Author Topic: NFL Looking for Refs  (Read 79179 times)

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Offline TXMike

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NFL Looking for Refs
« on: June 05, 2012, 04:20:25 AM »
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2012/06/nfl-to-begin-hiring-replacement-referees/1

Wonderful...even our own brethren are buying into the argument that officials can cause player injury.

Offline James

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2012, 05:46:33 AM »
I have injured a player once. Equivalent of JV game here and I was tracking a pass and run as LJ when I collided with a player who had stepped onto the field in excitement. I managed to 'tuck and roll', he landed badly and was out for the rest of the game.
Most of the time I hit players as U (well, I get hit by them), and it is more of a bounce  hEaDbAnG than a crunch, but I had a full head of steam going on that one.

Offline clearwall

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2012, 08:58:33 AM »
Im kind of curious what the refstripes community would do if you got one of these calls? I think i'd be pretty terrified, not because of the enormity of the offer, but because of the repercussions. I mean, after '91, how many of the replacement guys ever got another shot at the league? Did they even get a shot at major CFB afterward? Officiating is such a tight-knit group, I would be worried I'd be blacklisted as soon as this thing got resolved and my shot would be forever...well, SHOT.

Offline HLinNC

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2012, 09:11:54 AM »
Nothing quite like being called "scab" for the rest of your career.  I'm sure there are those that will roll the dice.

For me it's a moot point.  Kind of like planning on what I would do with the Super Duper Powerball.

rickref

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #4 on: June 05, 2012, 09:13:03 AM »
If you aspire to call college you are done if you got in.

Boodle

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2012, 04:58:08 PM »
Guidance from the NFL is that they are looking for officials who have passed the window of opportunity.  They are not considering guys who may still get into college or NFL.  They are interested in us old farts who could still call and not have to worry about the reproccusions of being a scab.

Heard this in a clinic from a guy on the NFL staff.

Online JasonTX

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2012, 08:14:52 PM »
Guidance from the NFL is that they are looking for officials who have passed the window of opportunity.  They are not considering guys who may still get into college or NFL.  They are interested in us old farts who could still call and not have to worry about the reproccusions of being a scab.

Heard this in a clinic from a guy on the NFL staff.

That's what I heard as well.  Retired college officials is what I heard they were after.  I agree with Rickref, your college career would be pretty well done if you go while currently working college.  With as many current NFL officials being college supervisors you'd be axed for sure.

With that said, in reading that article, I was kind of offended by the article quoting the NFLRA as saying that any replacements are basically incapable of officiating at that level.

cincybearcat

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #7 on: June 06, 2012, 11:07:55 AM »
it's all just negotiating in public...I wouldn't take any offense to it

fbrefga

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2012, 04:39:05 PM »
I heard it directly from Ron Baynes that he is tasked with recruiting replacement officials.  He said the league office wants to be prepared in case a strike occurs.  Baynes also said that the games would not be a week-to-week schedule for replacement officials.  He said that replacement officials would be guaranteed eight games.  At $2K per game, the math is easy!

So here is my question:  If you were no longer working college football (or close to the end of your college career) and eight games were guaranteed, would you accept an offer to become a replacement official?  Does $16K with paid travel and a per diem make a difference?

I understand the notion of being labeled a scab, but at what point does one put that aside and say "I got a chance of a lifetime"?

MonsterRef

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #9 on: July 01, 2012, 03:01:58 PM »
Does anyone know anyone who is close to giving it a try? Or accepted the offer.  I wondering what the NFL is offering the guys who cross.

Offline TxSkyBolt

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #10 on: July 01, 2012, 06:25:25 PM »
I know of a former college and UFL Umpire who was hired. No idea what the compensation will be.

Offline Joe Stack

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #11 on: July 15, 2012, 07:44:25 PM »
Quote
the league office wants to be prepared in case a strike occurs.

The NFL has locked out the officials until they reach an agreement, so there won't be a strike. Some would say no difference, but I would bet the NFLRA would probably agree to continue working under the terms of the previous contract. If that is the case and the NFL has refused, the NFL is in the wrong here. However, the NFL is the league and has the right to make their own rules.

As far as how this will work, the NFL is giving assurances to replacement officials that they will be paid for X number of games -- most likely something like 8 and perhaps as many as 10 games. So if the lockout ends, which it probably will sooner than later, the replacement officials will get a minimum amount. On the other hand, this could be a strong indication that the NFL has made a final offer and will stay with that. Plus, since this is a lockout, if the early games don't go well and the NFL wants to make a PR move, they can lift the lockout, invite the regular officials back at the previous rate (like said above), and put the ball back in the NFLRA's court. They would either have to accept or strike. A strike would be a huge PR risk for them.

Bottom line: the NFL is holding most of the cards and the NFLRA better be careful about hoping the replacement officials fail.

Offline Andrew McCarthy

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #12 on: July 17, 2012, 09:53:41 AM »
Plus, since this is a lockout, if the early games don't go well and the NFL wants to make a PR move, they can lift the lockout, invite the regular officials back at the previous rate (like said above), and put the ball back in the NFLRA's court. They would either have to accept or strike. A strike would be a huge PR risk for them.

Bottom line: the NFL is holding most of the cards and the NFLRA better be careful about hoping the replacement officials fail.

If the replacements fail I don't see how that's not good for the NFLRA.  It proves their value.

schube

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #13 on: July 24, 2012, 02:36:28 PM »
There were two guys from our conference that took the call. one has not worked a game in college yet, but got the call. Both are yong guys who still have a lot left in college ball.

Offline TXMike

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #14 on: July 24, 2012, 05:05:00 PM »
Both are yong guys who still have a lot left in college ball.
  Probably not anymore......

Online ETXZebra

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #15 on: July 24, 2012, 05:14:11 PM »
That was certainly true last time!


Offline TXMike

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #17 on: August 06, 2012, 05:01:14 PM »
Looks like the gestapo has decide some of you boys went too far.   :sTiR:

I guess even if you don't seriously have an issue with the replacement refs it is still not accceptable to joke about it?

Anyway...I wish all of them the best. They each made decisions that I suspect they know full well will mean to their futures, rightly or wrongly.  If they do well, it validates  what many of us have said for years..this ain't rocket science.  There are many many officials who could ref well at the major college and pro level who for a variety of reasons will never get the chance.  Sure they will make mistakes but look at last year's Super Bowl and at the NCAA National Championship game and tell me no mistakes were made. 


Offline TxSkyBolt

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #18 on: August 06, 2012, 09:12:04 PM »
Looks like the gestapo has decide some of you boys went too far.   :sTiR:



Oh for crying out loud, this is getting ridiculous.

Offline TXMike

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #19 on: August 06, 2012, 09:33:41 PM »
No doubt they will do this on every game they can...the NFLRA guys are grading the replacements. 
I wonder if this means they will be releasing the League's evaluations of their own guys after they get back to work?
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/06/nflra-lists-officiating-errors-from-hall-of-fame-game/


NFLRA lists officiating errors from Hall of Fame game

 Posted by Mike Florio on August 6, 2012, 6:05 PM EDT
 
And the NFLRA was taking notes.
 
And the NFLRA has now publicized those notes, summarizing the mistakes made by the crew assigned to the Hall of Fame game.
 
“Professional NFL officials are graded after every game,” NFLRA counsel Michael Arnold said in a release.  ”Several of the NFL Referee Association’s officials who grade for Division-I college conferences did a review of the Hall of Fame Game working from a recording of the television feed.  Normally, there would be an opportunity to also view the ‘Coaches’ Tape, which provides two views of every play, but multiple costly errors were still evident.  Numerous errors in field mechanics, game administration and even the coin toss negatively impacted the quality of the game.”
 
The NFLRA then identified 10 significant errors, from the non-call of a Saints touchdown to the failure to flag Cardinals left tackle Levi Brown for holding in the end zone to a failure to call a touchback on a punt downed inside the Saints’ one yard line to a failure to flag a helmet-to-helmet hit on a defenseless punt returner.
 
It’ll be interesting to see whether the NFLRA continues to grade the preseason games in which the replacement officials work.
 
And, yes, the regular officials make plenty of mistakes.  But that doesn’t mean we should ignore the mistakes by the men (and one woman) who necessarily aren’t the best of the best.
 
If, after all, they were among the best of the best, they’d currently be locked out by the league.

ECILLJ

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #20 on: August 07, 2012, 10:46:41 AM »
The NFLRA is opening Pandora's Box. Their public grading of replacement officials is in direct conflict with the professional oath that officials never publicly criticize the work of other officials.

mbyron

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #21 on: August 07, 2012, 12:14:43 PM »
The NFLRA is opening Pandora's Box. Their public grading of replacement officials is in direct conflict with the professional oath that officials never publicly criticize the work of other officials.
Oath? Seriously? Do they have to uphold the Constitution, too?

Offline HLinNC

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #22 on: August 07, 2012, 01:53:37 PM »
No, but it is an accepted tenant of our avocation that we not publicly criticize other officials.    Be they considered scabs, opportunists, or just out kicking their coverage, they are hired by the league to do the job.  Maybe they would have never sniffed at the pro game- we, for the most part,  don't know.  I assume that  Arena league guys at least may have one day had a shot.

When this is settled, and it eventually will be, can you imagine the outcry of the NFLRA if their weekly grades they receive were to be released by the NFL office?  How many times have each of us been crewed with an official we might not particularly care for or didn't respect yet did our best to get through the game unscathed.

I am not and probably never, ever will be a member of the NFLRA so I have no strong opinion about the issue and I understand why they would.  But I do believe in fairness and being even handed.

Were there some awkward moments Sunday night?  Oh yes.  Will I have an awkward moment or two in my first scrimmage tomorrow?  More than likely.

El Macman

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #23 on: August 07, 2012, 07:48:53 PM »
No, but it is an accepted tenant...

Methinks you mean "tenet."

Offline Rulesman

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Re: NFL Looking for Refs
« Reply #24 on: August 07, 2012, 09:28:21 PM »
We will keep this discussion professional. These are replacement officials. No more; no less.
"Gentlemen, we are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will not catch it, because nothing is perfect. But we are going to relentlessly chase it, because in the process we will catch excellence. I am not remotely interested in just being good."
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