This Is Why NFL Replacement Referees Will Ruin This Season

The referees in the Buffalo Bills vs Washington Redskins first preseason game called this punt, that was clearly downed at the Redskins 4 yard line, a touchback. Bills coach Chan Gailey had to actually burn a challenge on this ridiculous call.

If I’m one of the locked out refs, my price just went up!

Its going to be a long season if the lockout of the REAL NFL officials doesn’t end soon. Did you ever think that you would appreciate NFL officials or be more understanding of the difficulties of their position?

In another interesting side note, CBSSports.com Contributor Mike Freeman tweeted that the NFL didn’t do a great job of looking into the backgrounds of these replacement refs.

One of the replacement refs, a line judge working a game tonight, was fired from his job as a teacher after — wait for it…
It was discovered he sent letters that contained scrawled threats and racist hate messages to co-workers.
It was determined this line judge actually sent the racist cards himself, to himself and others, so he could be transferred.
Eventually, the school used a handwriting expert to determine the teacher wrote the notes, according to a published report.

A second replacement official was at the center of what is considered one of the worst officiated Pac-10 games in that league’s history…
USC-Stanford game in 2010. Late in the game, USC ahead. Close game. Official, now a replacement ref, forgot to start the clock…
This allowed Stanford to get ball back sooner than it should have and they won the game. Writers covering the contest…
Called it one of the worst officiated games they had ever seen.

At this point it looks like the refs just got about a gazillion bargaining chips.

Good work, Roger.