When the NFL announced that they would be using replacement referees and locking out the “real” zebras, everyone assumed there would be some drop off in performance and accuracy, but no one thought it would be as bad as it has been. You KNOW it is bad when a player writes an article saying that a hated division rival got screwed by the refs, but that’s exactly what Vikings punter Chris Kluwe did this morning.
Following the blown final call in the Monday night game, Kluwe’s article “I’m A Minnesota Viking, And I Think the Packers Got Screwed” comes down hard on the replacement refs saying that they “got it irrevocably wrong.”
Kluwe explains that, “As a divisional rival, it pains me to say this, but the Packers got royally horsebuggered on that last play, and this could have serious implications down the road when it comes to playoff seeds and homefield advantage.”
With only 16 games in the regular season, and with playoff slots and home field advantage frequently determined by a one game swing or even a tie breaker, there is no excuse for having the outcome of a game determined by a call that millions of Americans in their living room could see was clearly wrong.
The fans are fed up, the players are losing patience, more and more coaches are going to be fined for going off on the refs (even such stoic stalwarts as Bill Belichick). As Kluwe concludes: “Please don’t risk alienating your customers over something that should never have been an issue in the first place. Bring the regular refs back before it gets even worse.”
For the full article, click here.
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