Replacement Officials

So the National Football League and the officials' union have come to an agreement that ends the lockout. Last night's game between Cleveland and Baltimore was the first this season to have to regular referees officiate the game. Up until now the games were officiated by replacement referees - guys from various levels of experience, some whom had been released from obligations at lower levels of football. A few had been fired by the Pac12 in college football. One had been fired by the Lingerie Football League.

Unless you've been successful at ignoring the sportscasts, newscasts, and pop culture shows, you already know that each week featured a few bad calls or no-calls by the replacements. The worst was a game-ending, game-changing call on Monday Night Football. The Green Bay Packers, with the lead, intercepted a desperation pass in the end zone as time expired. But the replacement officials called it a touchdown for the Seattle Seahawks. Game over. Seattle wins. Green Bay and everyone else loses.

This is where Dandy Don Meredith should sing "Turn Out the Lights, the Party's Over." Over for the replacement officials. Almost 48 hours later, a new contract was ready for approval by the officials' union.

That was an interesting 48 hours. Every sports talk show on radio and TV talked about it. National mainline media carried it on their news programs. Presidents, past and present, weighed in on the issue. I don't particularly like the NFL's style of the game but I was captured by it.

Labor disputes really irritate me, especially when an agreement is quickly reached after months of negotiations. Actually, I just hate negotiations. I've walked off car lots when they start that. Just give me the best price and if I can do it I'll pay it. But don't ask me what I think I can pay or float a ridiculous price out there.

Anyway, labor disputes irritate me. They highlight selfishness. At least one side, sometimes both, is acting without much regard for the other. Philippians 2:4 says, "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." If we would just apply biblical principles to our negotiations, everybody wins. But, no, one side feels cheated or disrespected or oppressed if the other side gets anything out of the negotiation.

So the NFL was extremely embarrassed Monday night. The public turned up the heat on both the League and the officials' union. Both are at fault. And an agreement that could have been reached weeks ago is negotiated. Both sides step forward to take credit, neglecting to acknowledge their fault.

I thought it was funny that the NFL Network, airing last night's game, went to commercial break with a highlight package of the real referees back at work. The game was scoreless at the time so maybe having the regulars back on the field WAS the highlight.

Now, what about the replacements? Seems to me that out of the dozens of men who took the field so that the most popular sport in America could go on, just a handful of them are really to blame. Sure, they were probably all in over their heads but they weren't all totally confused. I'm thinking that most of them did a pretty good job. In fact, as the NFL hires a pool of "referees in training," some of these replacements might be in that group...if the union can quit thinking like Big Labor and not call these guys "scabs." Some of them may deserve a legitimate shot at the NFL. Given the training that the regulars have had, and placed on a team of officials with senior members, some of them could have a respectable career with the NFL.

I'm afraid that won't happen. Typical of our society is to lump the good with the bad and call it all bad. We'll throw out the baby with the bath water. One bad apple (or a few) WILL spoil the whole barrel. If his resume lists "Replacement Official" he'll get shuffled to the bottom of the pile and won't hear back from his prospective employer. The good guys take a black eye they don't deserve. Or a black ball they don't deserve.

I hope I'm wrong. I'd like to see the refs who caused the problems go back to doing something else. And I'd like to see the refs with some potential given the opportunity to develop that potential. And I'd really like to see labor disputes handled better next time.