Some of your favorite NFL officials might be calling games full-time in seasons-to-come.
Ahhh, NFL officials. The equivalent to a warm beer, perched up on a kitchen counter. You may not like the concept of drinking it at first, but it gets the job. It’s a temporary solution to your midnight beverage snack. NFL officials are viewed the same way in principle, and their just a part-time accessory to a crippling professional league that doesn’t value their commitment. However, that story might change in proceeding seasons. According to ESPN, an NFL competition committee has set a plan in motion to encourage the hiring of full-time officials.
It might be a blessing in disguise for the NFL to have a permanent officiating staff, but for the officials themselves, their moral code could be doomed. As part-time employees, NFL refs are allowed to unionize. The sort of empowerment they had was mirrored in a situation back in 2012 when the refs disputed a collective bargaining agreement with the NFL. But if the competition committee receives its wishes for a full-time officiating crew, then the ability to protest might be compromised.
Other than recent flops and shenanigans surrounding NFL officials, they’re still one of the most hated components of the league. They are, in fact, the reason as to why NFL games are no longer enjoyable because of the surplus of penalties. That’s another issue the NFL hopes to tackle before an owners meeting next week. Proposals, like substituting warnings for penalties in terms of celebrations, will be presented. But hearts will be broken either way.
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Officiating is no easy task, regardless of the sport. You’re applauded for determining a national champion, so long as it’s not the opposing team’s fan. Then again, you’re hated for flagging a player for unsportsmanlike conduct because of his touchdown celebration. Either way, the NFL seems to be listening to the fans by loosening up on what is and isn’t a penalty. Down the road, maybe an NFL game will be fun to watch again.