NFL 2012 - Drive to Glory

[gblews]

CorporalClegg wrote:

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I honestly don't understand all the attention this is getting and am getting seriously tired of all the indignation. It wasn't any more egregious than the more notorious botched coin flips, push-offs, phantom PI calls, and miss-called non catches of the last 50 years of NFL football.

True enough, the regular refs were human too and sometimes botched calls or missed them. The difference here is the number of times it happens (in particular) and what types of mistakes are being made. If the replacement refs were doing as good a job as the regulars guys, meaning they blow a call every now and then, we wouldn't be hearing anything like what we're hearing now.

It is difficult for me to see one of the regular refs missing the Pack-Seahawks' end zone call.

The hyperbole and outrage of it being the "worst call in history" is just plain stupid. There have been many that were worse--several of which were in late season games or in the playoffs. This was a week three game.

People may be overreacting some, but the reason for that is that the replacement refs are so far, sub par. BTW, it is more the number of botched calls than the type.

People have even called them scabs. The thing is, had they not come to the rescue,

Pretty much the definition of a "scab" -- no? They came in to take over the jobs of the workers who aren't there and have "rescued" the owners.

the NFL would have been facing its second lockout situation in as many years. This would have killed the sport.

The NFL is facing it's second lockout in as many years. Take my word for it; this one won't kill the league any more than the last one did.

This has made these guys intimidated and unsure of themselves, and the whole thing has spun out of control.

What has made the replacements intimidated and unsure is the fact that they are all under trained and inexperienced, a lethal combo, and are trying to perform on the largest stage they could ever hope to perform upon. Blame the owners.

How many of the calls on Sunday were the direct result of coach and or player solicitation?

This is part of the replacements incompetence. Coaches try the same tactics on the regular refs but it doesn't work nearly as well because those guys are trained and experiened.

Don't blame the replacement refs.

The owners are to blame -- plain and simple. Most people are aware that the problem is the owners' lockout of the regular refs.

Partly because of the nature of the game of football, owership has been able to successfully suppress labor at every turn in the NFL. They are continuing that practise with the officials. They don't care what it does to the game because they know WE will always be there no matter what. History has proven them right in this regard.

[tighr]

gblews wrote:

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True enough, the regular refs were human too and sometimes botched calls or missed them. The difference here is the number of times it happens (in particular) and what types of mistakes are being made. If the replacement refs were doing as good a job as the regulars guys, meaning they blow a call every now and then, we wouldn't be hearing anything like what we're hearing now.

True.

Also, the issue isn't just the missed calls, but the absolute uncertainty on the part of these officials. The games that used to take 3 hours are now taking 4 hours, and its all because the officials take too long to decide what they're going to call. I have seen numerous instances of the officials needing to go to replay before even making an official call on the field... which is a major no-no.

[InklingStar]

I can't wait until the real refs return and then blow a big play. The Internet will implode.

[archeryguy1701]

And my biggest issue with the ref situation is how consistently they get calls completely wrong and when they use the review booth and screw that up. As annoying as they are, I can live with missed calls- that'll happen no matter who you have out there. But they are constantly getting calls wrong, and that's just unneccesary. And the review booth screw-ups are even worse. In the NO/KC game, KC had two touchdowns taken away on review that shouldn't have been overturned (they still got the TD on one drive and they got nothing on the other drive). And then there's our new favorite subject from Monday night.

The refs aren't entirely to blame- they're in a situation that they're obviously underqualified to deal with. And the pressure from all sides can't be helping things at all. But, they're screwing up badly enough and often enough that it's impacting the quality of the games.

[Starbreaker]

Twitter is abuzz with information that the realferees will be back by Sunday at the latest. There's a new 8 year deal.

[archeryguy1701]

According to Tim Reynolds, an AP sports writer out of Miami, the union and the league have been meeting for at least 26 of the last 35 hours. The NFL may be claiming that the refs got the call right, but that report, if true, certainly seems to indicate that that game seems to have lit a fire under their asses to get this done

[InklingStar]

archeryguy1701 wrote:

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According to Tim Reynolds, an AP sports writer out of Miami, the union and the league have been meeting for at least 26 of the last 35 hours. The NFL may be claiming that the refs got the call right, but that report, if true, certainly seems to indicate that that game seems to have lit a fire under their asses to get this done

Whether the call was right or wrong, they have certainly been hearing from players, coaches, and especially fans.

[Yoda]

^The call was 100% indisputably wrong, so you can skip the conditional.

Here's a story that'd never happen in the NFL though.

[SmoothieX]

I'm not getting in the way of that one.

[Pegaritaville]

Sounds like the new agreement gives the refs pretty much what they were asking for. A week too late for Packer fans, but I'm glad the real refs will be back.

Of course with the refs being out so long, I suspect they'll be a little rusty. Can't be any worse than the officiating was the last three weeks though.

[Timby]

Pegaritaville wrote:

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Sounds like the new agreement gives the refs pretty much what they were asking for.

Almost, but not quite. The NFL now has the power to hire officials (the number of which can be determined by the league) on a full-time basis, meaning said officials would have to give up their second jobs. Also, any new officials will not be eligible for pensions, but rather will have 401(k) plans, and existing officials only have until 2016 to accrue service time towards their pensions. That last part means the NFLRA made a deal that helps its existing members, but gives a shitty hand to future members (not unlike the new MLB CBA).

[gblews]

This is very interesting. The league is lying if they re trying to tell us that the ridiculous missed call in the Pack-Seahawks game had no influence on negotiations. As of Sonday night, the NFLRA was in the driver's seat.

Weird -- the refs have more labor clout than the players do. I guess that is because, as we have just witnessed, there are way more prople out there who can competently play football than there are people who can competently officiate.

Now we can all go back to hating the regular guys.

[Timby]

gblews wrote:

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Now we can all go back to hating the regular guys.

I'm just looking forward to having Hochuli back on my television.

[Aragorn]

Jim McMahon is suffering from early-stage dementia at the age of 53 and says if he had to do it over again, he'd choose baseball.

[tighr]

Timby wrote:

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Also, any new officials will not be eligible for pensions, but rather will have 401(k) plans, and existing officials only have until 2016 to accrue service time towards their pensions. That last part means the NFLRA made a deal that helps its existing members, but gives a shitty hand to future members (not unlike the new MLB CBA).

My company recently did the same thing to all salaried employees (and we're managment and non-union). All new employees do not receive a pension, only 401(k) with 2% matching. Existing employees are still getting a pension, but they removed company match from our 401(k). Supposedly, this is "competitve" within our industry. I would honestly not be surprised if in a few years, they stop contributing to our pensions. I would be royally pissed if they actually took our pensions away (I don't know that they are legally able to do that).

I'm not saying its right, but it make sense why the officials would concede on that point.