Health & Fitness
NFL Referees Make Their Comeback
Replacement referees were sent home as the real NFL referees take in their rightful place.
After agreeing to a deal with the National Football League, the officials of the NFL Referees Association returned to the field last week after three weeks of questionable officiating by the replacement referees.
Sam Mentkowski, a Whitnall senior, said this about the NFL’s role in this controversy, “I believe it was all the NFL’s fault, because they (replacement refs) weren’t certified for refereeing the NFL games.”
The agreement that was reached in New York between the negotiating teams of the NFL and the NFLRA was the longest in NFL history. Commissioner Roger Goodell knew it was time to bring back the real referees so he lifted the lockout in time for last week Thursday’s game at Baltimore.
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Stadiums everywhere around the NFL Sunday welcomed the referees with open arms, giving them standing ovations as they walked onto the field. Although, for some referees the homecoming didn’t last to long as they were eventually booed on the field for their calls.
The Packer game was a good example. There were a few minor hiccups, but the referees came up on the wrong side of a call when Darren Sproles of the New Orleans Saints clearly fumbled a kickoff return in the fourth quarter that was instead ruled down by contact. A couple of questionable calls followed and that left the crowd at Lambeau Field not happy. Some fans had the feeling of ‘will this ever end’. Fortunately, the Packers were able to hold on and win the game over the Saints.
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The players and the fans were definitely thankful for the real refs to be back. Whitnall senior Rihanna Butske said, “They made better calls than the replacement refs and also made less calls that made more sense.”
There will be no more misplaced ball spots, delays in the game, calls that are laughed at by fans and coaches, and extra timeouts given to teams.
The real officials may miss a call here and there, but it’s their presence on the field that is what’s best for the NFL. The tempo of the game is better, and the integrity of the NFL is no longer questionable.
