The installment of the regular referees came as a relief to many NFL coaches and players. The replacement referees were put in place to officiate due to the inability of the regular referees and the NFL to come to an agreement after the referees’ CBA expired. The replacements were demoted back to their secondary position as the league and the officials came to an agreement late Wednesday night. The first three weeks of the NFL’s regular season has made the league one of the most talked about topics on national and local news and social media.
The replacements sure made their mark as they continued to make crucial decisions that could have been easily overturned with indisputable evidence or just called in plain sight. These calls proved to be very vital in the outcome of the game therefore tampering with multiple teams’ records. Jon Harper, a junior at Bob Jones, is no supporter of sports let alone the NFL. So hearing about the incompetence of the replacements was of no avail for Mr. Harper. “I know enough that the officials are horrible at what they’re doing. I heard referees from the lingerie league were previously fired, and then later on hired by the NFL to officiate. I’m just relieved that this is over.”
The role of referees is not only significant in the professional level but high school as well. “They aren’t the best, but they don’t have to worry about reviewing plays,” says Alyssa Jarreau, a senior at Bob Jones, regarding the work of the high school officials. They have had their fair share of criticism however. Claims of obscene no-calls and favoritism have tainted their reputations across the board.
The possibility of a lock out for the high school level could be feasible. Lance Clark, the Special Teams’ Coordinator and a Defensive Team coach, said, “I would not be too discouraged if there was a lock out for high school referees. They have very little accountability. However, there are several referees I would miss.” Furthermore, the work ethic of referees has proven that it is not a highly favorable position from a fan’s standpoint no matter what level of sport it is. The lesson that was learned was no matter how many problems we have with the regulars it could be worse with the replacements. Or would it?
