Water Cooler Talk: Real Refs Back!

The Replacement Ref Failure is Over. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NFL gives into public pressure and does right thing by bringing back regular officials – Yahoo! Sports.

Overnight the news broke that the NFL and the Real Refs have agreed to terms that will get the Refs back on the field!

Here is the least you need to know to get you through Water cooler Talk this AM.

The Refs will meet in Dallas on Friday and Saturday to ratify the eight year contract
The Refs get to keep their pension for the next five years and then it will convert to 401K
There is a 4% payraise

What the NFL was fighting over was $3.3 million per year in pension payouts. That equals to $103,125 per team per year in a $9 billion-plus industry according to Dan Wetzel from Yahoo! Sports.

I have to believe that the fan reaction and media coverage after the botched MNF game between Seattle and Green Bay is what finally push the NFL over the edge. Now comes damage control.

The NFL owners believed that they could simply put in “substitute teachers” to do the jobs of professionals in a $9 billion dollar industry. These “officials” never had control of the game and never had the full backing from the NFL. The NFL never truly supported the replacement refs- that was the big mistake. The replacement refs were afraid of the players and coaches, and really should have had more backbone. Of course when a 300 plus man in big shoulder pads is on the field with you it is difficult to have backbone.

So welcome back to the regular crew of zebras…. in a few short weeks I’m sure we’ll be screaming at you for missed calls so enjoy the popularity for at least a weekend.