Who dat guy gonna ref dem Saints?

[dixiehack]

Until this morning, it was a replacement side from New Orleans who had Facebook photos of him tailgating in black and gold.

http://m.abc3340.com/default.aspx?pid=2705&wnfeedurl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.abc3340.com%2fstory%2f19555874%2fnfl-pulls-side-judge-for-being-saints-fan%3fclienttype%3drssstory

 

[Mark2010]

We can't have that. Goodell hates the Saints.

 

[JC]

Yes Mark, that is why.

 

[Cubbiebum]

great title

 

[HanSenSE]

NBC saying he'll work next week, just not a Saints game. Like the NFL had a shred of integrity left anyway.

 

[dixiehack]

If anyone ever aimed to fix an NFL game, getting to these sham refs is the best chance they may ever have.

 

[MileHigh]

After watching some calls in many games today -- they've been gotten to. It's a tough job (I do it at the high school level), but today seemed especially brutal. And for the league to have not done homework on this guy ... wow.

 

[Tarheel316]

After watching some calls in many games today -- they've been gotten to. It's a tough job (I do it at the high school level), but today seemed especially brutal. And for the league to have not done homework on this guy ... wow.

Really. Just to think a Saints fanboi almost got to officiate in a Saints game.

 

[lone star scribe]

The hit to the head on Alex Smith when he purposely went into a slide didn't draw a flag (except for the one the Niners got for holding on the play) but drew a rebuke from the NBC announcers.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I think it's safe to say that most NFL refs have a team that, they root for... But there's a big difference between that, and going in the tank for a team.

I think the NFL made the right move because if that guy had made a call that benefited the Saints, they never would have heard the end of it. If you're a NFL ref, you should make sure that pictures of you tailgating at their games are not on your FB page. It's just common sense...

 

[Azrael]

Well, to be fair, Stropolo's not an NFL ref. He's a scab.

 

[young-gun11]

As an official, albeit basketball, I think it's damn near impossible to fix a game. Maybe basketball is harder because it's faster-paced, but I don't pay attention to who is doing what..I call what I see.

 

[MileHigh]

As an official, albeit basketball, I think it's damn near impossible to fix a game. Maybe basketball is harder because it's faster-paced, but I don't pay attention to who is doing what..I call what I see.

Football and baseball would be far tougher. You've seen the biggest gambling scandals involved with basketball, including most recently, Tim Donaghy.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Basketball is easy to fix. You get a star player in foul trouble and you're good to go... Baseball and football would be much, much, much more difficult to fix.

 

[young-gun11]

Basketball is easy to fix. You get a star player in foul trouble and you're good to go... Baseball and football would be much, much, much more difficult to fix.

I've never watched for who is committing the fouls until after they are committed, though. Maybe I'm in the minority.

 

[young-gun11]

I think football would be much easier. Not like you have to blow a whistle immediately as the foul occurs, like in basketball. You can throw your flag any time. An official has a little time to decide whether he saw a penalty or not and whether to call it.

 

[Azrael]

A partisan 'ref' doesn't have to 'fix' a game. He can just make sure to ignore the kind of contact likely to hurt an opposing player until an opposing player gets hurt.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

I think football would be much easier. Not like you have to blow a whistle immediately as the foul occurs, like in basketball. You can throw your flag any time. An official has a little time to decide whether he saw a penalty or not and whether to call it.

True:

 

[Huggy]

I think football would be much easier. Not like you have to blow a whistle immediately as the foul occurs, like in basketball. You can throw your flag any time. An official has a little time to decide whether he saw a penalty or not and whether to call it.

True:

****ing right. [Canesfanboilooser]

 

[The Big Ragu]

Should have posted earlier. ... First, can't be said enough. Thread title is perfect.

Second, this should be a huge freaking embarrassment for the NFL, but they will skate because fans don't care enough to hold their feet to the fire.

It sucks for the refs on strike. If anything was ever going to prove their worth, this should be it. My personal attitude is, if you want to play hardball with the refs, fine, but then have a plan in place to deal with their absence.

If this is the best the league can do -- forget the horrendous officiating yesterday, but a chucklehead in fan gear on his facebook page? -- is there really any better argument for the striking refs that they are worth everything they are asking for?

The unfortunate answer is no, because fans don't care enough. Short of some really horrendous call that changes an outcome (and I think they are flirting with this), this isn't going to affect the league one iota.

My understanding of the situation is that the NFLRA handled the negotiations like amateurs and essentially created an impasse when there could have been a resolution, but where they are now is the NFL holding a hard line over a relatively trifling amount of money for them. Is it really worth the roulette you are playing with the product with the clowns you have officiating the games?