Most of you aren’t familiar with the name Tim Millis. Hopefully, it’ll stay that way.
Millis serves as executive director of the NFL Referees Association, which currently is negotiating a new contract with the NFL. The current deal expires on May 31. According to Mark Maske of the Washington Post, Millis is optimistic that a deal will be reached.
“We’ll continue until we get it done,” Millis told Maske. “Contrary to what I’ve read in some places, we are not at an impasse. Sometimes it takes shorter. Sometimes it takes longer. It’s part of the process.”
Millis seems to be a little leery about the league’s effort to commence lining up replacements. “It’s been done before,” Millis said. “It’s a little earlier this time. If anything made me wonder, it’s the timing of it. . . . [But] we’re still negotiating. . . . I’m sure the action [in negotiations] will pick up.”
Or perhaps the league has made its offer and if the officials don’t accept the NFL will apply the padlocks and move on. If they’ll do it with players, they won’t hesitate to do it with the officials.