Report: NFL-NFLRA Reach Agreement
ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that the league and the regular officials have an agreement in principle.
By PackerAaron
It looks like the debacle at the end of Monday night's game was indeed the proverbial "tipping point."
Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN give us the following:
As @mortreport is reporting, an agreement between NFL and NFLRA is at hand and both sides will work to have officials working this weekend.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 26, 2012
It would seem the Packers had to be the team to somewhat "fall on their sword" for the league. If it got the regular referees back and serves as a rallying point for this years Packers team, it may just have all been worth it.
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Comments (31)
September 26, 2012 at 11:12 am
I never thought I'd say this, but, man, I really missed Ed Hochuli.
September 26, 2012 at 11:25 am
I think the more extreme sentiment: I miss Jeff Triplett
September 26, 2012 at 11:35 am
Jeez. That's bold.
During the Packers aftermath, I pictured Hochuli doing pull ups in a darkened room with a sadistic grin on his face, Cape Fear style.
September 26, 2012 at 01:23 pm
Seriously, Triplett is an upgrade from the Lingerie League rejects we currently have stinking up our eyeballs on game day. Nevr thought I'd be happy to see him ever again.
September 26, 2012 at 11:19 am
I have a prediction, once the regular refs come we will see 2 things happen to the Packers:
1 - Offensive pass game will start to put up points like they did last year
2 - Defense will start giving up points like they did last year.
IMO the replacement refs allowed the defense to get away with lots of things that slowed most of the better offenses around the league & made some defenses look a lot better than they are.
September 26, 2012 at 05:13 pm
I agree with your assessment of the offense production to a certain degree...HOWEVER, we had our problems on offense last year when we faced teams who played 2 shell and we tried to throw it in to the teeth of the coverage instead of being patient.
Disagree about the defense. We gave up yards and points being passive. The games we played aggressive man and man free coverage with pressures were our best outings. Since the switch to this style since week 1 the defense has played superb. No reason to think that won't continue....as long as Capers stays to his core.
September 26, 2012 at 11:23 am
Mort says it's "at hand," not actually agreed to yet. But fingers crossed.
September 26, 2012 at 11:30 am
Shame someone had to be martyred in order for this to happen.
September 26, 2012 at 11:48 am
"Our long national nightmare is over"
Gerald Ford, University of Michigan Wolverine
September 26, 2012 at 11:48 am
Glad our misery could fuel something good, but this should've happened a long time ago.
This doesn't change a thing regarding the NFL's image. It's permanently soiled.
Eff you NFL.
September 26, 2012 at 11:56 am
Hmmm... why do we need the old refs, when the NFL assured me that the replacement refs called the Packer-Seahawks game correctly? They weren't lying to me, were they?
September 26, 2012 at 12:12 pm
LOL. That is as close as we will ever get to an admission of a screw up.
September 26, 2012 at 04:22 pm
no, never. the NFL doesn't lie
September 26, 2012 at 12:23 pm
I just posted this somewhere else because I'm not sure where to put this. I just know it's a weekend I'll never forget and I have to VOMIT this story out somewhere.
I’m not sure where else to post this, but man did I have an amazing weekend. My brother-in-law performed for the ESPN crew this weekend and I got to tag along. I sat in a production meeting with Jon Gruden, Mike Tirico, and the whole ESPN crew (with the pictures to prove it). That was great, but another part of my weekend was even better.
For about 45 minutes, I sat on the MNF bus before the game with my bro-in-law and Gerry Austin. Mr. Austin had nothing but time to kill, and was engaged in my questions about calls, super bowls (he refed super bowl 31, by the way) and the lockout. It was an outstanding conversation.
Then, after the game, I ran into Mr. Austin again at the Sky Lounge. Now that we somewhat knew each other, I felt comfortable throwing my bags on the ground and sighing “Gerry, help me out. I’m sad, man. I’m real sad.” He replied “You should be sad. You got screwed, and more than once.”
We talked for another hour. We talked with the only annoying Seahawk fan I met all night (the Hawk fans were a blast, man). To be clear, they never showed the replay at the game. So, we walked out assuming it was a catch and there was no controversy to be had (I can only assume they didn’t show it because there would have been fights in the stands). Once we got to the airport, I had dozens of Hawk fans approach me and my bro-in-law, apologizing. “You got screwed man. I’m not complaining and I feel like we deserve this [referring to the super bowl they lost on bad officiating] but you got hosed” said one humbled, yet inwardly geeked out ‘hawk backer.
Now, the story on that one obnoxious Seahawk fan is another great story with an amazingly satisfying response from Mr. Austin, but where the hell do I write about this? Is anyone even reading this? Or cares? I don’t know, I’m still on cloud 9 after this loss. What a weekend.
September 26, 2012 at 02:29 pm
I'm reading boss. I'm always reading. Sounds like a blast. You run into Fitz?
September 26, 2012 at 03:23 pm
Here's what I wrote on the other post to finish just one of the amazing experiences I had this weekend...
Man, I have so many stories from this weekend, but this is one of my favorites. Real quickly (because I missed Monday/Tuesday at work and will be up late catching up)…
So, once I got upstairs and engaged Mr. Austin in the conversation, he started going over several of the bad calls.
Now, before I rag on this one obnoxious fan who was within ear-shot of all of this, I will say that all of my interactions with Seahawk fans were great. They were sincerely outstanding before, during, and after the game. They knew the difference between raggin’ on you for fun, and taking that to a level of personal disrespect. They could take it just as well as they could dish it out. Sincerely, I was impressed.
This one annoying Hawker (who somehow reminded me of Biff from Back to the Future…not for his physical presence but for his ability to clumsily fail at life)leaned in and started talking about how much the refs favored the Packers in this game. While I think it’s undeniable that a few calls went in the Packers favor that weren’t really there or simply omitted, I think it’s hard to come away with a sense that the Hawks got screwed. The fan asked Mr. Austin about five or six different calls, and Mr. Austin refuted all but one (I can’t recall the one off hand). Essentially, Mr. Austin was saying the Packers got screwed a lot outside of even the last play. Over time, Biff visibly grew increasingly frustrated. Finally, he paired a couple questions into one giant cluster of a question as if he wanted to consume his humility into one king-sized bite. He dialed up his Biffness with furrowed brows, squared his shoulders and asked Mr. Austin “Well, I was AT the game! What angles are you looking at, and what makes you think you know the rules better than anyone else?”
I perked up (I was sitting right next to the former official).
Very cordially, Mr. Austin replied “Well, I wasn’t sitting in the nosebleeds, I was sitting next to Gruden in the booth, reviewing 28 different angles. Also, I know the rules because I was an official in the NFL for 27 years, including three super bowls, and now am a consultant for ESPN.”
With palms up and bowed head, Biff reluctantly submitted as the aire of tension was replaced by determined squelcing of laughter. It was momentarily awkward for one and satisfying for the rest.
We then got to chat with Gerry for another 45 minutes before he boarded his plane. My bro-in-law got an inviation to enteratain at one of his upcoming parties where other NFL officials are to attend at some big golf course (I don’t know golf, but evidently it’s a well known course).
Just before he left though, they were showing the replay again and Biff couldn’t help but elude to his uncertainty if that was not indeed a Seahawk touchdown. The bartender, who is also a Seahawk fan and handled himself with class, couldn’t help himself…”Sir, with all due respect, no reasonable person can conclude that that was anything but an interception.”
Biff submitted again.
Never have I felt so satisfied after a loss…especially one like this…
September 26, 2012 at 05:06 pm
Excellent story Tommyboy. Don't know if I missed it, but did Austin confer with you on whether or not the Fail-Mary should have been a touchdown?
Seems like Biff really set himself up real well.
September 26, 2012 at 07:32 pm
Mojo - I didn't really mention it explicitly in the story, but yes - that's the first thing he discussed. He had to argue his point with Biff on that one as well.
September 26, 2012 at 03:23 pm
No Fitz, but I'm heading to the game this weekend in GB. Who knows?
September 26, 2012 at 03:56 pm
Fitz was home watching. My family came out (8 total), tix were $500 + for decent seats and not everybody wanted to cough that up. In hindsight, I'm glad I wasn't there... I'd be in jail for murder.
September 26, 2012 at 04:26 pm
Cloud 9 is a place of ecstasy; you're "at sixes and sevens", brother.
September 26, 2012 at 12:25 pm
My sources do not confirm this at this time.
GBP 4 LIFE
September 26, 2012 at 01:00 pm
It's possible the old refs will be working by this weekend and the Packers have a home game. So we don't get the benefit of the blatant home-town calls the replacement refs were intimidated into. Screwed again.
September 26, 2012 at 01:06 pm
On the flipside, they'll have a much better idea of what constitutes pass interference, so maybe Jennings, et. al. won't be getting mugged while trying to run their routes and will finally be able to get some separation.
September 26, 2012 at 01:32 pm
2 days late and 1 dollar short for GB.
I hate you NFL. We should all do this below:
------------------
"Every angry Packer fan should send a single rancid brat and a single molded cheese curd in a nondescript manila envelope to:
National Football League c/o Roger Goodell
280 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Inside, the Packers sticky note should say 'Thanks for the Rotten Replacement Reffing Goodell! WONDERFUL integrity you and the owners have shown'. The note should be wrapped around the brat with the remains of the sausage casing."
LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!
September 26, 2012 at 02:27 pm
Would they start this Sunday if could? Seems that the two teams still playing tomorrow night with replacement officials would have a legitimate gripe.
September 26, 2012 at 04:25 pm
i doubt they would have the real refs out there on sunday since it wouldn't be fair to the teams playing on thursday
September 26, 2012 at 04:28 pm
Anybody else feel like this after the ruling?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1Z8kdGXJdY
September 26, 2012 at 10:34 pm
Does anyone know if Browner was fined for the INSANE personal foul on Greg Jennings??!
September 26, 2012 at 11:16 pm
My sources tell me the deal is done.
Just took the GREEN BAY PACKERS to fall on the sword so others wouldn't have to. You're welcome NFL fans.
GBP 4 LIFE
September 30, 2012 at 06:29 am
I don't understand the positive feeling surrounding the return of the Real Refs. Certainly, the replacement refs had to go, but the real refs had their share of bad calls and non calls, as well. I always cringe when I remember the penalty during a time out the Packers incurred last season and all of the penalties for going helmet to helmet on Aaron Rodgers that were never called. Some players can hold on every down and never get called for it. Why is that? I do not view the real refs as being any better than the replacement refs, in that regard. Their bad and non calls make it look as though the games are rigged.