25 Sep MNF Disaster in Seattle in Brings More Calls to End NFL Lockout of Refs
If you were building a bridge, would you hire a work crew with a few hours of metal shop on their resumes, or trained and certifiedย Iron Workers? Would you go into surgery with someone who only has a CPR certificate, or a real doctor with a medical degree?
If youโre NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, or one of the 32 NFL team owners, youโd go with the newbieโat least it seems that way, given their decision to lock out professional NFL officials and instead use untrained, unprepared and in over-their-heads replacement referees.
Just look at last nightโs disaster in Seattleย where, according to 99.9 percent of the football world and the video tape, the refs absolutely blew a last-second callย thatย cost the Green Bay Packers a win over the Seahawks. The replacement refs threw 24 flagsโsome for nonexistent penaltiesโwhile missing obvious calls in a game they had no control over.
Ironically, the actions of the โClueless in Seattleโ replacement refsโmost of their experience has been in small college, minor league or high school footballโhave spurred even notorious Wisconsin anti-union Gov. Scott Walker (R) and Republican vice presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to call for the end to the lockout.