I’m not saying that the National Football League’s replacement referees had a tough week, but on Sunday I watched one ref call a player “for traveling” and another for “passing under a caution flag.”
It’s possible I made that up, but I think it’s fair to say having replacement referees calling a live NFL game is pretty much like Mitt Romney conducting a class on foreign policy.
It’s a mistake, is what it is.
On Sunday afternoon, I watched the replacement refs turn the game between the St. Louis Rams and the Washington Redskins into a session of Congress, but with more intelligent discourse. At one point in the game, as the Rams were trying to score a touchdown from the 1-yard line, referees blew roughly 28 calls. Many of the blown calls were on the same play.
On the Redskins’ sidelines, I thought that coach Mike Shanahan’s head was going to explode. While we can all agree that would be tragic, it also would be really cool to watch.
On the other sideline, Rams coach Jeff Fisher managed to remain fairly calm, but I think that’s only because he couldn’t figure out what the referees were doing or what they were even saying.
The reason the NFL is using replacement referees is because they have “locked out” the league’s professional officials. Now, this may come as a shock to some of you, but the reason the NFL has locked out their own referees is because of money.
I know.
I was shocked too.
The NFL also wants to let its referees work fewer games, thereby paying them less, and also make them give up their day jobs and work full-time for the NFL.
The NFL referees want to get paid more and they don’t want to quit their day jobs. Normally, in any labor dispute you can find fault with both sides, but now when the NFL is involved I always side with whoever the NFL is locking out.
The NFL is the most successful sports league in the country, if not in the world. So rather than stay home and roll around in the money, the NFL owners and the folks who run the league look for ways to steal ... er, I mean make ... more money.
Unfortunately, the Kansas City Chiefs can’t blame replacement referees for Sunday’s game. Sometimes a team is so bad that even bad referees can’t make a difference. I don’t know if the Chiefs are as bad as they looked on Sunday (I hope not), I just know that on Sunday they looked pretty bad. Wait, that’s not correct. That picture of Joe Biden with the female biker looked bad. The Chiefs on Sunday looked really bad.
It didn’t help that the TV announcers calling the Chiefs game with the Buffalo Bills were — to be polite — morons. One of the problems with being the fan of a really bad football team is that no one other than you wants to watch your team play on TV, which means you get stuck with crummy announcers.
The play-by-play announcer for the Chiefs game was some guy named Spero Dedes. The guy providing color commentary for the game was former NFL quarterback Steve Beuerlein. I know what you’re thinking ... Steve who?
Ha. I joke. Actually Steve was a pretty good NFL quarterback and is probably a nice guy. But to quote Leo Durocher, “Nice guys shouldn’t call NFL games.”
I guess Steve and Spiro will have to do. It’s either that or let the NFL hire replacement announcers.
Local News
Mike Pound: NFL needs replacement announcers
- Local News
-
-
Farmers Insurance teams up with Rebuild Joplin
Farmers Insurance announced Tuesday that the company will team up with Rebuild Joplin for an initiative to help the community complete its recovery efforts. The company already has placed one of its executives in Joplin, and it is pledging additional funds and volunteer hours by company workers to go toward the city’s recovery.
-
Jasper County approves renovation, building plans
Work is expected to start within two weeks on a project to renovate a county owned building near the courthouse for the Jasper County sheriff’s office.
-
SMB sets up fund for Moore, Okla., storm victims
Southwest Missouri Bank has set up an account so area residents can donate to storm victims in Moore, Okla., which was hit by an EF-5 tornado on May 20.
-
Farm Service Agency announces deadline
Patty Lambert, executive director of Jasper County USDA Farm Service Agency, said producers are required to report prevented planting acreage for FSA program eligibility.
-
Former IRS worker gets probation after guilty plea to theft of funds
Pittsburg resident and former Internal Revenue Service employee Becky L. Book received two years probation after pleading guilty earlier this year to the theft of $26,449.65 in public funds.
-
Joplin residents can sign Banner of Hope for Moore during anniversary event today
Joplin residents will be able to sign a 20-foot banner sending messages of hope and encouragement to the people of Moore, Okla., during the anniversary ceremony today in Cunningham Park.
-
Arma mother facing murder charge in sleeping baby’s death
Heather Buckalew fell asleep on a couch with her 4-month-old baby after a night last summer drinking beer with her boyfriend. The boyfriend, Donald Harvey, got up to go to work a few hours later and spotted his son, lying face down on a pillow between the back of the couch and his sleeping mother.
-
Joplin residents lend a hand in Moore
Joplin is paying it forward. The day before the two-year anniversary of an EF-5 tornado leveling one-third of Joplin, pastors from Ignite Church in Joplin were in Moore, where an EF-5 spent 40 minutes on the ground on Monday.
-
‘Letting Go Day’ planned to help clear the clutter
When Ann Leach lost most of her possessions in the tornado that struck Joplin on May 22, 2011, she realized that things don’t matter that much.
-
Monetary donations cited as best help for Moore
Financial support for organizations providing shelter and supplies to Oklahoma tornado survivors is recommended for people who want to help. Otherwise, the word is to wait for requests.
- More Local News Headlines
-
