SaintsBro

I was watching this and definitely noticed it. It seemed to be something they did a lot. They would all kind of look at each other and expect the other guy to do something. It also took them forever to set things up, like extra points. There was one play I remember where the Saints had already lined up to snap the ball, were calling signals, and the refs ran in and stopped it to measure... took them forever to decide to do it (should have been obvious in seconds) and then they took a reeeeeal long time to get the measurement done, while the Saints players just stood around impatiently, like come on, let's go.

I don't think it was official bias against the Saints as much as, Roger Goodell is plain old incompetent....

mighty12

A couple things on the scab refs............they missed some obvious calls, especially holding right in their faces. I didn't see them missing one call and then pulling a BS penalty to make up for it which the NFL refs are notorious for. The game did flow smoothly in the first half and then something happened in the second half where they began making calls and looked confused while doing it. I think after the preseason they will be fine.

Budsdrinker

First game they called, they didn't want to throw too many flags but they did miss a few obvious ones. Glad they go the replay right with the non INT but actually should have been called on the field that way cause one official was looking dead at it. Overall it was about the same if you ask me.

TheOak

Ok... I am going to call BS.... These cats are all DIVIII college referees. There are not drastic differences in the rules between where they come from and the NFL.

They don't flip coins in Div III college games? <---splain dat one.


That being said the NFLRA needs to STFU, as their refereeing accuracy is not much better.

sharke

My thoughts exactly! Though here is food for thought, after week 3(?) of the preseason all those refs go back to college and we are left with scabs even further down the line.

Vrillon82

They missed some calls, but what flags they did throw, they got right.

I think with some games under their belt and more focus, they can be better than the lockout officials, lets be honest, the lockout officials are probably gamblers of the game which is why games every week are just completely F'ed up somewhere.

SaintsBro

Still, we should all be clamoring and making as much noise complaining about this as possible, everywhere --we should be preaching the gospel in other internet forums and in comments underneath articles, that the scab refs are missing calls and not doing a good job. Why? Because this issue is actually more likely to get Goodell fired, than the mishandling of Bountygate.

They missed a freaking safety and a freaking touchdown. That's huge, that's not ticky tacky mistakes.

I know it seems counter intuitive to side with the refs on anything, but hear me out -- the NFLRA is totally right about this. The biggest league in sports, worth billions of dollars, having to resort to poorly-prepared scab refs, this has to be laid squarely at the feet of Goodell where it belongs. We need to scream this from rooftops!

Mishandling Bountygate and the lawsuit with Vilma, is something Goodell can survive and recover from; it's going to take a cumulative effect of numerous incidents and scandals to pile up, and get the owners to turn on him, in order to get Goodell removed. He effed up the CBA with the players and caused the lockout and everything, he effed up with Bountygate, he effed up with James Harrison and a bunch of other things, and now he is effing up the referees' negotiations. THIS is how we get him removed, folks.

AlaskaSaints

The way I see it, we outplayed the opposing team AND the referees. If that just happened each and every game, or at least with some regularity ---

1) I could get off my aspirin regimen
2) We could produce some motivating, decisive wins
3) We would strike fear into even our most fearless opponents (Packers, Niners, Falcons)
4) Goodell would eat SHAT and expire
5) We "Come Marchin' In" to the Mercedes Benz Superdome for the Superbowl.

Alaska

Halo

How can the NFL, one of the most money making-est franchises and pastime's in the WORLD, NOT pay professional wages to their on-field Referees, who are almost as visible as the players themselves on the field?

I'm just blown away by this.

Utah_Saint

I've read the real issue is the ref's pensions. The league wants to do away with the pensions and change over to a 401K (or something similar).

But I agree with you 100%. The league, with billions in revenue, should be able to give these guys compensation packages appropriate for skilled professionals. It seems every few years the league is trying to low ball these guys in some way or another.