These NFL replacement officials couldn’t take a worse beating if they were in a ring with Mike Tyson! Some of it is warranted…but the constant scrutiny by the media…coaches…and players have reduced this to juvenile levels. Last night’s Monday Night Football game between the Seahawks and Packers….on the biggest stage…did little to soothe the replacement official's sentiment. But it did prove to me a couple of things:
#1 grown men can act like 8 year olds. After the game…Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy refused to answer any questions concerning the officials….who by all accounts….blew the last call of the game…which was a “Hail Mary” to win it for Seattle. McCarthy acted like Ralphie’s little brother in “A Christmas Story” when he was told to put on his snow suit. I realize he had a right to be upset over the fact his team intercepted the ball but it was ruled a catch by Seattle for the win….but maybe he should be more upset by the fact the best QB in the league (that would be his own QB) didn’t throw a touchdown pass. Maybe he should be upset his RB Cedric Benson fumbled on the Packers own 2 yard line late in the game…making the Packers punt from their own endzone. Maybe he should be upset 5 of his defensive players surrounded Seattle’s Golden Tate on the games final play yet not one of them knocked the ball down on the Hail Mary attempt…something they’ve been taught since the 7th grade.
#2 ESPN Analysts like Steve Young and Trent Dilfer get paid millions yet offer nothing better in the way of analysis than any middle aged drunk on a barstool in Wheeling. They’re ripping the referees when they should be ripping the Packers for losing to a mediocre Seattle team with a rookie at QB!!!!!! These 2 guys won Super Bowls in the NFL while playing QB….so they of all people should know a game is not decided by 1 play. They also should reserve the same criticism for the “regular” officials that they did for the replacements on a couple of pass interference calls…because the last time I checked….the “regular” officials routinely blow pass interference calls that cost teams games.
The bottom line is there will be mistakes when using Division II guys at the NFL level. They are not used to the speed of the game at all. But that doesn’t give the players…coaches and media alike the right to show this much disrespect to a group of individuals simply trying to do a job. Afterall…without them….we…..the fans… wouldn’t have football right now…and that would mean Sunday’s spent with your in-laws. Exactly!!!!
