Monday Night Football Brings More Criticism of Replacement Refs

Any win anyone doesn't like is now blamed on the referees

The furor over the work of replacement officials reached a fevered pitch during Week 3 in the NFL, especially Monday night when Seattle beat Green Bay on a desperation pass that many thought was an interception.

Seahawks receiver Golden Tate was awarded a touchdown on the final play after a scrum on the ground in the end zone. Packers safety M.D. Jennings appeared to catch the ball against his body, with Tate getting his arm around the ball.

Comments

[HenryC]

The owners are locking out the Referees in the long term interest of the game. Short term, it certainly hurts the league. The owners want to be able to get rid of the poorly performing referees more easily, and to get a younger, more athletic group to keep up with the players. Both of these are reasonable goals. In the meantime, things stink.

[The Derider]

No, the owners are attempting to eliminate the referees' pensions. This is all about money.

If they were concerned with shitty officials, why would they replace them with this clown crew?

[ant1sthenes]

Because they're willing to suffer a year of shitty amateurs to gain the long-term ability to fire shitty professionals?

[dinkster]

3 days a week for 22 weeks a year @ 80k average yearly salary. Such a hardship.

[The Derider]

Also, props to the byline writer here for their utter ignorance of the situation!

The replacements are so bad, even Scott Walker wants to bring back the union.

[dinkster]

One false dilemma after another.

[Loki]

One hand on the ball != possesion! I'm not a Green Bay fan myself, but I was practically beside self. I don't know how my wife, who is a Packer fan, kept it together as well as she did. That call was un-fucking-believable. As in I literally can't believe the stupidity and incompetence of those buffoons.

[Loki]

*beside myself

[BladdyK]

I don't know. While at first it looks like the defender had the ball, but they both came down with it. If the receiver fights for the ball on the ground and gets enough of the ball, then it's a shared reception and tie goes to the offense.

I just think if this happened last year people would complain just as much as they are now. Now at least they have some excuse to do it.

Also, by the end of the season, these refs will probably be almost as good as the refs everyone hated last year.