The "real" refs

[st33lersguy]

Did the referee lockout really end and the regular are back in action or are the replacement refs just making calls faster? I can't tell. One thing I did notice in last night's game was how horrible the officiating was. Several BLATANT calls against the Titans were missed. A couple offsides, a cheap shot on Ben, hands to the face on the blocked punt. It isn't just this game, several bad calls went against Green Bay against the Saints. The Saints also benefited the next week from bad calls that wiped out big Charger gains on the final drive. Then there was last week's Balt-KC game where an obvious fumble returned TD stupidly didn't count because the incompetent refs stupidly blew it dead. Not to mention the vast amount of horrible calls these refs have been making the past few seasons. The difference between the real refs and the replacements is negligible and the NFL needs to find new replacement refs starting now and THOROUGHLY TRAIN THEM throughout the offseason.

[Count Steeler]

But it was the mighty Ed Hercules crew last night. Garbage.

[X-Terminator]

Honestly, is there really any difference between the "real" refs and the replacement refs? They both suck, but at least the replacement refs allowed a little more real football to be played.

[fansince'76]

To be fair, the refs have to enforce a ton of bullshit rules that rely on "judgment calls" in the name of "player safety."

[LLT]

To be fair, the refs have to enforce a ton of bullshit rules that rely on "judgment calls" in the name of "player safety."

Exactly.

[silver & black]

At least the games don't last 5 hours with the "real" refs.

[suitanim]

At least the games don't last 5 hours with the "real" refs.

Yeah. The real refs make bad calls quickly and decisively...the replacements made bad calls slowly, then deliberated about each one for 5 minutes...

[steelreserve]

To be fair, the refs have to enforce a ton of bullshit rules that rely on "judgment calls" in the name of "player safety."

Right, but the replacement refs mostly skipped that, which I enjoyed. Although they were starting to ramp up the personal fouls the last game or two, so who knows, maybe it'd be about the same by now. I still don't think the replacement refs were much worse than the regular ones; like I always said, the "real" refs blow calls on a regular basis.

[JayC]

the game is a lot more smooth now which is great but the real refs suck just as much as the scabs in terms of fair consistent calls.

[suitanim]

It could also be stated that the replacement refs did NOT know the rules, and called the games badly, the real refs DO know the rules, but still call the games badly.