Is someone paying the scabs to be this bad?

[KamaAina]

That's the only explanation I can think of.

I mean, remember the XFL? They had better officiating.

The Pats have now been hosed twice -- in three games -- while the Niners have watched as their division rivals were handed a game apiece.

edit: Oh well, at least hockey starts soon... oh shit...

[TBF]

1. It's the other way around -

the NFL owners don't want to negotiate with the professional officials - they want to break the union. Scabs are unskilled labor brought in when there's a strike. Typically they are paid much less. And you get what you pay for.

[KamaAina]

2. But wouldn't they at least try to get the best scabs minimum wage can buy?

These meatballs couldn't ref a touch football game at a holiday barbecue!

[Goblinmonger]

3. One would logically look to D1 College refs as the next best labor pool.

Those guys have a job. So you are getting guys not good enough to ref D1 college reffing the pros.

[KamaAina]

4. They couldn't ref college Saturday and the NFL Sunday?

[Goblinmonger]

5. I think most refs have real jobs during the week.

That's a lot to ask. Not to mention burn out. And I have no idea about what their contracts say about that.

[JonLP24]

6. Their union won't allow them to ref NFL games (during this lockout - not forever)

That's why they had to go the DIII pool.

[TBF]

7. Good - that is how it should be.

It is definitely how it used to be. Workers used to stick together in this country.

[bluedigger]

8. If they are, they are getting an extraordinary return on their investment.