Time to Pay the Man (in stripes)

Prior to the NFL week 3, I didnt understand what all the fuss about the replacement refs was. Sure there had been a blown call here and a missed call there, but nothing had happened to drastically change the outcome of a game. Then this weekend all hell broke lose. Against the Vikings, the 49ers got what appeared to be an indefinite amount of timeouts and challenges. In the Lions-Titans game a 27 yard penalty was awarded because of incorrect field placement. Several other games had terrible moments by the officials. If, after all that there was still any doubt about the struggles of the replacement refs, last nights MNF game between the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks  completely squashed it.

The MNF game was one of the worst, if not the worst, officiated games in the Superbowl era of the NFL. All of the mainstream media focus has been on the simultaneous possession rule on the last play of the game. Sure, that by ultimately determined the final outcome of the game, but there were numerous other bad calls throughout the game. There were a total of 24 penalties accepted and at least 1 declined. That kind of number is way high to happen normally. Going into the fourth quarter I was telling my Packer friend sitting next to me how my mind was change, the NFL needed to bring back the real refs. There were just too many bad calls in this game. It was becoming a farce.

Then the fourth quarter started and an already poorly called game turned into a complete cluster. In the fourth quarter there were several plays that potentially changed the outcome of the game. The Golden Tate touchdown was just the capstone. Here are just the few I can remember (with some fuzzy details because the final play blurs everything):

• On a third and short play outside of field goal range a Seahawks defender make a beautiful pass defense against a Packers WR only to be called for PI (incorrectly) and extend the drive.
• Greg Jenning is awarded a touchdown, only to have it later overturned (correctly). The ball is  placed short of the first down marker (incorrectly).
• Shortly there after Aaron Rodgers is stopped short of the first down marker by the Seahawks bringing up what should have been a fourth and 1 on the 2 yard line. Instead the call was overturned (incorrectly) and the Packers awarded a first down.
• On a crucial drive in the fourth quarter Seahawks WR Sidney Rice tangles up a Green Bay defender and manages to draw a PI (incorrectly) extending the Seahawks drive.

I doubt I was the only one who notices all the important mistakes that were being made. So, NFL fans, let's not get so pissed off at the Seahawks. Stop calling them cheaters or undeserving. If the roles were reversed, I doubt any Green Bay Packers fan would volunteerily give up the win. There were too many bad calls in that game to have any idea what the final out come might have been. Instead let's focus our anger on the NFL and their ridicuouls battle with the "good" refs (never thought I would compliment the NFL officials). It is time for the billion business that is the NFL to pony up the cash and pay the men in stripes.