NFL: Assignments based on officials ability

[FredFan7]

If you are Dallas, San Francisco, New England, you get the best officials.

If you are Saint Louis, Minnesota, Indianapolis......good luck.

bit.ly/QfyXsu

This flies in the face of how the regulars are scheduled. I was surprised at a Steelers-Ravens officiating assignment a few years ago (it may have been a rookie R who got it) thinking it should have been Carey or McAulay. But the computer spit out a rookie R (I think it may have been Steratore, before I knew how good he was) and we went on with the day.

[mike]

Fred, I do believe there is some of that even with the regular officials. You rarely see someone like Jerome Boger or Jeff Triplette getting the worst divisional battles. Walt Anderson and Terry McAulay seem to get a lot of the games where the league expects that it could get out of hand very easily. It will just be more pronounced because the league does not want the tough divisions or final playoff spots coming down to incorrect calls

[JugglingReferee]

It most definitely exists with the regular officials.

[JAYJAYSTRIPES]

It happens at all levels from High School on up through the college ranks, you don't want a Joe Shmoe working a game that he's not qualified for.......The official who works hard, is consistent, KNOW THE RULES, hustles and is able to use good judgment, not calling ticky tack rule book fouls, and apply the rules when they have an impact on a given play,(ie. holding, for one, which could be called evey play) are the people who are assigned the better games, and the "prime time" venues.

[cj]

It's all part of the negotiating game going on. Frankly, we all know the lockout at some point will be settled. I don't know anybody who questions that. Both sides are looking for the most leverage they can get. If this week and next week come off relatively clean, members of the union despite their protestations of toal unity will begin to cave. While we assume all of them are quite rich (the officials), that might not be true. Some may have given up their "full time" jobs in favor of living off the weekly check from the NFL (few are ovber 65 and already collecting pensions or whatever from their previous lives). Again I use the 1987 players' lockout. They told the world they would stand united. And then players needing the money started coming in and the union's position quickly collapsed and the thing was settled within a week.

If OTOH we have a couple of serious incidents (not a blown call here and there, heck even Jerry Markbreit blew it big time on the holy roller play and who can forget Ed Hochulhi calling an obvious fumble an incomplete pass taking a game away from San Diego). The best blow calls at significant junctures of the game. If the games this week or next descend into chaos, total chaos, there will be pressure brought on management to settle.

We will just have to wait to see what happens (I am sure the SF-GB games, the natinal game in the late slot on Sunday will also get one of their best crews).

[JAYJAYSTRIPES]

cj ;
Of course the missed or blown calls are magnified by the media and further exaggerated by replay. I'm still old school...the game is coached and played by humans, let it be officiated by humans..enough of that lousy replay scenario..let them play and if some one errs, oh well! that's all part of the game.
I worked for 22 years and I even hated seeing myself on film during film review sessions.

[cj]

Sept 7, 2012 9:37:58 GMT -5 JAYJAYSTRIPES said:

cj ;
Of course the missed or blown calls are magnified by the media and further exaggerated by replay. I'm still old school...the game is coached and played by humans, let it be officiated by humans..enough of that lousy replay scenario..let them play and if some one errs, oh well! that's all part of the game.
I worked for 22 years and I even hated seeing myself on film during film review sessions.

\\

Jay..my answer wasn't necessarily to your post but to the thread in general. But as to your post, unfortunately replay is necessary in this day and age given the importance that many put into the games and the fact the replay will be shown anyway. Just go back to the Phil Luckett debacle in the New York Jets-Seattle game when the replay clearly showed the ball had not crossed the goal line but since there was no replay, they let the call stand. Ultimately it might have cost Seattle a playoff spot and it cost the Seattle coach his job yet the whole country had seen how bad the call was and how simple it would have been to correct it. Even Japanese sumo wrestling which is far more traditional than the NFL and much older uses instant replay when they can't determine which guy left the ring first.

I'm afraid it's a necessary evil and there is no way they can go back on it.