ESPN impressed me?!?! (1 Viewer)

[Gawain]

Gruden and Tirico have no problem ripping the replacement officials, despite the reports that the NFL has requested broadcasters not to point out officiating mistakes.

Not a big fan of ESPN, but agree with them on this issue. No real reason the NFL shouldn't have something resembling full-time officials and a pension plan doesn't seem like something that the NFL should be fighting as hard as they are.

Tend to agree that replacement officials have been the suck so far.

 

[Grigs Allmoon]

Gruden and Tirico have no problem ripping the replacement officials, despite the reports that the NFL has requested broadcasters not to point out officiating mistakes.Not a big fan of ESPN, but agree with them on this issue. No real reason the NFL shouldn't have something resembling full-time officials and a pension plan doesn't seem like something that the NFL should be fighting as hard as they are.Tend to agree that replacement officials have been the suck so far.

Agree on all points.Refs have blown lots of calls already tonight, and kudos to the ESPN crew for telling it like it is.

 

[Bigboy10182000]

These refs can't even talk it seems

 

[Buffaloes]

still probably better than nba refs

 

[cobalt_27]

still probably better than nba refs

Probably better than the NFL refs they replaced, too. People are just being spoon fed too much from anti-establishment guys like Florio and Peter King. The old refs were the suck. We were on here banging them every weekend last year, and now all of a sudden they're glorified. But, let's just not forget...the old crew were totally, utterly worthless.

 

[Buffaloes]

still probably better than nba refs

Probably better than the NFL refs they replaced, too. People are just being spoon fed too much from anti-establishment guys like Florio and Peter King. The old refs were the suck. We were on here banging them every weekend last year, and now all of a sudden they're glorified. But, let's just not forget...the old crew were totally, utterly worthless.

I'm not going to disagree with you here

 

[Novice2]

still probably better than nba refs

Probably better than the NFL refs they replaced, too. People are just being spoon fed too much from anti-establishment guys like Florio and Peter King. The old refs were the suck. We were on here banging them every weekend last year, and now all of a sudden they're glorified. But, let's just not forget...the old crew were totally, utterly worthless.

And these same talking heads pointing out everything will ignore or defend and make excuses for bad calls the non replacement refs when they get back.Pathetic the way they were talking about the ref situation.

 

[griff321]

still probably better than nba refs

Probably better than the NFL refs they replaced, too. People are just being spoon fed too much from anti-establishment guys like Florio and Peter King. The old refs were the suck. We were on here banging them every weekend last year, and now all of a sudden they're glorified. But, let's just not forget...the old crew were totally, utterly worthless.

I wouldn't say every ref was worthless, but the collective bargaining agreement pretty much makes guys that need to be replaced untouchable. That needs to change in football(baseball too). The problem now is you have entire crews being replaced which makes things a lot tougher than bringing in one new guy.

 

[skillz]

still probably better than nba refs

Probably better than the NFL refs they replaced, too. People are just being spoon fed too much from anti-establishment guys like Florio and Peter King. The old refs were the suck. We were on here banging them every weekend last year, and now all of a sudden they're glorified. But, let's just not forget...the old crew were totally, utterly worthless.

This. That Giants/Packers game was poorly officiated and the refs blew calls in the Lions/ Saints playoff game too. Those refs were supposed to be the "best" officiating crews as well. Not saying the refs have to be perfect but the ones being replaced don't have an unblemished track record either. They made plenty of mistakes just like the replacement officials will.

 

[Grateful Parrot]

still probably better than nba refs

Probably better than the NFL refs they replaced, too. People are just being spoon fed too much from anti-establishment guys like Florio and Peter King. The old refs were the suck. We were on here banging them every weekend last year, and now all of a sudden they're glorified. But, let's just not forget...the old crew were totally, utterly worthless.

Not great, but better than replacements. Old refs, probably 1 bad call a game, Replacements, 7 bad calls a game. I'll take the old refs any day. But the consistency has always been in question..too much judgement calls.

 

[Tyrion]

still probably better than nba refs

Probably better than the NFL refs they replaced, too. People are just being spoon fed too much from anti-establishment guys like Florio and Peter King. The old refs were the suck. We were on here banging them every weekend last year, and now all of a sudden they're glorified. But, let's just not forget...the old crew were totally, utterly worthless.

Not great, but better than replacements. Old refs, probably 1 bad call a game, Replacements, 7 bad calls a game. I'll take the old refs any day. But the consistency has always been in question..too much judgement calls.

I agree. There were plenty of questionable non-calls in the Falcons-Ravens game. Julio Jones was dragged down from behind by the pile well after the whistle blew and there was no call, even though a ref was right there to see it. Another play, he gets some extra business as he is going out of bounds (by the same player- 31). Either of those plays could result in Julio hurting a knee and being out for the season or beyond. Seems a waste to skimp on officiating.

 

[Warpig]

I LOL'd when the ref in the Packers/Bolts game threw a flag on rookie Nick Perry after his first NFL sack. Poor guy just flexed his guns and the ref threw a 15 yard unsportsmanlike on him. Seriously bro? Gonna flag the rook for being excited? Wonder what he would have done to Stewart Bradley after his little dance and flex? Prolly would have ejected him. I can do without that ref in the future.

 

[Grateful Parrot]

I LOL'd when the ref in the Packers/Bolts game threw a flag on rookie Nick Perry after his first NFL sack. Poor guy just flexed his guns and the ref threw a 15 yard unsportsmanlike on him. Seriously bro? Gonna flag the rook for being excited? Wonder what he would have done to Stewart Bradley after his little dance and flex? Prolly would have ejected him. I can do without that ref in the future.

The awful part was a couple plays later when the Packers had the ball. A guy was tackled and thrown clearly out of bounds, but they didn't call that. How can you call flexing a penalty, but the late hit OOB doesn't get called? It sure seemed by the end of the game, they were afraid to call anything. I feel sorry for them, because they have to go home to their families finding out that the media has dragged them over the coals while the game was going on. I hope they enjoy their hefty paycheck.

 

[Cipherchris]

Seems like replacement ref across all games were bad.

Was watching the Broncs-Bears game, and it was horrible how they keep calling those phantom calls, and they cant even point out the correct player that made the foul.

At best these refs will be quite entertaining to listen to, at worst it'll ruin a lot of games

 

[roadkill1292]

still probably better than nba refs

Probably better than the NFL refs they replaced, too. People are just being spoon fed too much from anti-establishment guys like Florio and Peter King. The old refs were the suck. We were on here banging them every weekend last year, and now all of a sudden they're glorified. But, let's just not forget...the old crew were totally, utterly worthless.

"Anti-establishment" seems like a curious way to describe Peter King. How so? If anti-establishment is defined as someone critical of the way the NFL handles its business, shouldn't we be all for him?

 

[griff321]

I LOL'd when the ref in the Packers/Bolts game threw a flag on rookie Nick Perry after his first NFL sack. Poor guy just flexed his guns and the ref threw a 15 yard unsportsmanlike on him. Seriously bro? Gonna flag the rook for being excited? Wonder what he would have done to Stewart Bradley after his little dance and flex? Prolly would have ejected him. I can do without that ref in the future.

Perry used Rivers face with both hands to get up. It looked pretty intentional and they started focusing on stuff like that and the old junk drag across a guys face after a big hit as you're getting up last season. Perry should have known better.

 

[GroveDiesel]

Bills/Skins refs were pretty bad. One ref called a touchback on a ball downed at the 4 yard line. Turns out that he got confused and thought the 5 yard line was the goaline

Bills had to challenge it to get it overturned.

 

[Shane Falco]

Phi/ Pit was pretty bad too. At least 2 or 3 obvious blown calls, one which resulted in a Pit TD due to an obvious clip/block in the back.

 

[Multiple Scores]

These refs can't even talk it seems

Lol

 

[GroveDiesel]

Nice summary by Deadspin of the blown calls last night. The two against Buffalo are both pretty terrible, especially the first one.

http://deadspin.com/5933558/how-bad-were-replacement-refs-last-night-lets-examine-the-video-evidence

 

[matttyl]

Bills/Skins refs were pretty bad. One ref called a touchback on a ball downed at the 4 yard line. Turns out that he got confused and thought the 5 yard line was the goaline Bills had to challenge it to get it overturned.

What was even better is that ESPN had that call in their "not top 10" on Sportscenter today. I think it was #3.

 

[Grateful Parrot]

Nice summary by Deadspin of the blown calls last night. The two against Buffalo are both pretty terrible, especially the first one.http://deadspin.com/5933558/how-bad-were-replacement-refs-last-night-lets-examine-the-video-evidence

Thanks for sharing. That Buffalo call was the worst. I hate to see a team have to use a challenge for what was so clear to everybody in the stadium except the refs.

 

[Buffaloes]

still probably better than nba refs

Probably better than the NFL refs they replaced, too. People are just being spoon fed too much from anti-establishment guys like Florio and Peter King. The old refs were the suck. We were on here banging them every weekend last year, and now all of a sudden they're glorified. But, let's just not forget...the old crew were totally, utterly worthless.

Not great, but better than replacements. Old refs, probably 1 bad call a game, Replacements, 7 bad calls a game.

can you show your work here?I think there are some short memories if people are pining for the NFL refs who missed key calls negating turnovers in last year's Denver/Pitt and Lions/Saints playoff games. Doesn't get much bigger than those blown calls.

 

[Gawain]

still probably better than nba refs

Probably better than the NFL refs they replaced, too. People are just being spoon fed too much from anti-establishment guys like Florio and Peter King. The old refs were the suck. We were on here banging them every weekend last year, and now all of a sudden they're glorified. But, let's just not forget...the old crew were totally, utterly worthless.

Not great, but better than replacements. Old refs, probably 1 bad call a game, Replacements, 7 bad calls a game.

can you show your work here?I think there are some short memories if people are pining for the NFL refs who missed key calls negating turnovers in last year's Denver/Pitt and Lions/Saints playoff games. Doesn't get much bigger than those blown calls.

There is one thing to miss a call. People understand that it happens and while it isn't something that should happen, missed calls do happen because it is impossible to have eyes on everyone at every time.The problems arise when calls are totally arbitrary or completely made up. The "touchback" in the Buffalo game isn't a missed call, or something that was difficult to see. That call was a result of laziness and incompetence.

 

[Buffaloes]

still probably better than nba refs

Probably better than the NFL refs they replaced, too. People are just being spoon fed too much from anti-establishment guys like Florio and Peter King. The old refs were the suck. We were on here banging them every weekend last year, and now all of a sudden they're glorified. But, let's just not forget...the old crew were totally, utterly worthless.

Not great, but better than replacements. Old refs, probably 1 bad call a game, Replacements, 7 bad calls a game.

can you show your work here?I think there are some short memories if people are pining for the NFL refs who missed key calls negating turnovers in last year's Denver/Pitt and Lions/Saints playoff games. Doesn't get much bigger than those blown calls.

The "touchback" in the Buffalo game isn't a missed call

That's exactly what it was. A missed call. And, IIRC, they ended up getting it right after review. The Lions forced a fumble and returned it for a TD which didn't count because the refs blew the play dead before it was over. The Broncos recovered a fumble deep in Pitt territory and could have put the game away after that, but again, the play was blown dead before it was over. So I don't see how the touchback (which ultimately was fixed) is somehow worse than playoff officials missing huge turnovers that could have and probably would have had a HUGE impact on a playoff game.

 

[Grigs Allmoon]

The "touchback" in the Buffalo game isn't a missed call, or something that was difficult to see. That call was a result of laziness and incompetence.

It all depends on your definition of "missed call." You are interpreting it as something unseen, thus uncalled. I think most interpret the term as an incorrect call - semantics.

 

[DawnBTVS]

That's exactly what it was. A missed call. And, IIRC, they ended up getting it right after review. The Lions forced a fumble and returned it for a TD which didn't count because the refs blew the play dead before it was over. The Broncos recovered a fumble deep in Pitt territory and could have put the game away after that, but again, the play was blown dead before it was over. So I don't see how the touchback (which ultimately was fixed) is somehow worse than playoff officials missing huge turnovers that could have and probably would have had a HUGE impact on a playoff game.

I think the biggest difference for me is that the touch back was incredibly obvious to anybody with a pair of eyes and they HAD to HAVE a review just to turn it over. The fact that the ball was touched at the 5 and the player slid down at the 3 makes it crazier because it's not like the field is the same turf color as the end zone. It just strikes me as really hard to figure out how to miss such an easy call.The playoff plays you cited were a result of quick whistles. Maybe too premature in judgement in whistling the plays dead but I don't know if I'd necessarily call those "missed" calls.

 

[cobalt_27]

still probably better than nba refs

Probably better than the NFL refs they replaced, too. People are just being spoon fed too much from anti-establishment guys like Florio and Peter King. The old refs were the suck. We were on here banging them every weekend last year, and now all of a sudden they're glorified. But, let's just not forget...the old crew were totally, utterly worthless.

Not great, but better than replacements. Old refs, probably 1 bad call a game, Replacements, 7 bad calls a game.

can you show your work here?I think there are some short memories if people are pining for the NFL refs who missed key calls negating turnovers in last year's Denver/Pitt and Lions/Saints playoff games. Doesn't get much bigger than those blown calls.

This appears to me a case of some revisionist history. Honestly, I don't feel the old refs have much of a leg to stand on, given how awful they have been and seemingly getting more entitled and not coincidentally worse. Ultimately, it's on the NFL that they haven't enforced a full time referee approach. Maybe that's their fault, maybe the refs of old have resisted that. I dunno. But, the new crew will be bad, that's a given. I just don't think appreciably worse than their predecessors who are sitting at home, not giving a damn because this isn't exactly their life's work.

 

[Tornacl]

I just think it is funny that the "real" refs are being so critical of the replacement refs. Kind of ironic, since the "real" refs never have to answer questions about their mistakes, and teams/players aren't allowed to criticize officials.

 

[Tyrion]

Scabs are always going to be talked about. If they don't like it they shouldn't be a scab.

 

[Insein]

Its all been said before but it is an embarrassment that a multibillion dollar league like the NFL has referees that make between $40k-$100k. Comparing that to other professional leagues and its an utter joke. They need to pay these guys a rate that will make it so that being a referee is there one, year round job. When the off season begins, they still stay in the classrooms studying film and seeing where they can improve call wise. Keep up to date on all rules and rule changes weekly. Study film to see which way a call should be made to the point that it becomes second nature on the field. Some guys do this on their own but also need to get a second job to support a family.

We're never going to have perfect officials but the NFL needs to bring one of the most important group of people for their league under their full time employment. This would hopefully minimize some of these awful screw ups on Sundays.

 

[Raider Nation]

It’s safe to say that FOX’s Mike Pereira won’t be going back to work for the NFL any time soon. Pereira said that the NFL is embellishing the credentials of the replacement officials.

Regarding Craig Ochoa, for example, who served as the referee during the Hall of Fame game, Pereira says that the league has trumped up Ochoa’s experience level.

“They’ve tried to say that Craig Ochoa . . . was a BCS official, that he worked in the Big Ten. He didn’t work in the Big Ten. He’s not been a major college official. I don’t think the NFL is going to say that he actually got released midway through the last Lingerie Football League season as a referee.

I don’t think the league is going to put that out. The league wants as little out as possible. They don’t want people talking about it. They don’t want me talking about it.”

More Ochoa greatness.

Replacement referee Craig Ochoa has been taking some heat this morning after botching the announcement after a replay challenge during Thursday night’s game.

After explaining his replay ruling in the Baltimore-Atlanta game, Ochoa said, “Arizona will be not charged a timeout.”

The local announcer immediately seized on Ochoa’s mistake: “And neither will Atlanta be charged a timeout — they’ll be happy to hear in Arizona that their first-half three timeouts are still intact.”

From tonight's Jags/Giants game:

Jayron Hosley broke a couple of decent punt returns, one of which was called back by a holding penalty.

The strange thing about the penalty was that the replacement officials working the game called it on Hosley. To the naked eye, it seemed that Hosley was too busy returning the punt to hold anybody.

It looked that way on replays as well and it would appear that the officials meant to call the penalty on Michael Coe instead.

 

[GunslingerEnder]

My biggest concern with the replacement referees is that they seem hesitant to make calls and call the play dead which may end up causing more injuries. The usual refs were not perfect, but man it is clearly night and day. Maybe it takes a little getting used too or just nerves, but it needs to be fixed. Soon.

 

[Mr.Pack]

I LOL'd when the ref in the Packers/Bolts game threw a flag on rookie Nick Perry after his first NFL sack. Poor guy just flexed his guns and the ref threw a 15 yard unsportsmanlike on him. Seriously bro? Gonna flag the rook for being excited? Wonder what he would have done to Stewart Bradley after his little dance and flex? Prolly would have ejected him. I can do without that ref in the future.

Perry used Rivers face with both hands to get up. It looked pretty intentional and they started focusing on stuff like that and the old junk drag across a guys face after a big hit as you're getting up last season. Perry should have known better.