NFL Start Of Season

With Goodell at table, NFL ref talks heat up

By TIM REYNOLDS, AP

With Commissioner Roger Goodell at the table, the NFL and referees' union pressed toward a settlement Wednesday to end a three-month lockout that triggered a wave of frustration and anger over replacement officials and threatened to disrupt the rest of the season.

Two days after a controversial call cost the Green Bay Packers a win, both sides were said to be nearing a deal and several reports put regular officials back at work perhaps as early as Sunday.

ESPN reported that ``an agreement in principle is at hand.'' The New York Times said the sides ``were closing in'' on a new agreement.

The NFL declined to confirm that a tentative contract was imminent.

The union wants improved salaries, retirement benefits and other logistical issues for the mostly part-time referees. The NFL has proposed a pension freeze and a higher 401(k) match.

``Until somebody tells me differently, it's not really changed,'' Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt said.

Talks resumed Wednesday morning and continued past 6 p.m. following a 14-hour meeting that started Tuesday. Goodell attended that session as well as four meetings last week.

``We want to go back to work but it has to be the right deal for 121 guys,'' NFL field judge Boris Cheek said. ``We have to be patient and let this work itself out.''

Some coaches, including Miami's Joe Philbin and Cincinnati's Marvin Lewis, instructed players not to speak publicly on the issue, especially after a barrage of comments that accompanied Monday night's Green Bay-Seattle game, which the Packers lost 14-12 on a missed call.

Fines against two coaches for incidents involving the replacements were handed out Wednesday.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was docked $50,000 for trying to grab an official's arm Sunday to ask for an explanation of a call after his team lost at Baltimore Sunday. And Washington assistant Kyle Shanahan was tagged for $25,000 for what the league called ``abuse of officials'' in the Redskins' loss to Cincinnati on Sunday. Two other coaches, Denver's John Fox and assistant Jack Del Rio, were fined Monday for incidents involving the replacements.

``I accept the discipline and I apologize for the incident,'' Belichick said.

But many players indicated the replacement-ref issues were too significant to ignore.

``Would you let a Toyota dealership work on your brand new Rolls-Royce? That doesn't work right, does it,'' Dallas safety Gerald Sensabaugh said. ``Our brand is so big, it's so important to a lot of people. There's no way you can have guys that don't have experience at that level.''

The replacement officials previously worked mostly in lower-division college ranks, such as Division III, and in minor professional organizations like the Arena League.

``I hate to say it,'' Carolina's Steve Smith said, ``but if you are going to have these refs in a Super Bowl it's going to cost somebody a game.

``I'll probably get in trouble for this, but you have to have competent people,'' he said. ``And if you're incompetent, get them out of there.''

Rams quarterback Sam Bradford didn't mince words about the regular refs - ``We need them back.''

``I hope it happens soon,'' he said. ``I just don't think it's fair to the fans, I don't think it's fair to us as players to go out there and have to deal with that week in and week out. I really hope that they're as close as they say they are.''

Despite several field fiascos - like Dallas' Kevin Ogletree getting tripped in the end zone by an official's thrown cap - not everyone is necessarily pointing fingers at the replacements.

``Maybe we shouldn't be blaming the refs, but blaming the league, the owners, I don't know who it is,'' Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. ``Maybe it's not just the officials. We're putting them in tough situations and it can't be easy.''

Even Cheek, the NFL field judge, said the replacement refs are in a difficult position - though noted the end-of-game call in Seattle, at least in his in eyes, should have been easy to get right.

``It's like expecting a high schooler to keep pace with Ray Lewis,'' Vikings punter Chris Kluwe said. ``It's not fair to expect them to do that. I think you saw that through no real fault or lack of effort, they were just put in a position where they couldn't really succeed.''

Even if a deal is at hand, it was still uncertain how it would affect the weekend's games. Week 4 opens Thursday night with the Cleveland Browns at the Ravens.

Titans coach Mike Munchak said he thought it might take a while before things return to normal, even with the regular refs.

``It's going to be hard for officials to come back since not doing a game since last December, a lot of them, and all of a sudden they're doing a game. I think it's going to be a tough transition either way. You want things to get settled. You want the best people to be out there, the guys who've been doing it a lot of years.''

Bills coach Chan Gailey had a simple solution for all the recent angst.

``The biggest thing, if you get a big enough lead, it won't come down to a call,'' he said. ``Go get big leads and it won't be an issue.'
 
NFL gives into public pressure and does right thing by bringing back regular officials---from Yahoo Sports

My fellow Americans, our brief national nightmare is over – the NFL's regular referees are headed back to work.
After three weeks of blown calls, no calls and reversed calls; of physical contact and verbal intimidation; of confused Vegas bookmakers and infuriated fantasy players; and less than 48 hours after what is perhaps the most bizarre ending to a football game not involving a Stanford trombone player, the NFL and the NFL Referees Association reached an agreement Wednesday.
"Our officials will be back on the field starting [Thursday] night," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement, referring to the Cleveland Browns-Baltimore Ravens contest.
Meanwhile, the much derided replacement refs can return to the ball fields of Division III, junior college and the lingerie league.
We're sure Bill Belichick sends his regards.
Score this one for public pressure, as the NFL, under intense scrutiny and criticism, finally acknowledged that the job of referee isn't just a replaceable occupation. As a tidal wave of tumult grew over the season's first three weeks – capped by Sunday and Monday nights' nationally-broadcast embarrassments – the league's hypothesis that it could pretty much round up anyone off the street, put them in striped shirts and the game would go on fine was over.

So the NFL, despite plenty of posturing and hardline talk to the end – what would a labor fight be without that – made a deal.
The refs will meet in Dallas on Friday and Saturday to ratify the eight-year contract and pick up their equipment and assignments. The pension deal they fought to preserve will remain for the next five years, according to reports, then it goes to 401Ks. There is a four percent pay raise.
The rest no one cares about. No one ever cared about any of it actually.
This was never about who won or who lost a labor deal. Until the lockout, few people knew or cared that the refs even had a union.
In the end, the NFL was battling over $3.3 million per year in pension payouts. That was a meager $103,125 per team per year for a $9 billion-plus industry. The entire "labor dispute" would have been comedic except players, coaches and fans wondered when it would be their team intercepting a Hail Mary and losing the game anyway.
The details on why the NFL finally budged will emerge in the days to come, but at this point, credit the owners, commissioner Roger Goodell and the referees' union for making this less about ideology and more about giving an insatiable customer base that's made them all wealthy [or wealthier] what they deserve.
"I want to give a special thanks to NFL fans for their passion," Goodell said. "Now it’s time to put the focus back on the teams and players where it belongs."
The NFL miscalculated and then mishandled the replacement refs from the start. The league initially found a weak crop to take the job, unable to lure top college officials either because they were already under contract or simply unwilling to leave regular high-level work for what was always likely to be just a few pay checks.
The result was an unqualified and at times incapable crew from high schools, small colleges and one preseason ref even fired from the Lingerie League for a lack of ability. The jump to the bigger, faster, most complicated and far more intense NFL was impossible.
While bad calls have always been and will continue to be part of the game – no one can officiate football perfectly – the replacement refs too often lost control of the flow and integrity of the games. There were too many flags or too much confusion. Play dragged, the action got choppy and rules were confused.

They tried their best and at times did quite well. Other times, however, refs were intimidated by home crowds [Vegas began adjusting lines in accordance] as well as the vocal complaints of famous players and coaches. It's one thing to ignore the complaints of a 16-year-old sophomore. It's another when it's Ray Lewis.
The league failed to protect the replacement's psyche by offering zero tolerance for complaints from players and coaches. Instead, the substitute teachers were mostly thrown to the wolves. Weeks of watching enraged stars, often just trying to gain an edge from what they perceived as a weak official, grated on fans and broadcasters. All the arguing further undermined the replacements' credibility.
By Monday night, when two confused officials met in the corner of a Seattle end zone and tried to make sense of a contested last-second game-winning pass/interception, the situation had become untenable.
The NFL tried to claim it was the proper call on Tuesday but few believed them.
The idea of sending the same officials into Week 4 – where each mistake, even ones the regular refs would make, was set to be dissected – was something the NFL couldn't stomach. Neither could it deal with another week of fining future Hall of Fame coaches or rosters of players hammering the league on Twitter.
The replacement ref debacle had turned the NFL into a laughing stock and if there is one thing the league that likes to call itself "The Shield" despises, it's being mocked. Heartless, cheap, unfair, they can deal with. Just don't laugh at them.

Roger Goodell knew that much and after receiving the brunt of the blame for the lockout; he deserves credit for being in charge when the tide so quickly shifted.
Facing a crisis of its own making, the NFL humbled itself and compromised.
Three weeks into a bad experiment and less than 48 hours after a humiliating error it couldn't recover from, and the deal is done. The NFL is back. Finally, in full.
 
Refs cheered at first NFL game following lockout

By JOSEPH WHITE, AP

BALTIMORE (AP) — No one is complaining that the refs cost the Cleveland Browns the game. That mere fact is a major victory for the NFL and the seven-man crew led by referee Gene Steratore, who brought official harmony back to the nation's most popular league.

Cheered from the moment they walked onto the field, the men in stripes ran a smooth and efficient game Thursday night as the NFL's lockout of officials came to an end with the Baltimore Ravens' 23-16 win over the Browns.

``To just be applauded by 50,000 people prior to anything happening, it was something that kind of chokes you up,'' Steratore said. ``It was a very special feeling.''

Sure, there were calls that made both sides unhappy. Browns coach Pat Shurmur drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for arguing an intentional grounding call, and Ravens left tackle Michael Oher could be heard raising all kinds of beef about a holding call.

But, overall, the officials kept the game in control, curtailing the chippy play and choppy pace - not to mention the inconsistent calls - that had marred the three weeks of games with replacement officials.

``It was great to have those guys back,'' Ravens running back Ray Rice said. ``It looked like they knew what they were doing.''

An agreement to end the lockout was reached late Wednesday after marathon negotiations, two days after a ``Monday Night Football'' finish brought debate over the use of the replacements to a fevered pitch nationwide.

That game ended when a 24-yard desperation pass on the last play was ruled a touchdown - even though replays appeared to show it should have been an interception - giving the Seattle Seahawks a disputed 14-12 victory over the Green Bay Packers.

The stage was set for something eerily similar Thursday. A fourth-down unnecessary roughness penalty on Baltimore's Paul Kruger - a good call, given the way he shoved Cleveland's Joe Thomas after the whistle - gave the Browns one final play from the 18-yard line.

But Brandon Weeden's 18-yard pass sailed high as time expired. No controversial ending this time.

``I thought they handled (the game) great,'' Cleveland coach Pat Shurmur said. ``I had all the confidence in the world that this was going to be officiated in the right way.''

The newfound love for the refs was evident all evening.

About an hour before kickoff, they made their first appearance on the field and heard cheers from the early arrivals. A few minutes later, Steratore was shaking hands with Shurmur near midfield and getting a hug from Ravens face-of-the-franchise Ray Lewis at the 30-yard line.

Later, when the crew returned, they received a standing ovation and doffed their caps to the crowd. One fan held up a sign that read: ``Finally! We get to yell at real refs! Welcome back!''

``It was very chaotic with the replacement refs,'' said Karen Riley, a 44-year-old fan wearing a Rice jersey. ``They couldn't control the players on either side. There were bad calls, constantly, and in some cases refs making different calls at the same time.''

When Steratore then turned on his microphone to greet the captains for the pre-game coin toss, the crowd heard him say: ``Good evening, men. It's good to be back.''

The stadium erupted in a roar.

``You know we always pride ourselves in being a face without a name,'' Steratore, a 10-year league veteran, told The Associated Press about an hour before kickoff. ``This will be a little different, but I don't expect it to last too long. And that's the goal - is that we can let them get through that portion of this. It's happy to be back, it's happy to be appreciated. But then as soon as the game starts, it's happy to disappear again and let the entertainers entertain.''

The deal to end the lockout is only tentative - it must be ratified by 51 percent of the union's 121 members in a vote scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Dallas - but both sides nevertheless went forward with the plan to have the regulars back for Thursday's game.

So Steratore hustled to Baltimore, making the 3 1/2-hour drive Thursday morning from his home in the Pittsburgh area. He's usually in place the day before a game, but none of his regular pregame meetings had to be changed because the Browns-Ravens game was at night.

``We've had a few weeks to actually realize that this was the first September that I was home for multiple Saturdays and Sundays for almost 30 years of my life, continuously. ... It just feels completely different,'' Steratore said. ``To be away from something that is involved with this level of professional sport, just to come back and feel that again, it doesn't take long to realize why you were missing it as much as you were missing it.''

Steratore, who is a basketball official in the Big East Conference among others, also was fully aware he would be jeered the first time his crew made a questionable call - just like always.

``Without a question,'' he said. ``I've been yelled at by my own children many times, so this won't be any different.''

Sure enough, the same fans that cheered the coin toss let out a full chorus of boos when line judge Jeff Seeman tossed his yellow flag some 20 yards to whistle Baltimore safety Bernard Pollard for a personal foul in the third quarter. Replays showed it was a good call: Pollard led with his helmet to make contact with a defenseless receiver, costing the Ravens 15 yards in a drive that led to a field goal for the Browns.

Steratore's crew nearly made a misstep in the first quarter, incorrectly spotting the ball by 2 yards after a misapplication of the rules following a holding call on the Browns. But two members of the crew caught the mistake and notified the referee before the next snap. A brief huddle ensued, and the ball was moved to its correct spot.

The crew made it clear it wouldn't tolerate the extra shoving and yelling after the whistle that had been frequently permitted by the replacements. Offsetting personal fouls were called on Cleveland's Johnson Bademosi and Baltimore's James Ihedigbo for extracurricular roughness on a punt return in the first quarter.

Then there was Shurmur's unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Replays appeared to validate the grounding call he was trying to contest, and the coach took responsibility for his loss of temper.

``I can't do that,'' Shurmur said. ``It's an emotional game, and I got to make sure I keep my emotions in check.''

There were 18 penalties called in the game, mostly the familiar calls for holding and false start. There were two rare - and indisputable - whistles for fair catch interference on punt returns, and a hands-to-the-face call on Baltimore's Kelechi Osemele was so obvious that it drew three flags.

The league's new agreement with the officials runs for eight years. Commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledged the ending of the Seahawks-Packers game ``may have pushed the parties further along'' in the talks.

``Obviously when you go through something like this it is painful for everybody,'' Goodell said. ``Most importantly, it is painful for our fans. We are sorry to have to put our fans through that, but it is something that in the short term you sometimes have to do to make sure you get the right kind of deal for the long term and make sure you continue to grow the game.''

The dispute even made its way to the campaign trail, with President Barack Obama's spokesman, Jay Carney, calling Thursday ``a great day for America.''

``The president's very pleased that the two sides have come together,'' Carney said.

---
 
Great weekend of football especially with officiating commensurate with the league

To my buddy Frantz....49ers are back on track coming off the loss against the Vikings as they totally destroyed the Jets leaving Buddy eating humble pie
 
THE JETS SELF DESTRUCTED.

RG3 LED SKINS TO LAST MINUTE VICTORY. tHUSii HAVE NO MORE CRITICISMS!

Is there anyone else who believes RG3 may have engaged in some gamesmanship when he claimed his headset went ut on that last drive? The usual remedy is to inform the ref. He then makes the opposing team disable thier headset. He called his own plays that were much better than the ones called in the 'Skins last two losses.
 
The 49 ers looked good but the Jets beat themselves a lot more than the niners did ... The Jets team is not that bad but seems to need a coach that minimizes the circus atmosphere.. Their biggest problem is their coach ... He's not taking the time to groom an immature and talent-limited QB ... Sanchez plays with his eyes glued on the rearview mirror.. looking for a QB worse than him ..

Last year I though Cam Newton was unreal good .. early in the season RGIII looks almost better. This kid is the real deal.. Will defenses adjust to him? He is out of this world good .. Do you think the Colts are having some (slight) buyer remorse?

Me-thinks the current rules allow for too much passing .. Entertaining ? maybe ... But the game is a little too easy now .. You just go and air it .. Now for a QB, 300 yds per game is the rule ... 400 is ... well ... good and ... Offenses are raking up 7, 800 yds .. Almost weekly ... Perhaps the NFL needs to review the rules .. or was it the replacement refs?
 
Do you think the Colts are having some (slight) buyer remorse?

I know the Rams are!
Greg
 
156189_475996679088869_1218627003_n.jpgLooking back :)
 
Cowboys lose again....

here is a interesting fact......The Cowboys (2-2) are a .500 team again, alternating wins and losses this season. Since the start of the 1997 season, Dallas is 122-122 in regular-season games with one playoff victory.
 
Redskins QB RG3 is NFL Rookie of the month!
 
The 49ers continue to impress after yesterday's mauling of the Bills. How about Alex Smith emerging as one of the best QB's in the league and have an option of Colin Kaepernick backing him up. That kid will be a star

Yet the Falcons remain undefeated and how about the Bears. Are those 2 teams really that good
 
The 49ers continue to impress after yesterday's mauling of the Bills. How about Alex Smith emerging as one of the best QB's in the league and have an option of Colin Kaepernick backing him up. That kid will be a star

Yet the Falcons remain undefeated and how about the Bears. Are those 2 teams really that good
The Bears loked good. My team, the Bills, look pretty poor.
 
Looking forward to the Giants - 49ers game .. Giants played a "meh" game against the Eagles woke up and destroyed the Browns .. Which team would show up against the 49ers ? Running against the niners will be the real test for the Jints. On the other side, Alex Smith would face a defense that can torture a QB and force him into errors, something A. Smith is prone to. We'll see how good he really is... so far? Not bad at all. The niners look good
As for the Bears .. The defense is its usual monstrous self .. The offense ? I am not counting on them to score a bunch of point in a shootout. The surprise team is Atlanta, the kid Ryan is very, truly good. The defense superior. Another team to watch:The Texans.. Simple , fundamental, efficient and ferocious... Strangely under the radar .. No one pays attention to them.. Boring and methodical... similar to the Giants in that sense but the Giants have some proven Stars and a Superstar QB .. The Texans have good players not many stars (well Adrian Foster and Andre Johnson are stars) ...else no fuss no mess, no media build-up or large personality. Some consider them to be at this juncture the best team in the NFL
 
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Cowboys lose again....

here is a interesting fact......The Cowboys (2-2) are a .500 team again, alternating wins and losses this season. Since the start of the 1997 season, Dallas is 122-122 in regular-season games with one playoff victory.

The Cowboys problem is a newer version of the old Raiders problem: An owner (maybe not as crazy as Al Davis but crazy nonetheless) who knows nothing about football but won't keep out of the way of those who do ---- and only picks head coaches who are not strong enough to tell him to butt out. And he is apparently no better at selecting plastic surgeons either :p

The reason the Falcons have improved is that the original owners (Rankin Smith and then his sons) were insurance guys who refused to do what is necessary to get great. Once the team was sold to Arthur Blank, the improvement began. Are they as good as some other teams? Who knows but they are easily the best Atlanta Falcon team EVER. I lived here when the team started in 1965 and have suffered through the teams woes. I'm sure they won't win every game but before any game starts, we all believe they have a reasonable shot of victory.

When Jerry Jones (and family) are no longer part of the organization, Dallas can become great again. Until then, I'd be very surprised! Does Jones' son (Stephen) , who is VP of Player Personnel, have any actual football experience?
 
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Jints go into SF and make a statement on both offense and defense!
 

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