OT: NFL Thread

[Montana]

They actually don’t need a second job….

The NFL won't disclose how much money their referees make, but based on the expired collective bargaining agreement from 2019, officials made an average of $201,000 per year, according to Money.com. That accounts for all officials that appear on the field, which means the head referees for games could make even more.

That’s kinda dogshit given the money being brought in, the level of public scrutiny they receive, the amount of pressure on being perfect, with every error having the potential to be displayed & discussed nation wide.

Their careers as refs also only average about 11 years….and they have zero benefits covered over that span. and they have 401k contributions up to 18k with the league partially matching.

Still they’re paid dogshit relative to the job…

 

[CH1]

I’m not saying they shouldn’t get paid more but the idea that they work as Walmart greeters from Monday to Friday is urban legend dogshit that gets repeated over and over

 

[GGpX]

I’m not saying they shouldn’t get paid more but the idea that they work as Walmart greeters from Monday to Friday is urban legend dogshit that gets repeated over and over

Nobody said that, or at least nobody here did.

Maybe they don't "need" a second job per se, but all of 'em do and the NFL could have better referees if they were paid to be only referees.

It would also be in the NFL's interest to use the USFL/XFL & even the CFL as a feeder league for referees, but alas, the NFL won't spend a nickel on anything they don't have to.

 

[CH1]

That’s nonsense. Even if they were paid 500k a year, many of them would opt to do something with their lives during the 350 days of the year they are not reffing.

Staying at home because they are “full time”, a meaningless distinction in this context, won’t make them better at their jobs

 

[GGpX]

The same way NFL players would be working at another job on the 347-odd days they're not playing?

Or, pay 'em more so they can train and try to improve to be better at their jobs.

 

[CH1]

It would also be in the NFL's interest to use the USFL/XFL & even the CFL as a feeder league for referees, but alas, the NFL won't spend a nickel on anything they don't have to.

Also silly, because these leagues have different rules

 

[GGpX]

Also silly, because these leagues have different rules

Hockey in the minor leagues & junior have different rules, so do the European leagues too. Where do you think the young refs come from?

Nothing stopping them from transitioning to the major leagues when they get called upon.

 

[CH1]

The same way NFL players would be working at another job on the 347-odd days they're not playing?

Or, pay 'em more so they can train and try to improve to be better at their jobs.

players need to study game plans all week during the season and perfect their craft, and improve their bodies during the off-season

Refs, not really

 

[Montana]

NFL refs do work for the league outside of the season as well….reffing college, NFL & scouting practices. Working events, talking to teams about the finer points of the rules etc. So I suspect they work closer to 8 months of the year, in some football capacity.


They definitely should have full benefits, and be paid a level that is commensurate with the difficulty, and stress of the job. Should probably also have a larger well trained feeder system as someone mentioned, so you’re always cultivating the next group of refs, but also have an abundance of options to step right in, if someone isn’t up to snuff. So the league refs have their feet to the fire to be at their best.

Also, I don’t care what you do but you better have wording in your CBA’s that allow you to cut an Anger Hernandez type, if they’re undermining the game. Seniority be damned.

 

[Montana]

players need to study game plans all week during the season and perfect their craft, and improve their bodies during the off-season

Refs, not really

I’d love if refs were paid to study the game styles of players & teams they would be reffing that week so they were particularly well versed in what to look for…..as well as any other supplementary work to help them perfect their craft.

also, use whatever profits the league is getting thanks to legal gambling, and use some of that money to pay them…..since the refs being even sharper, only benefits the gambling wing of the sport.

 

[CH1]

I’d love if refs were paid to study the game styles of players & teams they would be reffing that week so they were particularly well versed in what to look for…..as well as any other supplementary work to help them perfect their craft.

For sure. I’m quite certain they have lots of meetings discussing upcoming teams on their docket which include going over the many complaints the league office fields from coaches (“#75 on team x gets away with subtle hands to the face every week”)

No matter how much they get paid or are trained, they will make the occasional split second mistake just like Mahomes will make a bad pass now and then

 

[Montana]

I hate bagging on refs cause it’s so emotionally fuelled 99% of the time, and we do it while ignoring the identical call that went our way earlier in the game that prob had = impact on the outcome.

BUT I’d love to see an impartial data driven analysis of impactful penalties called in the fourth quarter of tight games, and how many sketchy ones go the way of the more marquee players & teams…..I’m not saying the ref threw that flag last nice, cause he saw Mahomes had thrown an INT, and the league is financially motivated to have the Chiefs win that game for playoff seeding purposes, versus the Jets getting one that prob meaningless.

….but goddamn it felt like that in the moment, , and always seemed to happen in the Pats favor in so so many games, that I’m just curious what if anything the data would show.

 

[CH1]

Refs are human so they are probably starstruck to the same degree as the general population…. Similarly they hate being boooed (who doesn’t) so a statistical report I read a long time ago suggesting NBA refs were slightly biased towards the home team makes sense

 

[Montana]

Yeah any noisy home game in any sport, I slightly adjust my expectations for calls favouring the home team ever so slightly.

What’s always been infuriating regardless of teams….is when refs call super soft or questionable (if not downright non existent) penalties late in games, when I feel like everyone is kinda okay not having the game decided on those kinds of calls. Just do your best to call every egregious penalty that alters a play, and we’re happy.

 

[CH1]

it's a fine line...deciding what constitutes a late penalty that doesn't effect the game

 

[Montana]

Let’s just start with every pass interference call Tom Brady got in the fourth quarter.

 

[CH1]

Overall, anecdotally speaking, I do feel NFL officiating improved over the last 5 years. I'm seeing less ticky-tacky calls and more consistency.

 

[GrandWazoo]

Overall, anecdotally speaking, I do feel NFL officiating improved over the last 5 years. I'm seeing less ticky-tacky calls and more consistency.

I don't, but they definitely seem to have resolved the annoying "is this a catch?" debate that was so frustrating for many years.

 

[GrandWazoo]

But the holds and PIs are way too subjective. There was also a really obvious hold for about 3 secs that wasn't called on the Mahomes 25 yards run in the 4th.

 

[GGpX]

I find that NFL refs are far & away the best of the four major leagues. They're not perfect, but overall I think they're pretty good.

The NFL is also the sport with the most referees on the field, with the most available instant reply to fix bad calls, and is the least physically demanding due to the infrequency of plays.