Replacement Refs [merged x2]

[Jim Gray]

In front of a national audience, this was atrocious officiating.  Not just one call, but call after call, after call.   It's making the games unwatchable.  No way should Seattle have won this game and I have a feeling this will finally force the NFL front office to do something.  As a fan, I'm losing interest in watching games.  Can't wait to see the post game press conference. 

[mecadonzilla]

It's one thing to see an iffy call, but when a gazillion people see a call FUCKED UP, what more does the league need to say?

And I agree, Jim Gray, call after call in this game was botched.  I keep wondering when I'll see a more horrendously officiated game this year, and each game, I'm shown the absolute worst.

[Thundergod]

Wow, just wow. Green Bay just got jobbed hard core.

[dolphins4life]

There will always be bad calls, but this is getting out of control.   

[Dave Gray]

How about the magnitude of the calls, too.  So many end of game, hugely important calls.  Not just that the calls are bad, but the impact has been crazy this week.

[Sunstroke]

Absolutely insane officiating. Calling it a train wreck would be doing a disservice to every train that's ever wrecked...

[CF DolFan]

I'm not sure why teams dont go deep more as you have a much better chance of getting a pass interference call than an interception. 

[Pappy13]

I didn't watch the game only the very last play, but from what I saw that was a tie and tie's go to the receiver. TD. They replayed it and let the call stand and again I agree, nothing in the replay made me think that both players didn't have their arms around the ball when they both were on the ground.

On that one play the officials got it right.

[Pappy13]

The Fasano catch was NOT a catch. Glad they messed up but that as bad.

I'm not so sure about that call either. It's very close, but I thought that the defensive back knocked the ball out of Fasano's hands well after he was on the ground with the ball secured. He didn't drop the ball as part of completing the catch, the defensive back knocked it out of his hands well after he hit the ground. I think that could be ruled a catch. Again they replayed it and didn't reverse it. I think the replay officials are doing an OUTSTANDING job. The whole purpose of instant replay was to overturn CLEARLY wrong calls. If it's not CLEAR the call was wrong then the call on the field should stand. That's how instant replay was originally drawn up. Now I know things have changed a little since then and it's more about the replay officials making whatever they THINK is the right call, but I don't think they should be doing that. I think they should be reviewing and if it's CLEARLY wrong they should overturn it, but if it's NOT conclusive evidence than they should let the call on the field stand. They seem to be doing that this year and I personally like it. That's the way it SHOULD be in my opinion.

That's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

[Brian Fein]

It was not a tie.  Not even close.  Joint possession has to occur at the same time, and Tate only had one arm around Jennings's neck, not even on the ball.  How do you have possession of a ball when there's someone's body between you and the ball?  You'd think that "someone" would have "more possession."

These guys have been throwing flags on about 90% of deep balls.  It won't be long before a team just goes deep every play and move downfield easily just on penalties alone.

[EKnight]

Just gonna throw this out there as food for thought. The teams who are so worked up over bad calls costing them the game maybe should be a little more introspective. Wasn't it Ray Lewis who said, "No one play wins or loses the game." Put your team in a better position to win, so that one play isn't something you can fixate on, and there's nothing to piss about. -EK

[Fins4ever]

So, after watching the last play in MNF, do the scabs have any idea what's going on?  I think the real officials have all the ammunition they need to come back to work now.

Kim Jong Goodell, it's up to you.  YOU are keeping this league from having competent officiating.

It isn't Goodell, it is the owners. Goodell represents the owners and he should be working with them to get a deal done. After all of the controversy I would think the refs would have more leverage in negotiation and that could be a problem. 

[Fins4ever]

These PIs are getting out of control watching this MNF game.

What's odd is, when they used replacement officials in 2001, there was not a problem.     

The PI's have BEEN out of control. If I was a HC I would throw every play.

Good point. No one even remembers 2001, but they won't forget 2012. lol

[suck for luck]

I didn't watch the game only the very last play, but from what I saw that was a tie and tie's go to the receiver. TD. They replayed it and let the call stand and again I agree, nothing in the replay made me think that both players didn't have their arms around the ball when they both were on the ground.

On that one play the officials got it right.

Wow. You should apply for a rep. off. gig before the window shuts. 

Pretty funny to go back and read the beg. of this thread.

Kim Jong Goodell, it's up to you.  YOU are keeping this league from having competent officiating.

Takes two to tango.

[Fins4ever]

The real problem isn't the poor quality of the replacements.

The real problem isn't the refs being locked out.

The real problem isn't the officials and the owners not being able to reach an agreement.

THE REAL PROBLEM IS THE NFL HAD NO BACKUP PLAN.

Bringing in refs from division II college??? Is that what Goodell and the owners had as a backup plan? Every effort should have been in the off season to reach a deal with the refs. It should have never came to this atrocity.