Gov. Walker discovers that he likes union workers

[kallend 2,027]

maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/09/25/14094555-scott-walker-discovers-the-value-of-union-workers?lite

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[muff528 3]

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maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/09/25/14094555-scott-walker-discovers-the-value-of-union-workers?lite

The referees need to understand what a sweet deal they had and get their asses back to work. If not, they can go get a real job and let someone else have a shot at it. It's not rocket science and I'd bet there are plenty of others who could move into their positions with the NFL without too much trouble.

[billvon 2,991]

> I'd bet there are plenty of others who could move into their positions with
>the NFL without too much trouble.

Well, they tried that and there has been a buttload of trouble; turns out it's not as easy as running around and occasionally throwing a flag in the air. That's not necessarily the end of the world; maybe the NFL will do better with somewhat less skilled refs that cost a lot less. But that's the tradeoff they have to make.

[muff528 3]

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> I'd bet there are plenty of others who could move into their positions with
>the NFL without too much trouble.

Well, they tried that and there has been a buttload of trouble; turns out it's not as easy as running around and occasionally throwing a flag in the air. That's not necessarily the end of the world; maybe the NFL will do better with somewhat less skilled refs that cost a lot less. But that's the tradeoff they have to make.

Well, obviously some of the replacements are simply not qualified to be there. Some likely are competent and there are likely many more very qualified non-NFL refs who could make the transition with few problems. Then there are the existing refs who could wake up and realize that they are letting what is already a very well-paid and enviable "job" slip from them.

[billvon 2,991]

>Some likely are competent and there are likely many more very qualified
>non-NFL refs who could make the transition with few problems.

Agreed. Give them a year or two and they could likely work out all the kinks with the new refs. The NFL will have to decide if they want to put up with the growing pains.

They're under a lot of pressure to fix it fast. I heard a report that quantified the total cost of the Packers mistake; up to a billion dollars* changed hands differently due to that call based on the volume of bets placed in places like Vegas. The NFL received 70,000 voice mails complaining about it. NFL games now last an average of 15 minutes longer and that means loss of advertising revenue as stations have to re-juggle schedules to deal with the new schedules.

(* - estimates ranged from 150 million to 1 billion)

[kelpdiver 2]

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maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/09/25/14094555-scott-walker-discovers-the-value-of-union-workers?lite

The referees need to understand what a sweet deal they had and get their asses back to work. If not, they can go get a real job and let someone else have a shot at it. It's not rocket science and I'd bet there are plenty of others who could move into their positions with the NFL without too much trouble.

That's exactly what they're trying to do now. Apparently, it is rocket science.

If they had replaced a quarter of the refs each year for 4 years, then the transition would have been largely unnoticed. But when you do it all at once without any senior leadership, you get what we saw in week 3 of the NFL. The Packer-Seahawk and the Raven-Giants game were the worst examples.

We've already seen a QB lose part of his ear in the mayhem...seems 50/50 we'll lose a QB forever before they figure out they need to resolve the dispute.

[muff528 3]

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>Some likely are competent and there are likely many more very qualified
>non-NFL refs who could make the transition with few problems.

Agreed. Give them a year or two and they could likely work out all the kinks with the new refs. The NFL will have to decide if they want to put up with the growing pains.

They're under a lot of pressure to fix it fast. I heard a report that quantified the total cost of the Packers mistake; up to a billion dollars* changed hands differently due to that call based on the volume of bets placed in places like Vegas. The NFL received 70,000 voice mails complaining about it. NFL games now last an average of 15 minutes longer and that means loss of advertising revenue as stations have to re-juggle schedules to deal with the new schedules.

(* - estimates ranged from 150 million to 1 billion)

It's my understanding that a lot of the replacements were available because they weren't working because of alleged incompetence. I think there are good refs who could come up from NCAA, etc. and be NFL-ready with minimal training. (rules differences, etc.)

[muff528 3]

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........

If they had replaced a quarter of the refs each year for 4 years....

I doubt the union would have gone for that. Also, one of the union demands is that the NFL keep the guaranteed 15-game minimum/official. The NFL wants to do away with that. This, in itself, severely limits the number of referees in the available "pool" of referees. There are seven officials in each game and only 32 teams. So there are only 15-16 regular-season games played per week for 16 weeks. (They are paid extra, a lot!, if they officiate a playoff or SB game.) That leaves very few "extra" bodies if they must be guaranteed 15 games (I assume each official can work only 1 game a week). There can only be a total of 120 officials, and no more, if each is to get his allotted 15 games.

[rushmc 23]

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maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/09/25/14094555-scott-walker-discovers-the-value-of-union-workers?lite

Most of us like and respect most of the workers

It is the unions leadership that are the asshats

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[SkydiveJonathan 0]

After replacement refs bestowed on the Seattle Seahawks a game clearly won by the Green Bay Packers, GOP standard bearers Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan and even Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, the figurehead for GOP union-busting, called for the National Football League to restore its locked-out union refs.

[muff528 3]

Who else thinks it's funny how the "real" refs (those highly-skilled, irreplaceable, union-protected, grotesquely-paid one-percenters) almost screwed the Packers out of another game with a bunch of scab-like calls.

http://www.mensfitness.com/leisure/sports/whats-up-with-the-nfls-referees

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

Yeah, that was frustrating as all hell.

The worst was probably the first challenge. The Saints receiver clearly lost control of the ball as he hit the ground. Both of the TV commentators (and the expert that was advising them) thought so.

But the ref didn't. You could see how pissed McCarthy was. At one point (I think it was the blown fumble call) you could clearly see him say "Bullshit".

He should have been able to challenge that, but the bad review cost him his extra challenge.

Although, I have to admit that the regular refs did a far, far better job keeping the game going than the replacements did. Over all the games. No more nearly 4 hour marathons that had 3 or 4 minute pauses while the refs tried to figure out what to do.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[kelpdiver 2]

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Who else thinks it's funny how the "real" refs (those highly-skilled, irreplaceable, union-protected, grotesquely-paid one-percenters) almost screwed the Packers out of another game with a bunch of scab-like calls.

it seemed like deja vu, but really the Pack nearly blew the game when they fumbled at 1st and goal at the 1.