NFL - What's going on?

[mudmanic2011]

There's also the fact that Saints Head Coach Sean Payton was suspended for a full year for partaking in a player bounty scandal.

What?? Oh joy. Er, what is a player bounty scandal - some sort of under-the-counter payments, I presume?

Please bear in mind, by the way, that I'm three thousand miles away and my newspaper covers the NFL about as well as the Wall Street Journal covers cricket. But I've spent the last hour or so trawling a few sites and it seems plain that somebody needs to knock a few heads together with extreme prejudice.

Where do you live?

[BSink42]

Even though the RAVENS(my team) beat the hated Pats on Sunday,I for one am furious at the NFL for not reaching SOME kind of agreement,so as to get these amateur assholes off the field and let them go ref some little league games!Don't these @#!$ pricks make enough money already...look at the state of the union(LOL) for crying out loud;there are millions of people who would jump thru fire to get one-eighth of their salary.I could go on and on...!

Something tells me the Refs don't get paid nearly enough as the players do. Infact, checking via Bing, it appears the average ref salary is between $25,000 and 75,000 per year. JChump change when you consider some of the highest played NFL players contracts.

There's also the fact that Saints Head Coach Sean Payton was suspended for a full year for partaking in a player bounty scandal.

What?? Oh joy. Er, what is a player bounty scandal - some sort of under-the-counter payments, I presume?

Please bear in mind, by the way, that I'm three thousand miles away and my newspaper covers the NFL about as well as the Wall Street Journal covers cricket. But I've spent the last hour or so trawling a few sites and it seems plain that somebody needs to knock a few heads together with extreme prejudice.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Orlean ... ty_scandal

Here's the Wikipedia link to the everything thus far with the Saints Bounty Scandal, including the actions of former Defensive Coordinator Greg Williams, who's actions at the heart of this scandal got him and indefinite suspension; Payton's, GM Mickey Loomis and others actions in the scandal; and Jonathan Vilma's apparent act of placing a $10,000 dollar bounty on now retired QB Bret Farve during the Saints/Vikings playoff game in 2010.

[Lomax]

Where do you live?

Quaint little place called England.

Generally, I manage to achieve complete indifference to all things American, but for some reason the Saints have got to me.

[Lomax]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Orlean ... ty_scandal

Makes you want to spit.

[bbjohn]

With the lockout of their regular officials, the NFL is attempting to conduct games with college officials. Needless to say, it's not working. They're making the sort of mistakes rookies make. Unfortunately, they're all rookies to the NFL.

It's quite a jump for a player to go from college ball to the professional level, even from the top NCAA conferences. Many a top collegiate player has been a bust in the NFL. Apparently, no one realized it was just as tough for game officials to make a similar jump. To make matters worse, the officials have no veterans around to show them what to do and how to do it.

It should also come as no surprise to see NFL players and coaches "testing" these officials to see what they can get away with. It's like children in school who constantly test a substitute teacher. They wouldn't do it to the regular officials as they all know each other and the players and coaches know what they can and can't get away with.

As for the Packers-Seahawks game, even Seattle players will tell you they know they actually lost that game. They caught a huge break, and it's left a bad taste in their mouths.

Officials are only human and they will make mistakes. We know that. However, this is ridiculous. The NFL needs to get their regular officials back...the ones who are used to officiating at this level. The integrity of the game is at stake.

At least the Packers-Seahawks screw-up wasn't in a playoff game.

At this rate, the current NFL "officials" will carry about as much respect as those in professional wrestling.

Big Bad John

[Duncan Edwards]

Something tells me the Refs don't get paid nearly enough as the players do. Infact, checking via Bing, it appears the average ref salary is between $25,000 and 75,000 per year. JChump change when you consider some of the highest played NFL players contracts.

Yes but it's only a part time job. I know I'm simplifying things but how much do you make for working 20 Sundays a year? Most of these people have professional jobs the rest of the week. There are airline pilots, engineers, attorneys etc. Nobody is going hungry.

[kham]

Some of the Packers, undoubtedly still pissed off, had an interesting discussion apparently on the flight home. They suggested, a strike (and bugger any legalese bullshit, thats not the point) but another more interesting idea, was simply for all players on every play to just take a knee. Wonder how much humiliation it would take rammed down Goodell's throat before he got the message, but I suspect every single game on Thu, Sun and Mon recorded as ties would be a start.

[BSink42]

Some of the Packers, undoubtedly still pissed off, had an interesting discussion apparently on the flight home. They suggested, a strike (and bugger any legalese bullshit, thats not the point) but another more interesting idea, was simply for all players on every play to just take a knee. Wonder how much humiliation it would take rammed down Goodell's throat before he got the message, but I suspect every single game on Thu, Sun and Mon recorded as ties would be a start.

Unless of course a team was playing the Bucs, who'll then proceed to knock the quarterback out while the other team is taking a knee.

[kham]

Not to wish ill -- but I do -- but that is going to bite Tampa in the ass, both cheeks , and the little crack down the middle , when someone decides enough is enough and uses THEIR QB as a piton; whatever down, status, or whatfrackingever it is. You be an asshole long enough, and someone will sort things out.

[BSink42]

Very very true.