The NFL and NFL Referees Association are "expected to open up negotiations this offseason" on a new agreement that could result in some full-time officials, according to Fox' Jay Glazer. When the current deal between the two sides was reached in '12, it was announced that "up to 17 full-time officials" would be hired. The NFL "started the process," but it "suddenly stopped." Glazer: "Everybody backtracked on it. Because they were going to full-time league employees, the NFL had the ability to hire and fire at will, whenever they wanted. The referees association did not like that, so they put a halt to it" ("Fox NFL Sunday," 11/13). ESPN's Joe Banner noted there is "at least a little discussion" about full-time officials in league circles. Banner: "We had discussions about this years ago in the meetings, and the feeling was that the errors are small enough. And we added instant replay, so that should be to the point where the game is decided by the players and the coaches. However, the perception of the mistakes has gone up enough" ("NFL Insiders," ESPN, 11/13).
MONEY, POWER, RESPECT: The calls for full-time officials continue to roll in, and in Boston, Ron Borges wrote no other pro team sport "tries to run its games with mall cops as officials." The NBA, NHL and MLB all "operate with full-time officials." Running a game and "mastering the rulebook is their profession." However, NFL officials are "professionals in some other walk of life and weekend help on game day." Borges: "Why an industry approaching annual revenues of $20 billion is too cheap to have a full-time police force is beyond me" (BOSTON HERALD, 11/13). CBS Sports Network's Brandon Tierney said it is "time to inject common sense in the big picture." Tierney: "NFL, stop telling us you don't have the money. ... This is getting really out of hand, and I think there's a pretty simple solution. You have got to make these guys full-time. Whatever it is, at this point, it's got to be investment of your product" ("That Other Pregame Show," CBS Sports Network, 11/13). PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Mike Florio wrote it "won't be cheap" for the NFL to hire full-time officials. The NFL is "willing to not try to improve officiating with full-time officials because the NFL doesn't want to spend the money necessary to do so." Florio: "I can understand why the NFL isn't willing to say that, but that doesn't mean the rest of us shouldn't" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 11/11).
LOSING CREDIBILITY: In Buffalo, Vic Carucci wrote the NFL has "no choice but to take the most drastic measures possible to bring some level of credibility back to an aspect of its game that is rapidly trending toward a joke." Carucci: "Cultivate a new crop of officials with a salary structure that works within the parameters of the current entry level of about $78,000 and the 20-year high end of $200,000-plus." NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is in a "state of denial" (BUFFALO NEWS, 11/12). CBS Sports Network's Amy Trask noted there will "never be a perfectly officiated game," but the mistake made in last Monday's Bills-Seahawks game "was not a judgment call." Trask: "This was an administrative error. It was incomprehensibly, mind-numbingly dumb. … You can have a system in place to make a phone call to correct a mind-numbingly stupid administrative error" ("That Other Pregame Show," CBS Sports Network, 11/13). ESPN’s Matt Hasselbeck said, “We want the officials to communicate better to each other, and whether that means just the guys on the field or maybe communicate back to New York. They have the technology and review scoring plays. If there's something that's obvious ... they should communicate better” (“Sunday NFL Countdown,” ESPN, 11/13).
TAKE ANOTHER LOOK: ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert wrote the CFL has shown "reasonable offsite intervention is nothing to be afraid of" when it comes to improving football officiating. The CFL uses a video official who "serves as a safety net for the kind of avoidable mistakes that disproportionately affect the public credibility of officiating" (ESPN.com, 11/12). In Philadelphia, Bob Brookover wrote the "best solution" for the poor officiating is a "revised and expanded replay system." Replay officials are "already in place at every NFL game," and the replay system in the league's HQ is "elaborate with league employees monitoring every game." The days of coaches challenging calls with red flags and referees going under hoods "need to be over." Those watching at NFL HQ should make correcting officiating mistakes their "primary objective on every play." If they "see something questionable, stop the game and take a look at it" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 11/12).
