After watching the debacle in the NFL Monday Night Game, one might think I still agree with I blame the refs and in this instance, I think I do, but in general, the job done by most officials is just fine.
The NFL replacement ref catastrophe is about the same as if you were to use my blog as your investing authority. I get some things right, but I am certainly no authority, and if you asked me a direct question (and could get me to answer), you most likely would get some less-than-stellar advice. On Monday night, we saw what happens when Management assumes that all workers are interchangeable, whereas the NFL assumes that High School can replace their officials (who are incredibly closely scrutinized)
Officials (since the University and College officials refused to act as scabs for the games).
Assuming life that: I don’t need an expert’s advice on this, I’ll just ask Big Cajun Man or my Uncle Fred for advice, is very dangerous. Yes, you might get good free advice, but it is not very likely. Deal with a trusted professional if you are building a house or in another instance. Are all experts always correct? Nope, that is why you need to find someone whom others trust (i.e. people who are trusted by people who you trust) to get expert advice.
What might happen if you don’t? You might have an Interception called a Touchdown, causing $250M worth of bets to change on one very badly officiated play.
Oh, Roger Goodell and Gary Bettman are ruining their businesses to want to be right (IMHO). You are helping Conan O’Brien get some good material, mind you:
The only obvious mistake on this play was not calling offensive pass interference on the shove. However, “real” refs routinely fail to call similarly egregious shoves on Hail Mary plays. Football experts disagree on whether simultaneous possession applied on this play. The only thing we can be reasonably sure that “real” refs would have done differently is that they likely would have talked so that they both gave the same signal. But they could easily have decided it was a touchdown.
The most serious problem the replacement refs had was that everyone expected them to fail and they blamed every call they didn’t like on the refs.
I agree somewhat, and that there are just as heinous calls made in previous years, but the fact that the “Replay Ref” from the NFL agreed suggests if there is blame it is spread much wider than just the replacement refs.
That video is hilarious. As you probably know, it didn’t take but 48 hours for the NFL to reach an agreement in principle with the old refs.
Lost in the brouhaha are some salient points:
One of the reasons for the lockout was the refs’ union’s insistence that an incompetent referee cannot be fired or replaced. That’s good?
Goodell is the fall guy. It’s not his lockout, it’s the owners (his bosses) who insisted on it.
Many seem to be forgetting: the old refs are not perfect either. That’s why they got replay, and that’s why replay continues to expand its scope.
In the game, Green Bay’s vaunted offense didn’t score a touchdown, controversial or otherwise. Did they deserve to win the game? I’m not so sure.
Agreed, your points are on target. Goodell is definitely the fall guy here, the old refs have made AS HORRENDOUS calls in their time, but the NFL did get their Taxi Squad wish too.
I keep hearing about the refs losing their pensions in 4 years, but the deal is for 8 years, so I must look into that more.
You are asking a Vikings fan (from the days of Bud Grant and Joe Capp) to comment on the Packers offense? They could have used the Golden Boy in that game!!!