Replacements: Ref, Dumb and Blind

If the replacement refs are as bad as the movie "The Replacements", we're in for a long season. I never saw the movie, but Keanu Reeves being in it told me everything I need to know.

Replacement referees - It's the topic that I haven't heard much buzz about from football fans who can't wait for their team's schedule to start in September. It's starting to get talked about a little bit, but soon enough, I expect to hear many a fan complain about the awful officiating, even more so than normal. Many of the football writers that I follow on Twitter have been talking about this topic for some time, but I feel like the general public has no idea what they are in for.

While I refuse to watch preseason football willingly for fear that I may contract a deadly virus (also might be tempted enough to bet it), I have read plenty of reaction on how bad some of these replacement referees have been so far.

Here are just some of the errors that have happened through one full preseason weekend:

(from SB Nation - a shot of where a ball was downed after a punt)

• This was called a touchback? I know referees can make mistakes from time to time. but this may take the cake: the ball (which came nowhere close to the end zone) is downed at the 4 yard line. Yet the referee in charge of making the call signaled for a touchback. With as blind as my grandma is, my guess is that even on her crappy TV, she would have cursed out the refs (assuming it happened against the Bears) and ironically made fun of his vision

• Holding for yourself. In the Giants' first game last week, their punt returner Jayron Hosley had a good day for himself, broke a few punts for decent yardage. Unfortunately, one of the returns got called back for a holding call. Yeah, it happens all the time. But normally (and by normally, I mean what the hell?) the holding call doesn't go against the returner himself. It'd make it a hell of a lot easier if a returner could hold for himself as he is weaving through special teams gunners. I know that sometimes they get the number wrong on the player who committed the penalty. I'm just not sure how, out of all the numbers, you'd select the returner - one of the penalties that is impossible for him to commit. A great quote from Victor Cruz concerning the refs (from NBCsports.com):

"I'm a little concerned because we want to get the best referees that we can. I actually overheard one of the refs saying he only refereed glorified high school games, which I don't even know what that means" 

• Can somebody spot me? In the Monday Night game featuring the Cowboys and the Raiders, Tony Romo actually helped a referee spot a ball.
  
• Arizona, Atlanta...same thing. Baltimore faced Atlanta in the Georgia Dome last week, or was it Arizona? Apparently, one of the replacement refs (Craig Ochoa) called Atlanta by one of its ornithological counterparts' city. Not sure how you get Arizona and Atlanta mixed up. Doesn't seem like the type of mistake a normal ref would make.
  

Some people think hiring a woman as a replacement ref was a ploy by NFL to distract from the topic at hand. A real statement would be hiring a woman as an actual referee when the ref lockout is over.

These are just some of the mistakes I came across when googling replacement referee mistakes. They may not seem like much, and I imagine some of these refs will get better as the preseason progresses. But does the NFL really want to take a chance with its integrity by letting a bunch of guys who haven't reffed any level of football beyond "glorified high school" games?

How often do you hear a player say about a ref, "I'm going to shake his hand and say, 'Thank you for coming back'"? That's exactly what Victor Cruz said he will say to the real refs when they come back.

Many of us like to complain about the referees and how bad they are. Sometimes the refs are bad, but overall, I think that very few of them have an agenda, especially against YOUR team (despite your lobbying otherwise). However, for as much as you thought you complained about the referees who have reffed in the NFL for decades, imagine how it will be when a referee group assembled of Division III refs, retired officials brought back to work, and high school refs are officiating the games when they count - these complaints will get louder and they will be more frequent.

This could be an ugly season if the replacement referees are here all year.