The National Football League is lowering its standards by allowing replacement refs to officiate the games. The Birds benefited from having the replacement refs this week. The offensive pass interference penalty which was called on Jacoby Jones to negate a touchdown catch would have been unlikely with the regular refs, but who knows what kind of calls will be made in the future. If the Birds lose a big game because of the refs, Eagles fans are going to be furious.
If a call costs a team a playoff appearance or championship, it will hurt the credibility of the league because everyone will know that this could have been avoided. The fans will assume that the regular refs wouldn’t have made that mistake.
Too many of these refs have a fan mentality rather than that of a professional. Eagles running back LeSean McCoy says one of the refs from Sunday’s game had fantasy football on his mind on Sunday.
“They’re like fans, kind of though, McCoy said. I’ll be honest, they’re like fans. One of the refs was talking about his fantasy team, like “McCoy come on, I need you for my fantasy,” ahhh, what?!”
The Eagles Pro Bowl running says the replacement refs are easily intimidated.
“During the game, they made like a bad call or something, the ref, and I see Ray Lewis like pump his chest up, trying to scare him,” McCoy said. “Don’t you know the ref started stuttering. I’m like what’s this?”
There was also a referee who was going to officiate a New Orleans Saints game, but the league found out he had a Facebook page which showed how much he loved the Saints. Fittingly they dismissed him from the game, but I wonder if there aren’t other replacement refs, who are big fans of other teams.
I think, as of right this minute, Eagles fan is pretty happy about the replacement refs, as they took away a Balt TD on a pretty ticky-tac call, and then completely missed Vick’s intentional grounding on the 2nd last play.
Go replacement refs!
The issue with the replacement refs right now boils down to influence. They’re clearly being influenced by players and coaches.
The MNF game was a prime example. On Ryan’s slide, he was hit…maybe a little late…not egreious. No flag. Whatever…judgement call. He gets up doing the whole – waving his arm in the ‘throw a flag’ gesture. Flag comes in – really late. Later, the refs call pass int, and some Indy D are upset that the ball was tipped. It was, but that defender was crawling all over the guy before that…I have no clue how that was reversed….but I think it may have had a lot to do with the Indy players and coaches in the refs face.
Which brings me to another point.
I don’t think the players or coaches (coaches especially) are acting responsibly/professionally in this situation either.
The new refs are learning – it was expected. But on many occasions I now see coaches running right onto the field (happened 2x on MNF) screaming at the refs…on the field. Its not professional at all. They’re attempting tointimidate these new refs (and its working). “Homer” calls have been evident in several games (and the Eagles’ benefitted from one of them).
Give these new guys 6 games, and it will be a non-issue. They’ll be fine. But in the meantime, I think the NFL should send out a memo ordering their coaches to lighten up a bit.
Besides, are we that excited to rush back to the reg refs? The ones who threw the Pitt/Sea super bowl (Bill Leavy apologizing afterward)? The ones who last year called a backwards pass on Vick that was clearly forward, Walt Coleman, Ed Hoceli more concerned about flexing on tv, tuck rule.
Go to “refssuck.com” and click on 2008, 2009, 2010 and you’ll see that these issues rear their heads, regardless who the refs are.
There you go Gotta Luv it…is that better?
1. and then completely missed Vick’s intentional grounding on the 2nd last play.
You still still took a shot…LMFAO…but it’s cool
LOL. Here’s what Gregg Easterbrook (of TMQ on ESPN), and whom I like to read, said of the replacemtne refs (oh…and he does bring up the Vick int grounding – but I swear I just read this after my own post….
“Replacement Officials Update:
At the 2-minute warning in Philadelphia, Eagles on the Ravens’ goal line, officials ruled that Michael Vick fumbled as he attempted to pass, Baltimore recovery. After a review, replacement officials corrected their ruling to incompletion — which was right. The Nesharim scored the winning touchdown on the next snap.
But Vick should have been flagged for grounding. He was within the pocket, trying to unload the ball under tackle, and there was no eligible receiver in the area. The replacement zebras seemed so concerned with whether the arm movement was a pass attempt or a fumble that they forgot about grounding. Had grounding been called, Philadelphia would have faced third-and-goal at the 11 rather than at the 1. TMQ thinks this is the first replacement officials mistake that (probably) affected the outcome of the game. One must say probably because if grounding had been called, there’s no telling what would have happened next.
The NFL Referees Association is angry about an NFL offer that would raise officiating salaries to an average of $189,000 annually for part-time work. The NHL union is angry about an offer that would reduce the current player average of $2.4 million to a mere $2 million annually.
Yes, many NFL and NHL owners are ogres, and none should receive public subsidies. But the framing of the disputes — unions claiming to be working-class victims versus plutocrats — is 50 years out of date. A hobby that pays $189,000 a year; a child’s game that pays $2 million a year plus leads to celebrity. The people offered these deals are angry and feel ill-used?
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AP Photo/Jens Meyer
Replacement officials have offered to sign long-term deals in return for their own savannah.
The replacements’ worst call Sunday occurred in the Dallas-at-Seattle contest. As noted by reader Tyler Kenealey of Dallas, early in the fourth quarter, Golden Tate of the Bluish Men Group made a vicious peel-back helmet-to-helmet hit on Boys linebacker Sean Lee. Edge defenders are considered “defenseless” if they cannot see a blocker approaching from their blind side. Zebras threw a flag — which turned out to be unnecessary roughness on Dallas, for a defender lightly pushing a Seahawk out of bounds. Tate wasn’t flagged. “That is completely ridiculous,” Fox announcer Kenny Albert said. He was right. “
Why does everyone forget that DeMeco Ryans was also robbed of a touchdown on his interception.
Why do you keep saying that? Ryans rolled into a Ravens player on the ground, then got up and started running. Down as soon as he contacted the guy, regardless if the guy actually tried to touch him or not. It was the right call.
LOL!!!! You are such a moron.
“Well, if it was in the newspaper it must be true.
When are you going to come up with an independant thought that you haven’t palgerized from the local paper.”
You new name is “Coles Notes” – Vinnie the Evicted, Clown Prince of GCobb
If you are going to say Philly benefitted from the replacement refs you need to rememeber Baltimore did too when they whistled Demeco Ryans Pick 6 dead for no reason….
Let’s not forget the several times that Vick got pancaked by a defender taking multiple steps after the ball was released and you can see the ref in the backfield looking downfield instead of at the line and Vick. With reg refs, Baltimore would’ve eaten several roughing the passers calls they got away with.
Ummm….Maybe…didn’t I read about 8 million posts last year complaining about how the Refs weren’t treating Vick fairly last year.
Didn’t Vick himself say the same thing in a press conference?
The idea that the regular refs would have called more roughing the passes calls than the replacment refs is most likely incorrect.