Page 6 October 4, 2012 MANHATTAN BEACH SUN Frankly Plank Adam’s Sports By Duane Plank Replacement refs, real refs. Who cares? NFL Takes Fault, Throws Mistakes are made. And a bunch of obvious calls were screwed up by the real refs last in Flag weekend. It’s a game, folks. Now realize that this tome needs to be typed out on a Sunday noche to make sure By Adam Serrao the players were working in utterly unsafe. that I hit my deadlines. So at press time, there An organization as big and as powerful That’s why players like Chris Kluwe are was still a minuscule chance that either the as the NFL has grown to think that it can happy that the regular officials are back on L.A. Halos or L.A. Trolley Dodgers would pretty much get away with anything. The the field. “It was a noble experiment, but I somehow sneak into the MLB playoffs. But named after some package delivery service. most attended domestic sports league in the think an ultimately failed experiment,” Kluwe I am betting that neither team advanced, Now with real stuff going on in my life, world, the NFL attracts an average attendance so elegantly stated. “It’ll be good to not to which is a dang shame. can’t get all that invested in caring a heck of 67,000 people per game, not to mention have to worry about that when we’re on the Survived the weekend, right? All of that of a lot about millionaire, privileged golfers the massive amounts of fans who also watch field. It’s good that it won’t be a distraction Carmageddon Bolshoi that the local TV and who wins the freight delivery cup. But each game from home or a at restaurant or anymore.” Kluwe’s sentiment wasn’t expressed channels went agog over, sending breathless it did make for some interesting viewing bar every weekend. The commissioner of the alone. Players from all across the NFL spoke reporters out to look at and report on closed- Sunday afternoon, watching the American National Football League, Roger Goodell, out welcoming the regular officials back. The off pavement, didn’t have much effect on golfers fold up their proverbial tents. knows of his league’s worldwide acclaim and list included Calvin Johnson of the Lions, you, I presume? Better part of the Sunday morning was therefore makes decisions that he believes Matt Hasselbeck of the Titans and Josh Looking forward to tonight’s Thursday spent watching my Halos kick the dirt off will benefit his sport in the long run. One Cribbs of the Cleveland Browns. night football game, which will feature my of their grave and knock off the division- of those decisions that he and the league The players weren’t the only ones in St. Louis Rams playing host to the quick- leading Texas Rangers in a stirring ninth- made recently was to lock out the referees danger, however. The replacement officials out-of-the-gate Arizona Cards, who are inning comeback victory that was capped from working in lieu of paying them more themselves stated that they felt “demonized” sporting a 4-0 record. Rams, who are still by a game-winning two-run double by the money as well as supplying them with a by all. Jeff Sadorus, a replacement official pretty pedestrian, have a 2-2, record. I will awesome Torii Hunter. Hunter is at the end pension and retirement benefits. Sounded like for the three weeks that the regular officials predict a Ram victory, 23-17. of his megabucks contract with the Halos, a good idea to Goodell at the time. There were out, expressed the fact that refereeing So sad to see the Raiders lose, again, last but said he really wants to come back to was no way he was going to all of a sudden an NFL game wasn’t exactly what he week. Horrible effort, if there was any effort Anaheim and is eager to work out a deal. give up more money from his billion-dollar expected. “Honestly, sometimes during this involved at all. Kicked in the teeth by the Here’s hoping that Hunter will be back league to appease a group of referees. Well, whole thing, it felt like the national pastime Denver Broncos. Raider honks sure get quiet patrolling right field next season. Maybe a the referees that Goodell assumed to be so in this country had changed from football to when their miserable team gets their tails two-year, $10 million contract will get the insignificant quickly drew worldwide attention bashing replacement officials,” Sadorus stated. handed to them. Next up for the Pride And deal done. once their backups made a mockery of the It clearly wasn’t his fault either. The NFL Poise boys: A bye week. So no loss can be Course all of the promise of that initial NFL. The hiring of replacement officials enlisted him to do a job that he wasn’t 100 added to the ledger. What will the Raider victory against the darn good Texas Rangers quickly brought a black eye upon the league percent ready or qualified to do and he did fans do to fill the four hours that they waste was quickly doused when the pesky Oakland and it wasn’t long before Goodell and the what any of us would have done--take the weekly watching their team stink? A’s finished off their sweep of Seattle and rest of his cohorts were forced to take fault money and step on the field with real-life NFL Speaking of stinking, watched some of the Halos early 4-nada lead in game two of and throw in the flag once and for all. players. Sadorus felt the same way. “Working the Ryder Cup golf over the weekend. And, the doubleheader was quickly extinguished Now that the regular officiating crew is back these games was something I’d wanted to stood on the balcony waving my red, white by the putrid pitching effort of the soon-to-be in action, Goodell and company have begun do forever,” he said, “and there were some and blue flag as the American side took what ex-Angel Ervin Santana, who quickly turned the process of trying to sweep the whole nasty incredible moments. But there were also parts seemed like a seemingly insurmountable lead the comfortable lead into a two-run deficit. experience under the rug. Now instead of of this that I don’t think anyone could have into the final round on Sunday--but lo and Will be rooting for the A’s and the Giants telling the referees that they cannot have the expected.” Sure, the regular officials make behold, the Americans gagged away their in the playoffs. Cali teams, Cali guy. And if money and benefits that they once asked for, mistakes too, just like the mistakes made by advantage and allowed the lads from across that doesn’t sit well with some of you Blue Goodell is instead telling football fans across the replacement officials. The difference was, the pond to keep the Cup that is apparently Bleeders, tough. • the world that he is sorry and that we “deserve however, that everyone was waiting for the better” than games worked by the previous mistakes to be made with the replacements. replacement officials. Well, fans, players and Once they made those mistakes, they were coaches around the league already knew that, brought to center stage--and with that, the but it’s about time the NFL realized it too. replacements were scrutinized. In an open letter released by the league last Obviously, the NFL is a business and the Friday, Goodell said, “I regret we were not owners as well as the commissioner need to able to secure an agreement sooner in the fight for what they believe is right, as do the process and avoid the unfortunate distractions referees. The only thing that the NFL failed of the game.” Expressed regret, but sincere? to do was weigh out the consequences. Even Probably not. The penny-pinching NFL only though the officials that referee the games are regrets the situation it created because it didn’t only part-time employees, they are entitled to work. The letter that Goodell released last go after and negotiate benefits for themselves, Friday was made public only a day after the especially when they are part of a multi-billion- regular officials returned to the field and the dollar business--just as we would be entitled fans, coaches and players alike were made to do with any of the businesses with which witness to the seemingly perfect way in which we are involved. Conversely, the NFL should the game was run in stark opposition to the have realized before many incorrect, game- mockery that was continuously displayed by changing calls were enacted that the referees the replacements. who train themselves to learn the game inside What the NFL did was not only put people’s and out were a bigger part of the league than jobs on the line and lessen the quality of the originally estimated. No matter now. game being played on the field, but also put The regular referees are back and already people’s lives at stake to a certain degree. impacting the game in a positive manner and The replacements officials had absolutely hopefully the NFL has learned its lesson. no control over the players, the coaches Now all that’s left to do is hope that none or the game being played and because of of the ridiculous calls like the one made two that, tempers flared and injuries mounted. weeks ago on Monday night in Seattle will The distraction on the field took away from impact the end of the season for a team like the game and made the environment that the Green Bay Packers. •
Manhattan 10.4.12
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