Yet, they seem perfectly fine with trotting out a subpar officiating crew to oversee their fine product while still collecting millions from fans and the networks.=
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And the refs union wants to prevent subpar refs from getting fired.

Pot meet kettle

Might want to look in the mirror while you’re at it

Well said.

I’m sure there are some concerns about safety but it is the players playing beyond the rules that are likely to cause any injury that would not have happened if the regular refs were working.

It seems the union could pressure the players to play within the rules to take care of their own. I think there needs to be compromise to end the lockout and allow the refs to save face. However, the union, as led by Dee is completely disingenuous.

What legal obligation does the NFL owe the players or fans ?

So the theory is: “less bad” > “more bad”

It’s time for a new approach. For starters, the NFL needs to institute a “war room” for game days like the NHL does. Take the on-field refs completely out of the review process. This will speed up the game and all but eliminate botched reviews, like the one in Jets-steelers last week.

The method of “watch play, look for penalty, throw flag, blow whistle” has never evolved. Yet, the players have become much stronger and faster and the offensive/defensive schemes have become much more complex. We essentially have a modern day city built on an ancient infrastructure. In today’s technology driven world there has to be better ways to officiate these games. I don’t pretend to have answers, but it is a fundamental problem that needs addressed with new and creative solutions.

I say the owners are savvy businessmen who are trying not to spend money if they don’t have to. The NFLRA is the greedy one in this scenario…demanding more of someone else’s money.

Testing for illegal performance enhancing drugs (which you would think the majority of the membership would like) – They have flat out stonewalled HGH testing ever since they agreed to to in the CBA. It’s in the CBA and the NFLPA still won’t let the NFL test for it!

Lawsuits – The NFLPA and it’s players, instead of working with the NFL, sues them for anything and everything. We currently have a player petittioning the supreme court questioning Goodell’s authority to suspend him for providing a NONHUMAN urine sample. The sample is not in dispute but he’s appealing all the way to the supreme court to not be suspending for doing so.

If DeSmith wasn’t so successful in creating discord the players might actually see that he is leading them down a path to ruin but half the players graduated college without attending classes.

Nothing that has happened the first 2 weeks has tarnished the game or image anymore then in previous seasons to me. I’m actually watching for the game and not nit picking every penalty call. How about the previous refs (EH who actually cost a team a win on a call.) That didn’t tarnish the image of the game? These are the competent, “we want no accountability” people you want to pay more money and are begging to get back?

I’ve been enjoying the NFL just as much as ever replacement refs or not.

Obviously the NFL has plenty of money to throw around… that’s not in question. What is in question is what is fair for paying guys who work 17 days out of the year. Several hundreds of thousands of dollars along with a pension plan is more than fair…

This one is on the refs. They’re the ones being greedy.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That’s a good one!

It is lost on me how you choose to throw stones while remaining mum onn the situation of your constituents placinb bounties on each other and conspiring to willfilly hurt each other. In fact you continue to fight us on the discipline of the perpetrators.
So drop the sham. The only thing you are interested in is strenthening your position to pilfer what you claim we want….more money.

from what i been reading on pft and others is the locked out officials already have other nice jobs which is the reason they wont committ to full time..why not give the jobs to people who dont already bank at other jobs. why not give the jobs to people who need the money rather than already high paid lawyers, or w.e the profession might be. it would be full time, 6 figure salary for people who need it rather than people who already have it.

Yet, they seem perfectly fine with trotting out a subpar officiating crew to oversee their fine product while still collecting millions from fans and the networks.

Fubar!

I strongly disagree. Just because the NFL is making 6 billion (thanks to the players, owners and fans) NOT the overpaid refs who want no accountability. You really want to give a group of people that bring in absolutely no revenue and don’t want to be held responsible for the mistakes they make every week and game more money?

Maybe if the NFLPA was so concerned they’d give more money to the Retired Players that actually helped build the NFL.