We’ve been saying this since the pre-season, but after this weekend’s games (and particularly the Monday night junk show that we all witnessed), it’s become more than painfully obvious that the replacement officials charged with policing the multi-billion dollar NFL are in over their heads … and it’s having a very real affect on the quality of the product on the field.
And unfortunately, it seems that Roger Goodell just doesn’t care.
(via denverpost.com)
Last night’s Falcons-Broncos game put a national spotlight on the problem, as the scab officials bumbled their way through an hour-long first quarter, clearly unable to handle the speed or intensity of the game as it unfolded before them. At one point, there was a 6-minute delay in the action after players got into a shoving match on the field after a fumble, and the replacements struggled to restore order (or make a definitive call on the recovery). The scene has been described as “chaotic”, with MNF announcer Mike Tirico finally breaking down and saying, ”Honestly. It’s embarrassing. The command and control of this game is gone”.
Later, the replacements showed their lack of grasp on the pro rule book with a couple of egregious spots. Toward the end of the half, the Broncos were awarded 10 yards for a defensive holding penalty against Atlanta – an infraction that only carries a 5-yard penalty in the NFL (it’s 10 yards in college). In the third quarter, with Atlanta driving in their no-huddle offense, the game was paused again while the officials sorted out the spot on another defensive holding penalty. This one had been incorrectly spotted from the previous spot, instead of the spot of the foul as NFL rules dictate.
So even when these officials ultimately got the call right (with the help of the on-field NFL officiating supervisor), it completely interfered with the flow of the game, rendering it nearly unwatchable.
But it wasn’t just this game. Throughout the weekend, things got chippier than normal for a regular season week two, with players around the league – who had learned what they might be allowed to get away with during week 1 – pushing the envelope even further. And with these replacement refs distracted by trying to get the basic rules covered, there is a lot going unnoticed. Quarterbacks are taking extra hits to the head in the pocket and on slides, defensive backs are consistently holding receivers, and there’s all sorts of extra-curricular activity during and after the play, without any penalty.
As a result, we’re seeing a lot more pushing and shoving between players after the whistle, and it’s only going to get worse. If the games don’t start getting policed properly, there’s going to be an all-out brawl on the field one of these days.
If all of this rings as particularly hypocritical, it’s because the league made a huge point this off-season about how player safety is priority numero uno for the NFL. Goodell even sent a note to all NFL fans, blustering on about how they’ll continue to do everything they can to uphold the integrity of the game:
We will aggressively protect the health, safety and long-term livelihood of our players, both on the field and off. We can preserve the fierce competition that makes football great, while simultaneously committing to the relentless pursuit of safer play.
But apparently, that protection ends when it comes to the officials, who the league only sees as cogs in the wheels of their machine, and are more interested in breaking the NFLRA union then negotiating a fair settlement. And again, we’re talking about a measly $100k per team to fund the proposal the refs are looking for. But because the quality of the officiating hasn’t shown a direct impact on overall viewership (and therefore, revenue), the NFL has collectively decided that it’s not worth it … regardless of how much the quality of play suffers.
After last night’s display, the ESPN post-game crew couldn’t hold back their disdain, with Steve Young dropping the hammer and saying “The NFL doesn’t care … player safety doesn’t matter”:
Here’s the money quote from Young:
“Player safety? Doesn’t matter in this case. Bringing in Division III officials? Doesn’t matter. Because in the end, you’re still going to watch the game … There’s nothing that changes the demand for the NFL. So they want to break the union or send a message to them; they don’t care about player safety. It doesn’t affect the desire for the game. If it affected the desire for the game, they’d come up with a few extra million dollars.”
Now we’ll see if Mr. Goodell actually does care about the integrity of the game and player safety, or if that’s all just talk. His negotiation tactic has failed, and he can’t hide from this any more.
