The NFL’s replacement referees had a gruesome first two weeks of games, but I’m not sure how much blame they really deserve.
I think the majority of us knew that football player in high school who went on to play at some Division III school. He was the guy who looked helpless when he went against the Division I prospect who played for a cross-town rival. His chances of success were about as good as someone who spends a night at Mondays hoping to not black out.
If you knew that guy, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about when I say the D-I prospect made that guy look—along with a number of other unappealing attributes—slow. Slow and weak.
Even if you didn’t know that guy, you probably understand the point I’m trying to make: The difference between D-I and D-III college football players is massive. The difference in speed and complexity between the two levels is overwhelming. So, if the D-III referees were asked to step in for their D-I superiors, it’s understandable they’d be blown away, incapable of keeping up with a game far more complicated than the one they were accustomed to officiating.
That’s what’s happened with the NFL’s replacement referees, except the league has brought the D-III guys through D-I and straight to the NFL.
It’s a colossal leap, and it’s evident beyond the calls they might have missed these first two weeks. While I don’t think it’s fair to hold them to the standard of the striking referees, the replacements have certainly embarrassed themselves.
Seattle played at Arizona in Week 1. The Seahawks trailed by four during the game’s final minutes, and wide receiver Doug Baldwin was injured on a play that resulted in an incomplete pass. Seattle used its final timeout to tend to Baldwin—something it needed to do under NFL rules. But with 30 seconds left Seattle called for another timeout, and it was granted.
The refs wrongfully concluded Seattle’s previous “final” timeout didn’t count because the play’s result naturally stopped the clock. The Seahawks failed to take advantage of their lucky break, however, and the refs’ mistake fortunately didn’t determine the game’s outcome. Those refs didn’t just make the wrong ruling. They misunderstand one of football’s simplest rules, one that doesn’t require making a judgment call.
Perhaps due to the refs’ lack of authority, it’s evident that the players and coaches know they can walk all over the replacements. It appears players are getting into dead ball tussles with each other more frequently than they would if the referees weren’t so inexperienced.
Further, Yahoo! reported Eagles running back LeSean McCoy told a Philadelphia radio station, “[The referees are] like fans… One of the refs was talking about his fantasy team, [and said], ‘McCoy, come on, I need you for my fantasy [team].’”
Beyond the claims of biased officiating, that kind of behavior shows what kind of position the replacement refs are in. But despite how obvious it is they’re in over their head, I don’t think we’ll see the striking refs back anytime soon.
Scott Van Pelt tweeted on Sunday, “You cannot allow your product to be compromised like this. Period.” I love Scott Van Pelt and would jump off a bridge if he told me to, but I don’t think the NFL will follow his orders quite as easily as me.
After all, the ratings haven’t been affected. The ratings are only slightly lower than last season’s, and the NFL drew its second-highest viewership in 2011 since 1989.
As long as we continue As long as we continue to watch the games and the owners continue to make money, I don’t see their incentive to come off their current stance with the referees union. The owners had to have known the replacements would struggle when they chose not to negotiate with the striking referees. The owners had to have known the product wouldn’t be the same. If they didn’t give in then, why would they now?
The replacement referees will get better as the season goes on, and pretty soon NFL fans will come to accept that they’re here to stay (if they haven’t done so already).
But what if one of the NFL’s elite players gets injured because of the replacement refs? In Sunday’s game between Baltimore and Philadelphia, Eagles quarterback Mike Vick threw a pass off his offensive lineman’s helmet. It bounced backward and hit the ground, resulting in an incomplete pass and dead play. No whistle blew, and the players carried on as though the ball had been fumbled.
While the refs eventually blew the play dead, it still got me thinking: What if a player had been injured on that play? I can’t imagine how much criticism the NFL would receive if one of its stars were lost for the season on an extended play like that. What if Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady or Jay Cutler—just kidding, Jay—tore his ACL trying to recover a fumble in that situation? It might be one of the only ways to bring the striking referees back.
And if they do come back, you can bet the house that fans will continue to bitch about all the bad calls, despite how much better the officiating would be.
Do you think the replacement refs have embarassed themselves? When do you think the referee strike will end? Let Vince know at vhuth@dailycardinal.com
