Eugene, your points would be well taken if only for the fact that most people don't understand what an NFL referee does. It isn't just 16 regular season games, four preseason games and an elite group being chosen to do the playoffs and Super Bowl. They travel to the NFL camps prior to the season to go over rules enforcement and any changes made during the off-season. They all have "real jobs" to be sure, but the demand on them as NFL officials is pretty high. For this, they get paid about $149,000 a year. Pretty good for a hobby. But the reality is that they easily devote will over 1500 hours a year to their "hobby," which is just about 60% of the time NBA and NHL referees and MLB umpires invest in their professions for about two to four times the pay. So all things being equal, the NFL referees should be paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $250,000 a year, at least.
Then there is the issue of pension plans. The NFL refs currently have one. The NFL wants to eliminate it. Tommy Bell gave 27 years of his life to NFL refereeing for a lot less money than Ed Hochuli or Scott Green are having invested in their pension, but the NFL wants to take all of that away. Is that really fair, treating a guy who is willing to literally work two-full time careers only to be told, "Thanks, here's a gold watch and you can keep your jersey?" Not in my book.
The NFL would like to improve officiating. Naturally. But that means hiring more referees and instigating a performance based assignment system. Current officials are concerned (rightly so, in my book) that could lead to them eventually being forced out with no pension, in favor of a new, full-time refereeing contingent. Is that fair when the current refs have, again, worked two careers and not really needing to do so, but doing so because they love the game and are committed to its integrity? A performance based assignment system makes sense, and should be implemented, but not at the cost of clearing out everyone in the profession. Most of them are highly qualified and have proven themselves time and again. Performance based assignments might eliminate 10 guys from the current ranks. The rest need to be kept on.
There are a lot of ways to argue against what the refs want, and a lot of it is valid. But the NFL is not treating them fairly and, in hiring these jokes for replacements, is essentially saying "Anyone can do this job." However, they are being proven wrong Sunday after Sunday, game after game, play after play. The clowns need to go. Bring back Ed Hochuli and his arms!
2
