NFL Replacement Refs

[WoVeU]

Ditto Spence...much like the player-owner showdown...again hard for me to find anything other than apathy for a bunch of people who have a better gig than I do! I just want to come home and watch a game. The talk is getting out of hand before, during, and after the game! Especially during, replacement ref talk (along with owner criticism and how pro the real officials are) during the pro game is now like watching college football and listening to all the talk about conference realignments and the wonderment that is the SEC!

[WoVeU]

The thing that would be nice would be to have the Head Official come out and put the heat back on the announcers and say look if you think you can do a better job, then put on the uniform, come out here and call the game, then you will really see how easy it is! My Jr. and Sr. year in high school I umpired Little League.
Usually I called the bases and a more senior umpire called the plate. One game the plate umpire did not show up and they got a coach from the 6-8 y/o division to umpire the bases and I was asked to call the plate. The managers and coaches from both teams had seen me umpire before and they were ok with me calling the plate, in the 1st inning two women started riding me in the 3rd inning I had enough from them. I called time out walked to the back stop in front of them and started taking off my shin guards then I looked at them and said since you two ladies think you can call this game better I invite you to come out here and me and my partner will sit in the stands and razz you. They both declined and I said good now you have a choice sit here and watch the game or if I hear another comment I'll have to ask you to leave the ball park. I had so many people come up and tell that was a great way to handle that situation. Of course Little League is a lot different from the NFL.

I don't know if little league and the pros are all that different...cam Newton said there was real good money in both. Not like the College Game, but still really good!!!

[donovan]

Donovan I understand your view point. However, to say these replacements refs are not part of the problem or John L Smith is without blame in regards to the Arkansas situation does not hold water with me. They have to have some culpability in both cases.

Were these replacement refs put into a bad situation? Yes
Are they in over their heads? It appears they are
By making terrible calls and affecting the outcomes of games are they not to be held accountable for their mistakes? According to you no...but I say they should be.

Same with John L Smith. He is not the only one to blame. The blame must first be directed at Bobby Petrino. If he does not hire his mistress then he is on the sideline at Arkansas and they are at worst 3-1 right now. But he screwed up. The blame should also be placed on AD Jeff Long for hiring John L Smith as interim coach. But to say that John L is without blame is just silly. Is it all his fault? No But he is certainly not without blame.

I agree with you Doss, plenty of blame to go around and certainly John L. has to be responsible for his actions and remarks. If he is not competent as a coach at this level, that is another issue and he has to take that responsibility, but as you point out, the core problem was not caused by Smith, who was a temporary fix....he just didn't do that, no matter how temporarily you define temporary.

[Vileborg]

Arizona got an extra down against the Eagles.

First down the Cards run for 9. After the play they were penalized 15 yards for a personal foul making it 2nd and 16.

Second down the Cards run for 7 yards making it 3rd and 9.

Third down the Eagles sacked the QB for eight yard loss. There was a holding penalty and the refs backed them up marking off the penalty from the original line of scrimmage while the Eagles are trying to send on the punt return team. The head coach goes out and talks to the refs about it and they fix the ball back to the sack yardage but leave it on third down. They couldn't explain to the refs that it should be fourth down and finally were FORCED to take the holding penalty and replay the down. Arizona scored on that drive. It didn't affect the outcome that much but it shouldn't have happened.

[Derek]

The thing that would be nice would be to have the Head Official come out and put the heat back on the announcers and say look if you think you can do a better job, then put on the uniform, come out here and call the game, then you will really see how easy it is! My Jr. and Sr. year in high school I umpired Little League.
Usually I called the bases and a more senior umpire called the plate. One game the plate umpire did not show up and they got a coach from the 6-8 y/o division to umpire the bases and I was asked to call the plate. The managers and coaches from both teams had seen me umpire before and they were ok with me calling the plate, in the 1st inning two women started riding me in the 3rd inning I had enough from them. I called time out walked to the back stop in front of them and started taking off my shin guards then I looked at them and said since you two ladies think you can call this game better I invite you to come out here and me and my partner will sit in the stands and razz you. They both declined and I said good now you have a choice sit here and watch the game or if I hear another comment I'll have to ask you to leave the ball park. I had so many people come up and tell that was a great way to handle that situation. Of course Little League is a lot different from the NFL.

I don't know if little league and the pros are all that different...cam Newton said there was real good money in both. Not like the College Game, but still really good!!!

And don't forget about Cam Newton's Dad's Church.

[Dossenator]

I found someone that loves that the NFL had replacements refs up until last week: a $5 bet paid him over $700,000 dollars. http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nfl--repla ... 5-bet.html