's nothing we can do about who's officiating games. It's the same for everybody, so go out and don't get caught up in all that."
The league and the officials' union met Sunday without reaching any agreement on ending the lockout that began in June. The players' union also called on the 32 team owners to end the lockout because it is compromising the integrity of the game.
While most of the coaches are being careful what they say about the replacements, the players and broadcasters are less inhibited.
"Unfortunately, I feel like that it's like changing an intersection from a stop sign to a red light," Browns kicker Phil Dawson said. "You have to have so many car wrecks before they deem that intersection to be dangerous enough — and we're heading that way. Someone's going to lose a game, if it hasn't already happened, to get both sides to a pressure point to get a deal done. It's sad."
Certainly not holding back on the criticism are some of the NFL's broadcast partners. Analyst Cris Collinsworth was forthright in his evaluation of the officiating problems Sunday night, as were Mike Tirico and Jon Gruden during last Monday night's flag-fest in Atlanta.
"We don't want to talk about the officials, trust us," ESPN's Tirico said. "But it's affecting the game. When we meet with teams and coordinators, frustration boils out into limited on-the-record statements. Off the record, what guys are saying — it's a nightmare. It is impacting the game.
"It hasn't burned a team to cost them a playoff spot yet. But you should go back and watch the film. There are so many little things that players are getting away with that is absolutely impacting the game to the detriment of the product."
Yet some players aren't completely down on the performances of the replacements.
Patriots receiver Deion Branch noted all the controversy about officiating throughout the league.
"But I think the bigger picture is that we've all got to understand that, hey, they're making those calls on both sides of the ball," Branch said. "Us as players, we need to remove ourselves from what the refs are doing and just go out and play our game."
Rams defensive end Chris Long offered, apparently with no sarcasm, that the game "hasn't changed at all with the replacement officials because officials don't care about defensive linemen, replacement or first-tier officials."
Then he admitted taking the regular officials for granted.
"The NFL could really use them back," Long said.
Seahawks receiver Golden Tate was awarded a touchdown on the final play after a scrum on the ground in the end zone. Packers safety M.D. Jennings appeared to catch the ball against his body, with Tate getting his arm around the ball.
After a few seconds, one official indicated a stoppage of play, but another signaled touchdown for a conclusion former NFL coach Jon Gruden, working the game on TV, called "tragic" and "comical."
Tate clearly shoved cornerback Sam Shields to the ground on the play, but as Gruden noted, offensive pass interference almost never is called on desperation passes.
"Very hard to swallow," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "I have never seen anything like that in my time in football."
One day after New England coach Bill Belichick was confused about a decisive field goal he thought was off-target and Detroit's Jim Schwartz couldn't understand a 27-yard penalty walk-off for unnecessary roughness, things had gotten even more chaotic.
"These games are a joke," Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman tweeted.
McCarthy was measured in his postgame remarks.
"Most unusual football game I have been a part of," he said. "I know it's been a wild weekend in the NFL and I guess we are part of it."
Packers guard T.J. Lang was even more emphatic, tweeting that the Packers were robbed "by the refs. Thanks NFL."
In Sunday night's Ravens-Patriots game, shoving matches followed even insignificant plays. One TV analyst called it the substitute-teacher syndrome: See how much you can get away with before the real thing returns.
"Nature says for us that we're going to go out there and push the limit regardless," Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway said. "If they're calling a game tight, if they're calling a game loose, it's going to be pushed to the limit. You are pushing it to the brink. If things are going to be called easier, and in some situations I feel like they've been less lenient, too, you've just got to play and see how (it's being called)."
If you can figure it out.
Broncos coach John Fox was fined $30,000 Monday and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio $25,000 for verbal abuse of the officials during a Monday night game against Atlanta on Sept. 17.
More fines are likely for Belichick and Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, and perhaps for others.
Fox and Del Rio were hit for their sideline histrionics, particularly when Fox was told he couldn't challenge a call of 12 men on the field — he was correct that he could challenge, although replays showed the Broncos were guilty.
Before grabbing the arm of an official, Belichick wanted to know why Justin Tucker's field goal was called good in Baltimore's 31-30 victory Sunday night. He couldn't tell from his angle on the sideline, he said.
"So when the game was over, I went out and I was really looking for an explanation from the officials as to whether the play was under review," he said, "and I did try to get the official's attention as he was coming off the field to ask that, but I really wasn't able to do that."
Most confusing was the mark-off for a Lions penalty in overtime at Tennessee. Officials wound up penalizing Detroit from its 44-yard line rather than from the original line of scrimmage, the Titans 44.
Soon after, Rob Bironas kicked a go-ahead field goal.
Schwartz noted that the alternate official who helps the replacements with administrating penalties was on the Detroit sideline.
"We said, 'You're enforcing it from the wrong spot.' He was adamant that they weren't doing so," Schwartz said. "At that point, we just needed to play."
They didn't play well enough to avoid losing 44-41, and Titans coach Mike Munchak wasn't apologizing for how his team won.
"I don't feel any guilt," Munchak said. "For us, really the obvious answer is there's nothing we can do about who's officiating games. It's the same for everybody, so go out and don't get caught up in all that."
The league and the officials' union met Sunday without reaching any agreement on ending the lockout that began in June. The players' union also called on the 32 team owners to end the lockout because it is compromising the integrity of the game.
While most of the coaches are being careful what they say about the replacements, the players and broadcasters are less inhibited.
"Unfortunately, I feel like that it's like changing an intersection from a stop sign to a red light," Browns kicker Phil Dawson said. "You have to have so many car wrecks before they deem that intersection to be dangerous enough — and we're heading that way. Someone's going to lose a game, if it hasn't already happened, to get both sides to a pressure point to get a deal done. It's sad."
Certainly not holding back on the criticism are some of the NFL's broadcast partners. Analyst Cris Collinsworth was forthright in his evaluation of the officiating problems Sunday night, as were Mike Tirico and Jon Gruden during last Monday night's flag-fest in Atlanta.
"We don't want to talk about the officials, trust us," ESPN's Tirico said. "But it's affecting the game. When we meet with teams and coordinators, frustration boils out into limited on-the-record statements. Off the record, what guys are saying — it's a nightmare. It is impacting the game.
"It hasn't burned a team to cost them a playoff spot yet. But you should go back and watch the film. There are so many little things that players are getting away with that is absolutely impacting the game to the detriment of the product."
Yet some players aren't completely down on the performances of the replacements.
Patriots receiver Deion Branch noted all the controversy about officiating throughout the league.
"But I think the bigger picture is that we've all got to understand that, hey, they're making those calls on both sides of the ball," Branch said. "Us as players, we need to remove ourselves from what the refs are doing and just go out and play our game."
Rams defensive end Chris Long offered, apparently with no sarcasm, that the game "hasn't changed at all with the replacement officials because officials don't care about defensive linemen, replacement or first-tier officials."
Then he admitted taking the regular officials for granted.
"The NFL could really use them back," Long said.
So all the commentators, NFL players and coaches are concerned about the integrity of the game in the NFL and feel the call last night is negatively impacting it. I have some news for you folks. You canât impact something that doesnât even exist. There hasnât been any integrity in the NFL for a very long time.
Itâs a show people. Itâs a twisted knock off of the WWF. Itâs a spectacle. Engineered to draw people to the stadiums and spend their money. Itâs a bunch of performers performing for the crowds while being paid by a bunch of owners who have too much money and want more.  No better. No worse. It stopped being a sport a long time ago.
But getting back to last night.
Where was all this uproar and indignation when the refs handed Pittsburg the title and Jerome Bettis (I have nothing against Mr. Bettis) a going away gift in Super Bowl XL, and screwed Seattle. Â
Nothing
Crickets. Thats what. Â And that was with âThe regularâ refs.
So maybe the problem isnât with the guys in the stripped suits, but rather with the rules. Â Or maybe itâs the constant tweaking over the years by the NFL, in their never ending quest to create more excitement. Â Or the fans, who think they have been cheated in some way if there isnât at least 60 points scored on the field, thereby enforcing the NFLâs believe that they need to tweak the rules some more.
Karma is a b----h NFL. Â So to all you talking heads on the Eastern Sports Promotional Network (ESPN) and all you whiners across the country, stick it! Â This is exactly what we all deserve.
Signed, a Green Bay fan.
Fact of the matter is there were many bad calls on both sides of the ball. If the call would been on the other shoe hardly anyone would notice. just Like the JJ of the plowboys  had wine and get a fine against us for a legal hit people can't stand to see us win. On to next week our defense with 8 sacks ruled. New refâs please .
See my post in this thread on why the Seahawks lost Superbowl 40...
http://www.komonews.com/sports/Seahawks-stun-Packers-on-final-play-14-12-171088351.html
Yes, as a Seahawks fan, I am disappointed that they lost that game, and I don't like the way they won this one, but teams should play to win. Teams win by overcoming adversity.
Anyway, here are my additional thoughts on the game:
1. Jeenings should've just batted the ball away where no Seahawk receiver would catch it.
2. Seattle's offense should not have committed too many costly penalties that kept Green Bay in the game.
3. There should've been better play calling on the Seahawks offense as well. As I said in the other thread, they only have scored five touchdowns (if you take away the game winner) this season - tied for 5th worse in the NFL so far.
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I for one have no problem with how the call turned out. Although I don't like the replacement refs, I am happy to see the arrogant NFL starting to take it in the shorts. However, people are easily blaming the replacement refs for a horrendous call, which it was, but I don't think it is unthinkable the same call couldn't have been made by the actual refs.Â
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It is easy to see in slo-mo instant replay that the call was blown. However, this ref didn't have the luxury of seeing the play in slo-mo. He had to see it in real time and in real time it probably wasn't as cut and dry. Then you get the argument that the ref had the ability to overturn it under the replay for the score. However, the rule is that the simultaneous catch call is a subjective judgment call and therefore not reviewable. So regardless if this was the replacement ref or a regular ref, he wouldn't be able to change that call regardless after looking at it in replay.
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Then the question is asked why did the head ref go with the TD call over the INT call? That question is easy to answer. If you see the replay, the ref that called the TD was on the same half of the field and next to the play at the goal line corner. The ref that called the INT was on the other half of the field in the back corner of the endzone much farther away from the play. So the person closest to the play is justifiably seen as the person with the best view of the play. Therefore the head ref should go with that call. All of this could have easily happened with the regular refs. It's not like the regular refs had a track record of making bad, game deciding calls that screwed a team.
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I am good with the call because I think with the poor officiating in the game, both teams were awarded an undeserved TD. The GB TD drive had a phantom 3rd down pass interference call on the Seahawks that would have forced the Packers to punt and Rodgers was clearly short of the first down on his run. The replay clearly showed his knee touched before the ball reached. That would have led the Packers to kick a FG vice running it in for a TD. It would then only require the Seahawks to play for a FG to win. I am at peace that Karma took place.
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And to those Packer fans complaining that Seahawk fans should be ashamed of claiming this victory; you should be ashamed not to admit that our defense wiped the field with the Packers throughout the game and because of bad ref calls, got you the lead in the first place. Stop whining and move on. Teams get screwed every week and every year.
 @UWGrad_96 http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/signals/13Â
Here is the signal
 @UWGrad_96 The signal the other ref was giving was a "play over" or "incomplete pass" signal. NOT an INTERCEPTION signal. One guy was saying stop the clock basically, and the other was saying touchdown. They were not calling different outcomes to the play.
 @educated I don't disagree with you. I am just going by what the media pundits on ESPN and NFL Network are saying. And they are saying he is signaling an interception. So if they are saying it, then they are giving the perception to the viewers that he is signaling an interception.
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I think they are interpreting that signal for an interception because the referee wouldn't use that signal unless he was saying that the play was something other than a TD. If he were agreeing that it was a TD, then he too would have signaled TD. However, if he was to accurately signal an interception, he would have given the touchback signal. He should only give the stop clock signal if it were an interception in the field of play and he were tackled.
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But, since the media is saying he is signaling and interception, I will go along with it. That is what the viewers believe.
 @UWGrad_96  @educated I saw Gruden and all those analysts say that also. They are wrong, and have repeatedly shown they do not know the rules. The waving the hands means end of play.  Could mean interception or a host of other calls, but as the official NFL site shows, it simply signals end of play.  All analysts it seems are motivated to attack these refs.  And granted these refs are not good, and clearly messed up on other calls. But this one they got correct, at least by the rule book it is correct.
If this would have happened to Seattle no one would have cared outside of Seattle. It's just because beloved Green Bay got screwed that everyone is up in arms... oh no... poor cheese heads.
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In the end it doesn't matter. Seahawks WIN.
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Have the same outcome but the Seahawks are in GB and win the game. You want to talk about a riot. I'm sure the refs are given a police escort off the field.
Finally! Redemption from the Steeler-Hawks Super Bowl. Â I am so sick of hearing how the Steelers cheated, that they should not have won that game.Â
Hey Hawk fans!!! What's you're excuse for that pitiful play last night? You guys cheated? The refs blew it? You got lucky? Just ask me...I've been hearing all your lame excuses since the Steelers went on for that S.B. win.
How's it sounding in your ears this time around?!
Oh yeah, I know...last night was different. Right!
The game happened the way it did. How can you say the Seahawks cheated. Did they bring in a ringer of a player or did they use stickem on their hands. As hard as it is for you to swallow this the Seahawks don't control what the refs call anymore than the Steelers control the refs in their games. Talk about getting over it. Maybe you should look in the mirror.
 @Steeler fan Cheated? How old are you, 5? The refs made the call, the Hawks didn't. Lame excuses for the SB? Ha... didn't you read how the Ref 5yrs later went to the media and apologized for botched calls? The single worst call in NFL History was the call on Hasselbeck. He throws an interception into the end zone and tackles the Steeler with the ball. Only to be flagged for an illegal block. WTF?????????? Game shifting call right there. If you are confused read it here: http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/20856/sorting-through-referee-bill-leavys-apology
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Take your SB title and be a man!
 @Steeler fan Why are you crying you baby? You won the Superbowl... why are you even here?
 @Steeler fan I'm a hawks fan and actually I turned the game off with one minute to go, so I missed the controversy. Yet I did see the blown calls the continued the drive for the packers allowing them to score. It would have been a hollow victory for either team
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 @Steeler fan Cheated..how the hell did we cheat. It was a horrendously called game all around. We happened to get the W from a very questionable call at the end...like about 15 others throughout the game going both ways....speaking of football..How is feel to lose to the Raiders...HAHAHA
Two blown calls that gave the game to the Seahawks. Green Bay has reason to be quite upset. The Seahawk's offense played terrible except for the 1 catch by Tate for a TD. They had no business winning the game. Green Bay outplayed them in the 2nd half.Â
You mean terrible as in 8 sacks in the first half for GB?
 @HallandOates Doesn't matter, Seahawks win. On to next weeks game.
 @HallandOates The #1 QB in the league had to settle for two field goals and one rushing TD, Rogers should be blamed for this loss. The NFL should be blamed for the bad calls.
@Ducky @HallandOates Not so much Rodgers as the offensive line. A high school line could have protected Rodgers better in the first half than the Packer line. 8 sacks.
I wonder if the reaction to the blown call would have been as big of a deal had it happened early in the game.
Has gotten to a point where the NFL is now a complete and total joke..
This is not the union typical situation at all. The authority when these interstate teams can't conduct their trade and there are no negotiations actively pursued would be the Senate. With union refs, those few personnel just don't have the gas of UAW or some entity like that, so to apply force, they may want to look at a structured oversight from the real governing body in arbitration. Senate is required to provide it, or any other reasonable assistance. If the players demand Senate involvement though, it's quite likely that the Senate would demand a stop work scenario. This blather is in the event no compromise is reached.
Yes, it may be a hard pill to swallow. But I seem to remember a REALLY bad call that may have well changed the outcome of the Superbowl with Steelers and 'hawks. I mean there are rules about simultaneous possession etc. but I don't REALLY think Tate had that either. But, the call is the call, the game is the game. IT's not like it WAS the Superbowl, and it could be the 'hawks who have a questionable call cost them the game, next time, althought I really hope not.  Smokin' hot the first half, lets keep it up the whole game next time!   They reviewed it, they called it a TD .. maybe they saw something we didn't.Â
 @casey42 The Super Bowl was fair and square. The Seapigeons lost it and it had NOTHING to do with the refs. I swear every game you all lose is because of the refs. Let me guess.... You would have went 19-0 last year if it wasn't for the refs...
Ok, time to move on and go back to work. You can take that black arm band off now.
@PackersCougsBravesSounders @casey42Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â NFL referee Bill Leavy acknowledged he made mistakes in the Seattle Seahawks' 2006 Super Bowl loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers
 @PackersCougsBravesSounders At the end of the day, in the record books, it's a LOSS for Green Bay and a WIN for the Seahawks. That is ALL that matters, so take your crying elsewhere. The game is over. On to next week.
 @PackersCougsBravesSounders  @casey42 You know, I'm sick and tired about hearing about the Superbowl, too.  Yup, the refs blew a call.  However, the Seahawks had MANY chances to win that game outright and blew them all.  So who's fault is it again?
@stamperzann @PackersCougsBravesSounders @casey42 I'm with you there, Stamper. I watch that game too and if the Seahawks had actually gotten something more than a 3-and-out in the 3rd quarter, Hochuly [sp?] botched call wouldn't have been necessary. I'm a lifelong Seahawk fan, but we needed to play better that day.
 @PackersCougsBravesSounders  @casey42 Cheese heads 1-2...Blames the Refs.
@PackersCougsBravesSounders @casey42 I'd assume your opinion wasn't biased if you weren't a packers fan...
 @PackersCougsBravesSounders  @casey42 Packers.... let us hear you whaaaaaaaaa = )
Its good to see the NHL refs finding work. So are they allowing the football players to scrum or is that still not allowed in the NFL?
After an hour of speechlessness, I have come away with this much about tonight's game.
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I have been a Seattle Seahawk fan literally since Before Game One. I have a photo of my 11 year old self standing between Jim Zorn and Jack Patera [Seattle's first QB and Head Coach] taken the May before the first Seahawk training camp. It's been a long 36 years for all of us.
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Tonight I watched the most EPIC defensive game I have EVER watched my beloved Teal and Green play, and I've seen most of them. Just looking at the statistics and not knowing the teams involved, you'd think this was a game between the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers... in 1958. In almost every category the 'Hawks matched the league's MVP offense down-by-down, play-by-play in front of an national audience. Russell Wilson looked great, Marshawn Lynch got most of his yards with three yellow helmets wrapped around his legs. This could have been the coming out party for the New Look Seahawks, a return of the Blue Wave.
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And anybody is going to talk about tomorrow is how the zebras buggered up the last 8 seconds.
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So, thanks for nothing NFL! Again.
 @svensson I couldn't have said it any better. You are spot on. The Seahawks' defense was smokin' hot, especially in the first half. EIGHT sacks! And the strength of Marshawn Lynch's hard-fought yardage was daunting.
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But now, all those efforts are swallowed inside the controversy of the JV refferees. Sad.
Begin to fine the ref's for the indecent calls.
Nope this was another Replacement Ref mess - Browner and Jennings should have been ejected from play for the rough and tumble fight, then the refs handed Green Bay a Touchdown when the receiver had his foot out of bounds before he broke the plane, THEN they don't call Offensive Pass Interference on Tate when he slammed Shields in the back before wrestling the ball out of Jennings grip when they hit the ground. The slow motion replay doesn't lie. I would like to see the Hawks win, but not like this. Their defense in the first half was fearsome, but the offense's 3 and out repeats were wearing them down.
@Smokin Bear agree, yes. 100% It's a win in the category, but it won't be remembered for anything other than the last few seconds. I don't remember the players getting this rought and tumble before the replacement refs, but I've seen some really bad calls from the regular refs too ...
@casey42 = Thank you. Yes, the union refs have made plenty of bad calls but not like this. I only mentioned the highlights of the bad calls but the entire game was peppered with them and sadly, people will not remember how well the Seattle defense played throughout the first half.
Bust those unions!!!
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Yes, I'll make this political. Â We have seen the incredible failure over the last couple years from greedy wingnuts who do not want to come to the table to compromise and negotiate in good faith. Â CONGRATS Repubs! Â You are heading towards a landslide loss that we haven't seen in decades! Â Stand with the wealthy, step on the middle and working class, all in hopes of acquiring more and more wealth. Â How's that working out for ya?
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Point? Â NFL owners think they can pull the same type of Scott Walker/John Kasich/et al, and power grab. Â Nope. Â Nice try! Â Owners will be caving in...3.....2......1............
I knew somebody was going to turn this into a political speech.
@seattleways I'll admit I'm confused about what the issue is for the refs. Rookie refs come in at $75,000 a year for 30 hours of work a week. The senior officials make $200,000 for 40 hours of work a week. Yes, they could be paid more but it goes against what you're saying because then they would be greedy and pursuing so much wealth.
 @seattleways We have another left wing union thug folks. Yep save America bust a union.
 @CrankyPanky Nope.  Perhaps just stopping the attack on working and middle class Americans will do your party good. Â
@seattleways @CrankyPanky You are right, this is NOT a strike by the refs, it is a LOCKOUT by the NFL. Well, it is bitting them on the ass bigtime. $100,000 per team per year is what it would cost if the NFL gave into every demand. That is less than 10% of the poorest paid players salary. For that they are jeopardizing the integrity of the game and a multi-billion dollar business. When coaches challenges are thrown, 80% are reversed. What does that tell you.
@CrankyPanky
and they will. Â Once Repubs take an awful beating they will throw the tea party rancor that controls the party to the wayside and modernize. Â It was a party I used to recognize and be a part of. Â But not the current extremist Republicans. Â
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NFL refs want to negotiate their contract. Â They want to compromise. Â Relate that entirely to public employees and our middle class. Â STOP the attack. Â Wake up.Â
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Replacement refs are not the problem -- bad calls happen even with the best of refs -- part of why sports are popular, controversy sells.
 @Thedudeabides Not these type of bad calls.  These are quickly becoming (either in perception or reality) the norm.  And the NFL is taking it on the chin with their reputation.  And for what?  Official refs want a raise.  The nerve!