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4th box down.

If there's anyone here who pays close attention to the NFL........and you just saw the game.......you know what I'm talking about.

Simple question........what needs to happen?

Because it's obvious that something does. It's not just the Seattle/Green Bay game either. ( I root for Seattle) It's obvious that things are getting worse because of the officiating. I'm not blaming the new crew because they're doing the best they can. But they simply aren't qualified to officiate in the NFL and this game just drove that point home IMO because it finally did come down to a call that affected the outcome of a game. It was just a matter of time.

My opinion? Don't bring in the old crew because there's obviously too many issues there. There is, after all, more to the NFL anymore than just the games. It's a business and it's a very big one. The new officials need more training on a day to day basis IMO. They need to focus on the basic calls and the safety focused calls. The basics. Everything else will fall into place from there. After all, that's how the old crew learned. That's how anyone learns anything. You focus on the basics first.

It just seems to me that people expect the new officials to pick up where the old one's left off and you just can't do that. It's not a realistic expectation. Excuse the pun, but the new officials need a game plan. Something to start with and build from, they need to let that plan be known so all 32 teams in the NFL can be on the same page, if for any other reason then to know how exactly they should conduct their weekly practice sessions.

It's gotten to the point where teams have to practice around how they feel the officiating crews are going to oversee the games. It shouldn't be that way, but it is, so all the teams have to adapt to that. But so far, that isn't happening and I think it's because the officiating crew doesn't have a game plan of their own. They're just going out and winging it every week.

What say you?



I'll check back tomorrow.

I'm a Chicago Bears fan, so we have quite the rivalry with Green Bay. However, as a sports fan that was just absolutely pathetic. It is such a shame because the season does not have a lot of games. Calls like this could literally make or break a team's season.

At this point, I'm not too sure the best course of action. Bringing in a whole new team would probably make things worse. They need an emergency training session of something.

I am a die hard Seahawks fan since 1980!

However, the replacement refs this year do suck something horrid!!!!!

But I do not expect much from a officiating squad from Division 3 level when they come to the NFL. Nothing is really surprising. What does surprise me is the fact the Goodell is dragging his feet in making terms with the original squads!

I would like to see the NFL just come out and tell everyone that they will stick with the replacement refs, then break negotiations with the original refs. Begin hiring new squads of ref, but only hiring veteran NFL players. Spend the rest of the season training them extensively. Start new next season.

Disclaimer: Disgruntled Packer Fan

HOWEVER....

The Pack did not play well tonight. They woke up in the second half though. The Hawks defense was good all night. But this is all besides the point. The sun will come up tomorrow and this is just a game but...

What is the game without the rules fairly applied? A bunch of dudes running around hitting each other. No one pays for that. Unless the owner of the NFL wants to go the WWE route. Maybe we can get some folding chairs out on the field, maybe the cheerleaders can get on the field and thrown down after some smack talk, entrance music, who knows?

I think Americans see football as one of the last bastions of 'fairness' in a sucky world. From the firestorm on the interwebs tonight, it seems to have struck a nerve.

I have no clue where it goes from here. I would like to be a fly on the wall at NFL HQ tomorrow morning.

Originally posted by headorheart
Bringing in a whole new team would probably make things worse. They need an emergency training session of something.

I agree.

I think they need intense training on a daily basis. I don't think that even with that though they will be on the level of the refs they've replaced, but that's the best course of action the league can take I think.

Originally posted by azbowhunter

I am a die hard Seahawks fan since 1980!

However, the replacement refs this year do suck something horrid!!!!!

But I do not expect much from a officiating squad from Division 3 level when they come to the NFL.

Right, you can't really blame them. They're doing the best they can. Remember, one of the refs in the end zone came to the NFL to referee games straight from officiating Div. 1 college and high school games. From high school to the NFL? These guys are in WAY over their heads.

What does surprise me is the fact the Goodell is dragging his feet in making terms with the original squads!

It's not Goodell that has the last say though, it's all 32 owners of the teams. They're the one's responsible for the strike and they're the one's responsible for making the call to bring in these replacements.

I would like to see the NFL just come out and tell everyone that they will stick with the replacement refs, then break negotiations with the original refs. Begin hiring new squads of ref, but only hiring veteran NFL players. Spend the rest of the season training them extensively. Start new next season.

Those are pretty good ideas, but in the meantime I don't think that the outcome of a game like we had last night should be decided by these refs. Again, they're not qualified to do this job. After extensive training, sure. I mean even the refs they replaced had to start somewhere.

Originally posted by ABNARTY
Disclaimer: Disgruntled Packer Fan

What is the game without the rules fairly applied?

This is what it's all coming down to. Football is getting pretty hard to watch when you have plays like this and guys getting mugged hard on the field every week because the refs don't know what they're doing.

Fouls are going to happen just as a natural part of the game, but a lot of the guys out there are really milking this. Do you know what the difference is between a pass interference and an illegal contact call is? That's okay because neither do 90% of the replacements, the players know this and they're playing that to the hilt. And this is a BASIC call. Something you learn in high school for pete's sake.

It's getting out of hand when the players are in charge of the game and, really, this is what's happening. The integrity of the game is going downhill.

I saw a headline that sums this all up perfectly........Winning With a Catch.

Thanks for responding.

The teams playing were irrelevant. That was a bad call.

The NFL should have the balls to reverse it, but of course they don't because nobody likes the Packers.