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The Regular NFL Refs Are Back, So Is Everyone Happy? — Sports Survey of the Day

BJ Ragone — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 15:27:48 +0000

For weeks, all we’ve been hearing about is how terrible the replacement officials were in the NFL. The real officials were back this week, so were the calls actually any better? When the refs walked onto the field, they were greeted with cheers (probably for the first time), but those cheers soon turned to the [...]

The Honeymoon Return is Over for NFL Referees

Trey — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 03:28:35 +0000

For three weeks NFL fans have subjected to torture with replacements referees of their beloved Thursday, Sunday, and Monday games. Late last week the fans were granted an eight year reprieve when the NFL struck a deal with the regular referees and they were promptly returned to the game of football. See the reaction of the fans to the regular refs.

Baltimore Ravens Beat Cleveland Browns, 23-16, as NFL Officials Return

Joe Student — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 04:30:44 +0000

Cary Williams returned an interception 63 yards for a touchdown, and the Baltimore Ravens held on to defeat the Cleveland Browns, 23-16, in Baltimore on Thursday night. Cleveland (0-4) had its final drive stall at the Ravens’ 18-yard line when quarterback Brandon Weeden’s pass fell incomplete after time expired. It was the first NFL game [...]

Did the Replacement Refs Really Do That Bad a Job? — Sports Survey of the Day

Chris Chaberski — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:40:35 +0000

Our (three-week-) long national nightmare is over: the real referees are back. Late Wednesday night, the league and the union reached an agreement, and it looks like NFL fans can go back to yelling at an entirely different group of men in striped shirts for making decisions they disagree with. Yay!

NFL, Refs Reach Tentative Agreement

Joe Hyer — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 04:41:39 +0000

The NFL and and the NFL Referees Association have agreed to a contract that will send referees back to the field this weekend, according to NFL.com.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement that the the refs will be back on the field starting with Thursday night's game between the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens

The 5 Worst Officiating Mistakes of the 2012 NFL Season (So Far)

Tom Barrabi — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 14:26:13 +0000

As you may have heard, hobos and miscreants are in charge of refereeing NFL games now! Or, rather, the NFL has decided to use high school referees as replacements while it negotiates with the actual referees' union, which has led to the occasional minor controversy. And while Monday's night's disastrous ending to the Packers-Seahawks game is probably the pinnacle (or nadir) of this sad saga, there were already plenty of questionable, puzzling and downright infuriating officiating decisions leading up to it.

Let's have a look, shall we?

The 5 Most Questionable Calls in NFL History

Tom Barrabi — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 20:03:03 +0000

By now, even non-football fans have heard about the officiating debacle in last night's showdown between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks (just check your Facebook feed). Facing a 12-7 deficit with just seconds left to play, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson rolled out of the pocket and threw a desperation heave into the end zone, resulting in a game-clinching interception for the Packers.

Except it wasn't. Instead, the NFL's much-maligned replacement officials inexplicably ruled the play a touchdown for the Seahawks, ignoring an obvious offensive pass-interference penalty and cementing the phrase "simultaneous catch" into the lexicon of poor sports officiating.

This screw-up will, hopefully, lead to the return of the real refs—but let's not forget that they too have made their share of awful calls over the years. Here's a look at some of the NFL's most controversial officiating decisions:

Lingerie Football League Fired Referees Now Working NFL Games — You'll Never Guess Why

Wes Glinsmann — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 17:10:54 +0000

As the labor dispute between the NFL and the referees’ union continues, criticism of the replacement officials has been going on for weeks and has only gotten louder after a blown call on 'Monday Night Football' gave Seattle a 14-12 win over Green Bay.

How bad have things gotten for the NFL?

Do NFL Coaches Treat Replacement Officials with Less Respect? — Sports Survey of the Day

BJ Ragone — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 13:46:57 +0000

Another week in the NFL and another week of some very questionable calls. Everyone is frustrated by the replacement officials, but are some coaches going too far?Coaches and officials in any game have been known to go at it. What keeps both sides in check is that there is a mutual respect, but that’s not [...]