Replacement Refs a Work in Progress

Overall, I still say the replacement refs are doing just fine. I know they’ve had some screwups the past couple of weeks, but the idea that they are ruining the game just doesn’t hold sway with me.

Looking at various sites like ESPN, Deadspin and PFT it’s clear they are trying to put pressure on the NFL owners to cave and do whatever it takes to get the locked out zebras back. I still say this is a fantasy.

I do still believe that the replacement refs will figure things out and there will be peace unto the land. Stuff like erroneously awarding reviews and miscounting timeouts are fixable issues. I’ve seen some rumblings that coaches are trying to intimidate them to get favorable calls, although it’s more likely to buffalo-them with BS to confuse them than anything. Assuming these aren’t being overblown in the first place by the sports media, I expect these sorts of tactics to become useless quickly.

Also, I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect these guys to make all the same calls that the real ones “would have made.” That’s putting the locked out guys on a pedestal they don’t belong on. We all know the locked out officials missed plays all the time. They were not, and are not, infallible. I mean really, if they were so great, why was everyone screaming for instant replay years ago? And yet all these years later, we’re still arguing over what a catch is…

The bottom line is the replacement refs will be around for a couple more weeks, probably more and everyone needs to get used to that idea. I still say they will improve and that, ultimately, the players on the field will be deciding games. Not the guys in stripes.