It's not very often that I write about the same topic twice in one week, but the NFL referee issue has reached the point where I feel that I owe my readers some sort of apology. Earlier this week, I posted about how I felt all of the complaining about football's replacement referees was overblown, accusing the media and fans of "[building] up the issue so much that there was no way the replacement officials could succeed, even though if the story wasn't so overblown the majority of NFL fans probably wouldn't have known anything was different." While many agreed with my point of view, others (including friend and fellow blogger The Backup QB) insisted that the replacement officials had lost control of the games. After watching Week 3 of NFL football from a sports bar (where I could follow every game at once) and then tuning in to the end of Monday Night Football's disasterous conclusion last night, it might be time to admit that I was wrong.
The more football I watch this season, the more questionable calls I see. I still believe that fans are more cognizant of officiating screw ups this year - with the replacement refs on the field and everyone looking for something to go wrong, inevitably something will - but I have to admit that I can't imagine that some of the more aggregious officiating blunders would have occured had the real refs been officiating the games. Where I think I really went wrong, however, was in failing to acknowledge that the fact that the replacement refs have completely lost control of the games has become a serious issue. I can't ignore it any longer: in every game the refs seem to have no confidence in their calls (even the correct ones), which has lead to constant chatter between the players / coaches and the officials. As a result, you never know whether a given call was unbiased or whether it was dictated by a previous comment. Now that the players and coaches have zero respect for the officials, you can't help but make the refereeing the focal point of every single game. We've reached the point that the majority of mainstream media stories about the NFL are focusing on the refs, and that's not good.
At the beginning of the referee labor dispute, everyone acknowledged that the NFL had the upper hand because the officials had no leverage - as I said myself earlier this week, "I don't tune in on Sunday afternoons to see them call penalties or flip the coin." Now? I think you can argue that the refs aren't the only ones who have lost control of the NFL games. The National Football League itself must acknowledge that having the majority of its media coverage revolving around how much its replacement officials are messing up is a serious problem. The NFL has been a marketing juggernaut because it has been so successful in keeping people focused on its strengths - loyal fan bases, a constant influx of young talent and competitive balance - and away from it's flaws - concussions, periodic labor disputes and off-field player issues. While at first the referee lockout might have been a welcome diversion from the bad PR the NFL had been getting around concussions, now the replacement officials have taken over the entire sport. Things have gone too far.
Even if getting the regular refs back on the field won't have a profound impact on the outcomes of the games (and I'm not sure if they will or won't at this point), the NFL needs to resolve the referee lockout before the issue threatens to seriously and permanently damage the league's reputation. I have to image that the heads of the referees union are thrilled right now - from their points of view, things have gone perfectly. Whether or not you think the replacement refs are making the right calls, you have to recognize that they are by far the biggest story in the NFL right now, and that is a terrible outcome for professional football. After this past weekend, I'm joining the majority of people calling for the NFL to do whatever it takes to end this labor dispute. I'm man enough to admit that I was wrong. Now it's time for the NFL to do the same.
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