The Waterboy
Jeff Yoder | Sports Co-Editor
This is not a column titled after the 1998 comedy with Adam Sandler. It's a place to take a break from the action, step over to the sideline and let me refresh you with a cold cup of sports knowledge. Every other week, I'll give a response to the professional and college sports worlds' latest controversy.
These are just a few scenarios where substitutes, simply put, don't deserve respect. This year's NFL replacement officials are no exception.
"These officials have been trained," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. "We've been working with them. We think they'll do a very credible job."
"Credible" isn't the word many would have used. "Very credible" is even worse, and I start to wonder how much of the preseason Goodell really watched.
On Wednesday's opening night game between the Cowboys and the Giants, officials may have given us a preview of this season's nightmare. On a third-and-goal from the 4-yard line, the Giants' Eli Manning targeted Victor Cruz in the endzone where he was "blatantly held," according to commentators. No call was made, and the refs were criticized at halftime.
Other than this call, the officials didn't really over-call the game like we've seen in the preseason. Maybe they've learned from their mistakes but my guess is we won't forget this issue anytime soon.
The NFL and the NFLRA (National Football League Referees Association) are at a standoff for a new deal. The NFLRA issued a statement Aug. 29, saying the regular 120 on-field officials are ready to go as soon as the NFL wants to strike a deal. The sides currently disagree on salary, benefits, number of full-time officials, operational structure and whether they like their coffee black or decaf.
The NFL's new deal would add more officials and make one official from each crew a full-time NFL employee. The deal would spike the officials' current salary from $150,000 to $200,000, but the NFLRA says the new retirement benefits coupled with the deal are unjust.
If no deal is made this season, Goodell has confidence in his replacements. He may be the only one with confidence, but we can understand that he can't come out with a statement verbally slaying the replacement refs' efforts so far.
Unfortunately, the substitute officials will still be on the field this Sunday. Since no deal was made before the start of the regular season, the two sides currently have no plans to meet or renegotiate. So while you watch this season and continually question why Commissioner Goodell isn't willing to pay the refs a little extra cash, know that you're not alone.
On Aug. 25, Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe tweeted, "The NFL really needs to kiss and make up with the refs. These replacements are horrible. Frankly, it's kind of embarrassing."
Events in the preseason have brought the entire league to the same conclusion. In a preseason game between the New York Giants and Chicago Bears, the refs gave the Giants an extra play before the end of the first quarter because of a penalty as time expired. Only the second and fourth quarters cannot end on penalties.
In a later game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Baltimore Ravens, referee Craig Ochoa stated that "Arizona" would not be charged a timeout. The game was played in Atlanta. After Ochoa did it a second time, Goodell hopped on a plane to Arizona, or Atlanta, to tell him how "credible" of a job he was doing.
Goodell's annual salary is set to double from $10 million to nearly $20 million this season, yet he's the leader in the NFL's decision to lock-out the referees until they back down. Until the regular officials and the NFL come to an agreement, expect to be shaking your head on Sundays.
