It was just a matter of time before this happened. The National Football League embarrassed itself on national television last night when scab officials literally took a game away from the Green Bay Packers and handed it to the Seattle Seahawks.
The funny thing is that I indicated to a friend earlier in the day that it would take something like this in order for the referee lockout to be resolved. Now I am not so sure, but more on that in a second.
The integrity of the league as a whole and the commissioners office in general was thrown out the window last night. I am not even going to get into detail on exactly what occurred and how the game was stolen from Green Bay. If you are reading this article you already know exactly what happened.
Roger Goodell and his cronies have the audacity to send out replacement officials, some of whom were fired from the Lingerie Football League, to officiate NFL games. This is a smack in the face to fans of the league. Fans who have contributed to the continued success of one of the most popular entertainment venues in the entire world. In the process, they spit in our face and tell us that we don’t matter. They take our money, put it in their pants, and laugh all the way to the bank.
They want us to give up our hard earned money to watch what is supposed to be the greatest product in the sports world, but fail us at every turn. First, it was the lockout last season, which finally got resolved before real NFL games were lost. Now it is an official lockout that continues to rip through the fabric of the sports world.
In doing so, the legitimacy of a sport that many of us grew up loving has been destroyed. There will be an Asterisk by the statistics until the real referees return to action, however long that might be. But, this really isn’t the issue here. Instead, it is the NFL taking fans for granted and expecting us to follow them down the one way path towards destruction. Many of you will.
There will not be a boycott of the NFL in the coming weeks. Fans will go to games in droves, purchase the official league products, buy the tickets, continue to pay for DirecTV and not do much about it. This is what is so sad about the current state of the sport.
Many of us, myself included, have given our hearts and passion for a game that we so much love. It is kinda like going up to that girl in high school with a red rose and box of chocolates. She gladly accepts the gifts before throwing them in the trash down the hallway, out of plain sight. Instead, the NFL is doing that right in front of our damn faces and we are unable to do anything about it.
Meanwhile, the outcome of the 2012 NFL season may hinge on replacement officials making what has to be considered one of the worst calls in the history of professional sports. Everyone and their mother knows that Green Bay intercepted the ball in the end zone and won the game. ESPN, who usually caters to the league in every possible way, was calling BS after the game. Analyst Jon Gruden appeared to be at a loss of words as the game came to an “end.”
It wasn’t even the obviously fatal flaw at the end of the game. No, these referees blew it all night long. A bogus pass interference penalty call on Packers’ cornerback Sam Shields threatened to give the game to Seattle long before this fiasco broke out. Then in an instant, the entire legitimacy of the league was tarnished. Green Bay was robbed of a rightful win and the possible ramifications couldn’t be larger.
The impact of that atrocious, mind-numbing call might indeed decide the outcome of the 2012 NFL season. Green Bay now goes to 1-2, in the cellar of the NFC North, while Seattle sits with the San Francisco 49ers at 2-1 in second place in the NFC West. Imagine what would happen if Seattle earns a postseason spot by one game and Green Bay loses out on the second season by one game. Could we even call the Super Bowl in New Orleans this upcoming february legit? I doubt it very much.
I would say boycott the NFL this upcoming week, but that isn’t going to happen. For now, there is little we can do as fans of this game.
NFL players are taking to Twitter and other social media outlets in order to voice their outrage at the current state of the league. They are told over and over again that the integrity of the league is what's most important. They are called into the commish's office to be fined and disciplined for actions that threaten this integrity. But, the the NFL is the culprit nothing happens. When the NFL is at fault, it is swept under the rug.
This is not the way that a league that supposedly has the best interest of the players, fans and everyone involved in the forefront of their minds. Instead, it is a calculate, money-grubbing move by billionaires hell bent on destroying the fundamental ideology upon which the NFL itself is supposed to stand. Integrity, an equal playing field, respect etc... That was thrown out the window when the 2012 NFL season began with scab officials. That was absolutely destroyed and pissed on following the events of last night.
Listen, the scab refs aren't at fault here. They are being tasked with doing a job that they are not fully prepard to do. It would be like me, with little firearm experience and none in a combat situation, being given a gun and asked to control an angry mob in the Middle East. This cannot be done and they are not at fault here. Instead, it is those individuals at 280 Park Avenue in New York City who are to blame for this.
On that note.
Roger Goodell, 280 Park Avenue, Suite 12, New York, NY 10017-1216 | phone 212-450-2000 | fax 212-681-7599 Roger.Goodell2@nfl.net