It seems the NFL and the NFL Referees Association will not come to an agreement come the start of the regular season September 5. We have all watch the preseason games on TV and see how bad the calls are on the field due to these inexperienced replacement refs taken from retirement and from the FBS and FCS level.

This means that the good refs that call the games in college football are now calling games in the NFL. We will see new officials coming from the FCS, Division II, and even from high school associations. It takes some time and experience to call Division 1 football games and most of the ones that were called up aren’t so. Now not all the FBS college football refs went to the NFL but the good ones did and it will show when the games will be long, mismanaged and the replay ref upstairs will really earn his or her paycheck.

It’s a trickle-down effect and like most problems and issues in the world it’s to do with money. The NFL refs want better pay, benefits, etc. so they’ll hold out. The FBS refs want a better opportunity and more pay as well so they’ll take the NFL replacement job and so forth.

I hope the NFL refs are in shape and ready whenever the strike ends. I do not want to see an agreement and then wait four or five weeks for them to be ready to officiate.