Replacement Referees Have A Great Game
If you didn't watch Monday Night Football, you missed out an amazing game. Mostly because of serial missed or flubbed calls by the replacement referees. The last call probably should have been "interception by Green Bay Packers." Instead it was, "Game-winning touchdown by Seattle Seahawks." The entirety of Wisconsin is currently rioting, I hear.
The regular refs are locked out and the NFL owners are playing hardball and using replacement refs. I'll let Brit Hume explain:
Replacement refs doing the best they can. That's the problem. Sort of like President Obama.
Zing!
IowaHawk had the tweet of the night with this brilliant insight:
NFL replacement refs > US news media.
Ken Gardner made me laugh with this one:
Roger Goddell on that game ending play: "it was just a bump in the road." Okay, he didn't really say that.
And RB Pundit says he's found a common enemy:
BTW… if you’re upset with the NFL right now, thank collective bargaining.
Well, or monopoly power.
My condolences to Packer fans. To be honest, I've found these replacement games to be oddly entertaining. I know that's probably the wrong thing to say right now, but there's something so compelling about fiascos.
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Comments:
May '10
Re: Replacement Referees Have A Great Game
They aren't even the 2nd best available. Many NFL officials also serve as officiating supervisors in one of the major FBS conferences. Nobody is going to cross the picket line on his college supervisor.
So, everyone that's left is either Division II, Division III and in some cases, high school.
On the other hand, I'm not all that sure what the lockout is all about. The regular refs seem to be demanding a lot for six-figure part-time employment.
Nov '11
Re: Replacement Referees Have A Great Game
This seems like a terrible crisis.
Let's get the federal government involved! Maybe Roger Clemens can be a ref...?
Re: Replacement Referees Have A Great Game
So I recognize that this was a fiasco, but the announcers and pundits are acting like World War III just started. A bit of perspective, anyone?
Jul '10
Re: Replacement Referees Have A Great Game
I can't comment beyond this because I can't fit 500 obscenities into a 200 word box.
Jan '11
Re: Replacement Referees Have A Great Game
That final drive had another crucial, long yardage pass interference called against the Packers that was, at the very least, questionable. In both that and the final play, the receiver not only should have been called for interference himself, but was rewarded by the bad call.
Now, here's what's going to happen, and it should serve as a lesson in human behavior.
Actions have reactions. Receivers throughout the league saw this game, and several other games this season, and they now know that they can get away with things they didn't get away with before. I've never seen so much pushing off as I've seen this year. This call is going to make it worse.
These referees now have a choice; either they start calling offensive penalties, or they let it continue. If they can't admit incompetence (highly likely), defensive players will retaliate in other ways. Cornerbacks will retaliate when some prima donna wideout pushes off and scores a touchdown. And in a couple weeks, you'll start hearing laments about cheap shots on defense, and they'll bemoan "violence."
If you call the game properly, that violence won't happen.
Jul '11
Re: Replacement Referees Have A Great Game
Here's some perspective. Tens and potentially hundreds of millions of dollars changed hands in a heartbeat as the 3 point spread for a Green Bay win was dissolved in to a Seattle cover. Glad I avoided that as I would have pegged the Packers.
Apr '11
Re: Replacement Referees Have A Great Game
I was on the phone with a Packer fan during the last few minutes of the game. WW III doesn't begin to compare.
Jul '11
Re: Replacement Referees Have A Great Game
Russell Wilson just became the first QB in history to win a game when throwing an interception.
Edited on September 25, 2012 at 6:52amJan '11
Re: Replacement Referees Have A Great Game
I agree that it has been pretty interesting to watch! But I think it only seems as though there are ton more mistakes because of the constant scrutiny. The replacements have been slower at making calls, and the players and coaches have been testing them, but its not as though they have no knowledge of football (were the other 120 officials the only people ever capable of learning how to ref pro games?). The old officials blew calls too.
May '10
Re: Replacement Referees Have A Great Game
Brett Favre just yelled, "Dibs! I thought of that first!!!"
May '10
Re: Replacement Referees Have A Great Game
I knew it was time to retire for the evening when I noticed Packer offensive linemen being retweeted by Josh Trevino and Steve Hayes. Isn't that surreal?
Jul '11
Re: Replacement Referees Have A Great Game
Brady Kiel
Brett Favre just yelled, "Dibs! I thought of that first!!!" · 0 minutes ago
I heard that on TV. I pulled a Biden/Warren.
Re: Replacement Referees Have A Great Game
Not Steve's retweets. He's a Packer fan from way back.
May '10
Re: Replacement Referees Have A Great Game
BREAKING: Chief Justice Roberts rules Russell Wilson's pass is not an interception. It is a tax.
Jun '10
Re: Replacement Referees Have A Great Game
Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle Seahawks highlights
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000066001/Packers-vs-Seahawks-highlights
WK 3 Can't-Miss Play: Seahawks Hail Mary
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000066000/Hail-Mary-for-Hawks
Aug '11
Re: Replacement Referees Have A Great Game
I'm a Seahawks fan and while I'm happy they won, that's not the way I wanted them to win. My emotions are probably similar to those of Marlins fans in 2003 when Cubs fan interference influenced their win - wanted a win without question, but will take it, knowing that the team was not at fault.
Edited on September 25, 2012 at 7:29amSep '12
Re: Replacement Referees Have A Great Game
WWE Raw looked like the less scripted event tonight.
Jul '10
Re: Replacement Referees Have A Great Game
I'd like to know how much money the refs had on the game tonight because I refuse to believe anyone that isn't employed by the federal government can be that blatantly incompetent.
Re: Replacement Referees Have A Great Game
I blame Bush.
Jun '10
Re: Replacement Referees Have A Great Game
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