A brief message of thanks to the NFL’s replacement referees…
…as we get set to watch tonight’s game, to be officiated by the real ones. And yes, I know, my team was the victim of the worst call ever. Still. The replacement refs were thrown into a situation they weren’t ready for. They probably could be ready someday – with proper education, training, starting at the bottom and working upwards while sharing the job with other, more experienced referees. But they weren’t yet.
But that’s not their fault. Bottom line: without referees, there’s no game. No football.
Betcha there’s a whole bunch of NFL owners out there now wishing they’d gone that route – the no football route – instead of hiring replacements. No football might’ve shined a far more negative light on the real referees. Hiring replacements…
…well, the replacements didn’t exactly help the owners’ negotiating position, did they?
Speaking of which, maybe the regular referees should be thanking the replacements, too. Without the Fail Mary play Monday night, they might be sitting home watching football again this weekend, instead of officiating it.
“No football might’ve shined a far more negative light on the real referees”
How would that reflect badly on the union-referees? They wanted to work while negotiating their new contract, but the owners are the ones who decided to lock ‘em out and go with the amateur-referees instead.
You might note my use of italics on the word “might’ve.” It might also have gone against the owners. My point is, the way things went, it DID go against the owners, so maybe they wish they had tried something different instead.
I could see people blaming the refs if they went out on strike, but I truly don’t understand at all how the owners cancelling games would reflect bad on the union refs who wanted to work. How could the NFL spin that to shift the blame?
Tho I agree, I think they now wish they did try something different than using these replacements….like agreeing to this deal before the season started. :P