NFL Told Teams Replacement Refs Will Work Regular Season

[EmpireWF]

That's Tom Coughlin's face after the first wrong call comes his way.

From NFL.com

With opening night of the 2012 NFL season one week away, the league office alerted all 32 teams Wednesday that the season will begin with replacement officials in place, according to a memo obtained by NFL.com and NFL Network.

Negotiations between the league and the NFL Referees' Association remain "deadlocked," according to the memo sent by NFL executive vice president Ray Anderson.

[Hasselbeck]

I'm sure this will end well.

[JeremyHight]

Guaranteed that some useless game like Chiefs vs Dolphins will be determined by a bad call and people will act like its the Hindenburg.

[Aso]

Guaranteed that some useless game like Chiefs vs Dolphins will be determined by a bad call and people will act like its the Hindenburg.

And shit like that does happen. I mean shit, remember the Ed Hochuli call in that Denver vs San Diego game back in '08 I think it was? Bad calls and weird shit happens on a regular basis but once it happens with replacement officials everyone will point that out and say how it's ruining the 2012 season.

[G-men]

Honestly, the real problem with the replacement refs is that they are making dumb, easily reversible mistakes that really shouldn't have been made in the first place. The Giants getting a holding penalty on the guy who was carrying the ball at the time, calling a touchback for the Bills when they clearly touched the ball on the 4 yards line, etc. I think the biggest fuck up was the ref calling a penalty on Arizona, when he was calling a game between Atlanta and Baltimore. How can you be an NFL ref and not know the two teams that are playing right in front of you?

[Derrville]

I dont know. These refs have done about as good a job as the regular refs have done in the past. IE NFL refs suck no matter who they are.

[Aso]

The only thing I've personally noticed is sometimes, something will happen and it takes them 2 minutes to make the call. Like the Raiders game vs the Lions where they didn't know if McFadden scored from the 1 or not. Before the play was challenged everyone was standing around for minutes on end wondering if it was a touchdown or not.

[ram29jackson]

Guaranteed that some useless game like Chiefs vs Dolphins will be determined by a bad call and people will act like its the Hindenburg.

the fact is most of these guys dont know half the rules. I ve heard plenty of discussions on what theyve already had problems with in preseason games and it could get pretty sloppy.

[Villain]

[Diivox]

the most annoying thing about the replacement refs isnt necessarilly the bad calls ; its the fact that they have to take 5 minutes to make every call, right or wrong. they're so chicken shit and obviously overwhelmed (HD TV: you can SEE the stress on the ref's faces) that they have to huddle up and talk about even the most basic calls. This only makes it even MORE infuriating when they get it wrong.

[Warner2BruceTD]

The replacements have made some brutal calls, but the real refs are pretty bad too.

I bet most fans wouldn't even know the difference had they not been told that these are replacements. It's not a big deal.

[EmpireWF]

It's hilarious when the schmucks in the booth are aware of basic rules while guys on the ground in the pre-season take 10 minutes and still get it wrong.



Gimme Carey.

[ram29jackson]

The replacements have made some brutal calls, but the real refs are pretty bad too.

I bet most fans wouldn't even know the difference had they not been told that these are replacements. It's not a big deal.

naaaw dude, experience does/should matter...and these games could last another 30-45 minutes now, who knows ?

[Warner2BruceTD]

naaaw dude, experience does/should matter...and these games could last another 30-45 minutes now, who knows ?

I'm not saying the real officials aren't better, i'm saying the difference is minimal and very few people would notice if they weren't told.

[JeremyHight]

In the NFL, the best thing a referee can do is make the obvious calls that players do when beat. When DE gets past a LT and is tackled to the ground, make the holding call and no one will argue. When a CB is beat and pulls the WR, make the pass interference call. When a QB is about to get sacked in the pocket and heaves it 50 yards away from any receiver, make the intentional grounding call. People expect those calls.

The problem with these replacement refs is that we aren't always seeing these calls. When DBs get beat, hold the WR, and don't get called, they are just going to do it again and again. Same with OLinemen and holding. You have to make these calls.

I'm not going to say the replacements will ruin a game, that probably won't be the case. But they can influence the game greatly by not making the obvious penalties that players intentionally do.