Round Two: Ripping the replacement refs

[Nick]

Round Two: Ripping the replacement refs
3 hours ago • POST-DISPATCH

QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Have NFL games been adversely affected by the use of replacement officials? If so, in what ways?

JIM THOMAS, Post-Dispatch NFL writer:

1. They're indecisive on calls: Call what you see and live with it.

2. They lack command of the games: On several occasions in the Rams-Redskins game, it looked like the teams were on the verge of an all-out brawl.

3. They're asleep at the wheel: Shouldn't someone have noticed the clock operator mistake in Detroit?

4. They're flat-out blowing calls: It sure looked like Steven Jackson crossed the plane on his 3rd-and-goal from the 1 run in the second quarter Sunday. In a one-score game, that call loomed large all day.

BRYAN BURWELL, Post-Dispatch columnist:

The NFL has a big problem here. As one player said on Sunday after the Rams game, it's a lawless land.

Players know the replacement refs are being timid because they really are unsure what to do.

So instead of making a mistake, they're choosing to do nothing at all and the game is now out of control. One player told me: "These guys are scared to take control and it's ridiculous out there. Dangerous. The league has to stop this."

The integrity of the game is at stake. Player safety is at risk when officials can't control this violent game.

JEFF GORDON, STLtoday.com columnist, writing in his Tipsheet blog:

"Head referee Wayne Elliottand his replacement crew got overwhelmed Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome. They didn’t know the rules. They missed calls left and right.

"Worst of all, they lost control of the game — setting up a 'Thunderdome' scenario as the Rams and Redskins took liberties with each other during and after the play.

"At times, the hapless Elliott looked like a substitute shop teacher trying to break up a classroom hammer fight."

JOE STRAUSS, Post-Dispatch sportswriter:

NFL games have long been "adversely affected" by refs, replacement and regular. Sunday's fiasco at The Ed amplified the narrative. But to suggest the problem ends when the "real" refs return is to suspend reality. There have been wins gifted — and point spreads skewed — by poor officiating for years, including the Chargers-Broncos-Hochuli debacle several years ago.

The replacements have no voice. They're an easy punching bag. Criticism should be focused on the same Commissioner who once proposed an 18-game schedule while pretending to care about player safety. The issue won't end with the return of real refs. But the product will be slicker and the TV timeouts more punctual. Problem solved.

RICK HUMMEL, Post-Dispatch sportswriter:

It actually seems as if there haven't been any colossal mistakes, although I'm sure coaches, especially, have been warned to keep a stiff upper lip.

It does seem, though, that holding is allowed more than normally in interior line play. And the passing game, already prevalent, has become more of a weapon for most teams, leading to higher-scoring games.

KATHLEEN NELSON, Post-Dispatch sportswriter:

Based on my limited sample size, I'd say yes. The Rams had several blown calls in their game yesterday: Jackson in the end zone on what should have been a touchdown; a bad ball spot early in the game that should have been a first down.

And, of course, the news outlets have been happy to put together montages of the officials' errors of omission or commission. So, it would appear so.

MIKE PEREIRA, former vice president of officiating for the NFL, writing in his FoxSports.com blog:

"I'm not saying the replacement refs aren't trying their best, because they are. A look at the average penalties called during Week 2 won't differ much from Week 1, but much of the confusion that reigned supreme came from the replacements just not knowing the rules the way the regular officials do.

"You can't expect replacements to know the intricacies of the NFL rule book in two weeks on the job. It takes years. But it doesn't take long — two weeks — to see this is not working."

[DE_Ramfan]

Before the Rams game I watched the Eagles/Ravens fight.. er.. game and you could see the game just dissolving into anarchy as time went on. These substitutes are too timid to enforce the rules (the ones they can can right anyway) and the players know it. If this keeps up the refs will need to shank someone to get some respect.

[Truck]

It sure looked like Steven Jackson crossed the plane on his 3rd-and-goal from the 1 run in the second quarter Sunday. In a one-score game, that call loomed large all day.

It sure looked like you couldn't tell if his knee or anything was down when he extended that ball across, and even the real refs wouldn't have overturned it once called down.

[Azul e Oro]

No colossal mistakes, Rick Hummel ? Sounds like your head is as hollow as one of your namesake porcelain dolls.

[TorontoRam]

It seems like this past weekend was a bad one for the zebras. I only heard about some of the games and players are starting to speak up, which I suspect is one union NFLPA supporting another one (fill in name of the NFL Refs association). However, the Rams game had its fair share of no-calls and bad-calls. I wonder when, assuming that, the regular refs will be back in the saddle but they won't have four pre-season games to get the rust off.

[ImSorryMr.Jackson39]

The worst part about all of this is that it seems nobody cares that it happened. Being that it was a game that the national media does not care about, nobody seems to have mentioned anything from our game except the jackson TD or that cortland should have been flagged. Nobody mentions the horrible late hit call or the bad spotting of the football etc. It is just a shame that if this would have happen to the whiners and the Lions then this would be all over sportscenter.

[GreatestShow99]

No colossal mistakes, Rick Hummel ? Sounds like your head is as hollow as one of your namesake porcelain dolls.

He's a baseball hall of fame columnist, so disregard him.

[RealRam]

MIKE PEREIRA, former vice president of officiating for the NFL, writing in his FoxSports.com blog:

"I'm not saying the replacement refs aren't trying their best, because they are. A look at the average penalties called during Week 2 won't differ much from Week 1, but much of the confusion that reigned supreme came from the replacements just not knowing the rules the way the regular officials do.

"You can't expect replacements to know the intricacies of the NFL rule book in two weeks on the job. It takes years. But it doesn't take long — two weeks — to see this is not working."

Tempting to leave it here at, "enough said".


The players, coaches, owners all knew there would be "a difference" by using replacement Refs. Now that we see the actual difference in terms of degeneration of officiating, we're all up in arms (along with the media of course). Some players have expressed their frustration as well.

These Refs are rookies, NFL rookies. They too need time to learn from mistakes and BAD mistakes just as rookie players do, learn from the pressure of the fans and the media and, in this case, from the players themselves.

They're working on it. And in the meantime, this is setting up to be a special season[?].

I think it was Macrammer that in another thread said, "you don't lose to the Refs". It DOES happen occasionally (even with the REGULAR Refs) but it is, for now, something we and every team in the NFL has to live with. Again, one can rest assured that all these temporary Refs are going through a great deal of pressure to officiate as best possible. Meetings, studying videos, etc. Admitting mistakes.

It is a crash course.

[Rambos]

Well if you are watching MNF the refs are at it again. This has to come to end soon. The NFL always talks about it's product, well here is one fans telling them this is crap!

The Refs can't get control of games!

[Curly Horns]

Mr. Goodell are you playing the part of a fool?

For the love of the game and the sake of player safety, PLEASE, get this resolved.

If one did not know better he might think you had a bounty out on these players by subjecting them to this complete lack of SAFETY and quality control.

Good God man, at what expense do you intend to prove a meaningless point?

FIX IT NOW!!!

[laram0]

As Charles Barkley would say: TURRIBLE!

[tomahawk247]

The worst thing for me is that when they got Mike Perreira on the show during the Rams and Redskins game, the only thing he talked about was the penalty he said should have been called on Fisher for throwing the challenge flag.

With all the other, more terrible calls, THAT is the one he calls out? COME ON!

[AvengerRam]

I'm beginning to think that the replacement refs believe that the coin flip is not merely the method of determining who gets the ball first, but is also a way to resolve close calls.

[Fettmaster]

Goodell is turning the league into a joke. These bum refs don't need time to learn, they
need to be replaced by the real refs, and never ref an NFL game again.

MNF last night was embarrassing.

[supachump]

Perhaps letters should be written directly to Goodell. I think that would do more good.