Yes, the replacement refs do suck, but so did the old refs. Hopefully the replacements will suck consistantly across the league, and will hopefully improve to call a good game across the league.

Soon, the regulars will be a distant memory…they’d be wise to give in to the NFL, who holds all the cards.

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It would be better if the refs weren’t major factors as they only become major factors when they make mistakes.

The problem isn’t just money though, you knew that right? The NFL wants to hire more referees and make some of them full time. This would allow for better training and allow them to hold bad refs accountable.

The replacement refs do not bother me at this time. The preseason is the time to make mistakes and improve. Rookies usually improve. Vets not so much. We know the veteren refs screw up plenty of games. Maybe the rookies, once they become veterens, will be better than the current veterans. Experience is only gained on the job.

If the veterens want to maintain their jobs, not through being the best, but by making sure noone else can join their exclusive club and making it difficult to hold them accountable for their mistakes, are they really the best? or are they just killing time till retirement and their pensions kick in?

Do you enjpy making up your own “facts”?
The airline stuff you spouted about the replacement ATC was a pure, bald-faced lie.

He’s right there was an increase in air crashes in 1982 and 1983. A quick search of us plane reveals that. The causes are at issue you can find that info yourself.

If the end result of having a season officiated by the replacements ends up being that the quality of the game is lowered, that a disproportionate number of games are affected by poor calls or that player safety is compromised, Goodell should be held accountable for it and he himself should be replaced.

Do you enjpy making up your own “facts”?
The airline stuff you spouted about the replacement ATC was a pure, bald-faced lie.

I don’t think the NFL wants to settle the labor dispute. I think they feel they will be better off with new refs who will “see” the game the way the NFL wants it to be.
If you can replace the Air Traffic Control workers with scabs you can replace NFL referees. The bottom line is that the NFL will do whatever they please and the fans will adjust to it. They may moan and groan but they will still support the NFL. That’s a fact so you might as well learn to live with it.
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You realize that there was a noticeable increase in airplane “accidents” and deaths as a result of the Air Traffic Controllers being replaced, right? The effectiveness of the entire air traffic control system was worse in comparison to pre-replacement controllers for years after that happened.

This, students, is called union busting. They chipped away at the players last year, they’re chipping away at the officials this year, and you know what? NFL franchises are going to make an absolutely unbelievable amount of money. Like they do every year.
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Those are all good things.

Sometimes I forget there’s an actual game going on, what with all the reviews and conferences and long winded explanations of penalties… when did the refs become such a huge part of the game?

Let the players play and call the obvious stuff.

A true union worker would not walk onto a job site and work side by side with scabs.

It just goes to show you that the players hide behind the facade of unionism only when is benefits them.

I said all along that the NFLPA is not a union, it’s an association of independent contractors, and this situation makes my point for me.

The real NFL refs already blow calls every game and effect the outcomes, as you indicate with your Hochuli example. Why should the replacement refs be held to a higher standard?

The other refs will get better. NFL crowed about revenue for a couple of years and now everyone has their hands out.

Players: Want more money
Refs: Want more money
Cities: Want no taxpayer money to stadiums and bigger slice of pie in taxes on ticket sales.

People always talk about owners greed, but it looks to me like they are not the only ones who are greedy.

1. The ref’s (locked out ones) earn income from other sources so they’re not as desperate as some of players last year.

2. EVERY bad call made by the replacements will be under scrutiny. God forbid a ref blows a game on a non-reviewable call (ie. Ed Hochuli Chargers/Broncos game)

3. Locked-out ref’s would be wise to dig deep on the background of these replacements and bring to light any sort of shadiness that would question the integrity of the game.

4. Both players and coaches, whether vocal or not, back the locked-out ref’s and can add more fire bad PR against the NFL.

Bottom line NFL = consequences > rewards