Enough is enough

It looks like Joe and I are a little crabby in our columns today.

I am also fed up with the off-the-field negotiations that effect on-the-field action in the professional leagues. As Joe stated, the NHL decided to fit in with the other leagues and go into a lockout of their own. The NBA and NFL have thankfully compromised with their players and we won’t have to worry about another fiasco for ten years.

But, there is still an agreement in a professional league that has yet to be resolved. The NFL referees. Yes, those guys.

They aren’t too happy with the amount of money they are receiving from the league. I guess even they get a little hardheaded because of their professional status. But in all honesty, it’s all a load of crap.

NFL fans came into this year jacked. A new season with no lockout, high-profile players moving to new teams, top-class rookies coming into the league-- oh hell yeah. It seemed to be a very exciting year in the making. Well, so far, it’s been decent except those backup zebras running around the field.

They’re awful. Straight up terrible. Absolutely horrendous. And it’s time for the league to send these wannabes back to where they came from, settle something with the refs, and make the experience for the fans and players the way it should be.

The reasons why the league should come to terms with the referees is simple: the NFL is loaded. Coming off record revenues, give the people who make the game safe a raise. And that’s the main issue, right? Player safety?
After so much discussion of safety and changing rules to make the game safer, the league brings in replacement referees who have no idea what these new rules are. They were trained, yes, but experience is the key.

It’s not like college officials weren’t brought up to the NFL. No, it’s a bunch of random people who’ve officiated a few times in their life. One dude used to ref six-man football in Nebraska. The only player safety concerns there are making sure all the corncobs are cleared off the field. And now he’s in the NFL? Pathetic.

The Monday night football game between the Broncos and Falcons saw a scuffle that took several minutes to break up. Refs need to take control of those situations, but no 300-pound lineman is going to listen to some replacement guy. The league needs the right officials back. It’s bad for them, the players and the fans.

Another example was in the Eagles-Ravens game. As Michael Vick was being tackled, he threw the ball and it came up short of his intended receiver. A 13-year old girl that is “seriously in love” with Justin Bieber could have told the audience it was a forward pass. But no, the refs had to review it to make sure it wasn’t a fumble.

Stuff like that just makes the game a lesser experience for fans, players and coaches. Just get rid of these guys already.

Does Roger Goodell really want a primetime game being decided by a blown call from a replacement official? Does he really want a quarterback getting a concussion because a linebacker feels he can get away with more now?
The NFL is the most popular league in America. Money will never be an issue. Maintaining player safety and keeping team organization members happy is the issue. That cannot be done with these amateurs calling the shots on the field.

Roger Goodell: Do everyone a favor and take some money out of your billion-dollar account and put it into the greedy hands of the real referees. America will be a happier place.