OK, here is my view. Although it is a game, a high stakes one at that, it is still a game. After watching three weeks of as many games as I can, I made the statement to my wife last night that if and when the Professional Referees (which there are none) come back to the game, it will get boring.
I make that statement about the Professional Referees because whenever someone does a story about one, he does something else full time as his profession, or retired from a full time profession or has the liberties of that profession to be able to follow his passion for the game to call the games. Even at that, I do not say they don’t strive to do their job in a professional manner, which they and lots of other part time people do.
So there you have it, they are out on strike because they cannot get a pension for a part time job? Let’s get real now. Maybe some of them do nothing else, but I would wager they also have retied from a professional career just the same.
What we have here is some other refs of lesser experience of the quickness of the big leagues were called upon to keep the game going while the dispute is negotiated, and eventually it will be negotiated. Just as we do in racing, everyone loves to get the new guy official because he is not going to see or know all of the details that teams pull to gain the advantage. This is no different in that the players and the coaches are using the inexperience, and to some degree the intimidating factor, of all of a sudden being in the big leagues while not under the guidance and leadership to train under the “Professional Referees”.
The bottom line is that everyone is gaming the situation and it is mostly just the same as political theater and professionals just gaming the game. As I said, when they come back, it is going to be boring. What is the alternative, no games at all? What about all of the people who derive their livelihoods on the games going on? The players, coaches and staff will all get paid, the only ones who would suffer are the other part-timers, fans and advertisers and their employees. I’m sure there are more but that was just off the top of my pointed little head.
I see every coach and many players using their inexperience to intimidate these stand-ins because they know they can intimidate them. When these stand-ins are under the tremendous pressure they are, they will make mistakes and that is just human nature.
So I say to the NFL, get off the pot and negotiate in good faith with the regular refs and quit the stupid game of one upmanship. Good grief, if it is for the integrity of the game, you can afford it. The refs work extra hours to do the games because they love the game. The players and coaches love the game, the fans love the game as well as all those who profit monetarily. So do the right thing and cut the part timers in on the game as well. The brand of the NFL is suffering all the while you are nickel and dime stupid issue to begin with just to show how strong you are.
So there you have it, they are out on strike because they cannot get a pension for a part time job?
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Agree! Most of the union covered NFL refs have/or had other jobs. Why are they making an average of $70k a year for doing their work at 16 games (that’s $4-5k per game) and, if they are graded well, more games into the playoffs with an even higher pay per game.
The BIG question is: Why are NFL field officials even unionized? .......Doesn’t that just open the door to union corruption in the gambling industry, by impacting the games’ outcomes through crucial calls on the field?