A question of accountibility

[FredFan7]

There's been some discussion over the accountability issues in the new NFLRA CBA. Everyone makes politically correct noises about being accountable and wanting to "yank" or "bench" under performing officials.

I'd submit to you that the NFL officials are the most accountable officials in the four major pro sports.

In MLB, they have AAA fill ins work from one to 10 years at that level and then when a position opens up they get a full time job. Once they get a full time job, it is basically theirs for life. Granted, several AAA fill ins have not been asked back (Delfin Colon, Ron Barnes, Justin Klemm), but if you survive to the full time gig, it's yours.

NBA newcomers bounce between the NBA, CBA, and WNBA but once they get a full time gig it's theirs. I can't remember a full time NBA veteran official getting waxed since Joe Gushue (injuries partly) in the early 80s, and Richie Powers in 1979 (self destructed).

Mark Faucet got nailed about five years ago when he failed to adapt to the two man referee system, but in the NHL if you make it past the first few years, you're pretty good to go (exceptions are Ron Hoggarth and Ryan Bozak in the mid-90s).

We constantly see NFL officials dropped for failure to perform over the years. I would guess that since 1980, the number of NFL officials terminated is greater than the number of full time baseball, hockey, and basketball officials combined.

You want to send a side judge home for the rest of the year if he makes a bad error? Do you really want to do that? Wait until the end of the season and evaluate the year. If you start yanking officials mid-season, suddenly you have officials living in terror of making a mistake (most of them do now) and their performance will suffer like a vicious circle. Heading onto the field with all of that negative energy and emotion will not make for a good official.

Chill out on making the NFL officials more accountable - they are already the most accountable group of pro officials in the country.

[zebrablog]

And, may I add, who is the "bench" official? Someone who has been officiating all the while, or someone who has been playing end, guard and tackle (end of the bench, guard the water bucket, tackle anyone who tries to take it)? Is the officiating bullpen really going to make any bit of difference when the in-game accuracy is between 98.5% and 99%?

There should be just 1 full crew of swing officials, because, as seen with Green and Corrente last year, there was quite a bit of juggling and skipped bye weeks.

[cj]

Nice job Fred...I think all officials today are much more accountable because of modern technology and the fact every game is televised sometimes by three different feeds in sports other than the NFL (home, visitors, natonal). Also under Art McNally nothing was ever released publically. Every move, every call is under the microscope and that makes it a tough tough job.

One correction though. Ron Hoggarth was an HL referee for quite a while and I don't remember that he left involuntarily but I wouldn't swear to that.

[mike]

Fred, the problem is in other sports officials have to prove themselves at the top level before getting a position with what amounts to tenure. The NFL does not have that luxury as officials are not eased in to the NFL. I can also think of far more AAA umpires who have not been asked back at the major league level than I can NFL officials terminated for poor performance since 2001. NHL has also had a lot more than you give credit for (Richard Trottier, Lance Roberts, Mick MeGeough, Scott Zelkin, Scott Hoberg, Conrad Hache, Harry Dumas, Bob Langdon just to name a few)