One good thing about the replacement refs
 

They sure as hell are entertaining. If the Saints season goes to hell at least we can enjoy these blithering idiots screw other teams.These guys are actually comical.I find myself watching boring games just to see what kind of stupid call these guys will make next. I am going to find some kind of way to make bets off of their calls. Or at the very least I can come up with some sort of creative drinking game.

Re: One good thing about the replacement refs
 

Every time a flag is thrown you have to take a drink. And every time a ruling on the field is reversed you have to finish your drink and pour a new one. Should work!

Re: One good thing about the replacement refs
 

You two might have something here?? hmmmm

Re: One good thing about the replacement refs
 

I have a couple of thoughts on this subject. First, how soon we all forget. The regular refs have made plenty of big time blunders in the recent years. The big difference I am seeing is not how many mistakes are being made, but how long it is taking them to sort things out.

My second thought is along those lines. Is it possible that this is being done intentionally? You have to remember that these replacements are still refs just the same. I wonder how many had aspirations of being a professional ref before seeing their dream become reality unexpectedly.

Is it possible that somehow the word has been sent down to them to make themselves look bad...take one for the team? It sure looks that way, because in most situations I can figure out exactly who should have the ball, where it should be spotted, and how much time should be on the clock within seconds...and for some reason it is taking them minutes.

I would not at all be surprised to find out that they are helping the regular refs make their point, and in doing so may help themselves if they ever do maike it to the top.

Just a thought.

Re: One good thing about the replacement refs
 

The twelve steps to dealing with the rent-a-recks. I'm gonna buy some stock in Jack Daniels!

Re: One good thing about the replacement refs
 

I'd say that it is very different to ref the game from the couch, instead of your every action being scrutinized by millions, surrounded by angry multimillionaire giants clad in armor, trying to somewhat keep up with the speed of the game, which they have never experience up close. I've never been booed by 70,000 angry fans, nor had my butt chewed by the likes of Coughlin, Ryan, or Belichick. Not fully knowing the rule book makes it worse.

Don't need to go any further than the NO-KC game. Every time that poor bastard reversed a call, you could see in his body language and hear it in his speech, he was intimidated by the whole thing. That wasn't Ed Hoculi or Mike Carey telling you "this is what I saw, suck it".

And I would repeat what I have posted somewhere else: sure the old refs made bad calls, but the 2 big differences are:
1. The old refs knew the rules.
2. With the old refs, you usually had to rely on the slo-mo replay to see the travesty. With the scabs, you can clearly see the travesty as it happens.

Many argue that an NFL ref has to start somewhere, and that is true. But they usually start as part of a veteran crew, who can aid them on the fly on the field of play, so their learning curve is not that steep, they get a chance to acclimate themselves, and definitely don't start at referee or line judge: they probably start in the chain gang, or keeping track of downs, so they can learn by watching the game.

Re: One good thing about the replacement refs
 

Strangely, we may actually need the replacement refs this week if we're to have any chance against the Packers.

Re: One good thing about the replacement refs
 

With the swing in the $$ going through Vegas bookmakers lately, I wonder how many people just flat-out won't place wagers on these games anymore until the refereeing situation is worked out? Would that actually have an impact on the NFL's bottom line?

Re: One good thing about the replacement refs
 

Hell the bookmakers may just push each side to reach an agreement.

They can't set the odds correctly with the unknown of the refs