When Opportunity Knocks

[Rich]

Originally Posted by IUgrad92

Are these guys officiating for the love of the game or something else?

I don't think this is relevant at the higher levels. I officiate HS football for the love of the game. That $60 (cut down by at least $30 once I pay for dinner and gas) isn't a life-changer. My $150 on Saturdays takes anywhere from 8-16 hours to earn. Again, not a life-changer for anyone.

$4500/game is a couple of mortgage payments. It's college tuition. That's $18000/month during the season. This is a second job for most NFL officials, not just something they do because it's fun.

The comment above is a good one -- many people want NFL guys to be full-time. The NFL wants this to a certain degree for a number of their officials. They also want to be able to fire these guys or put them on the bench pretty easily if someone judges they performed poorly. If I was an NFL official, I'm not sure I'd respond well to that, either.

[IUgrad92]

Great. So they are doing it for the money. Fair enough. All of these years they have had their cake and have eaten it too by having regular jobs and doing this on the side. Granted, it's been a great gig for them.

Well, maybe those days are over and the league wants a bigger committment from the officials. Just with any other business, things change. Either get on board or find something else to do. It's called the Real World.....

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by IUgrad92

Great. So they are doing it for the money. Fair enough. All of these years they have had their cake and have eaten it too by having regular jobs and doing this on the side. Granted, it's been a great gig for them.

You are right, no sacrifice. No missing family events or maybe even games. No strain on marriages or missing job situations that would be difficult. It is a great gig, but it is a gig still. So when you have other income and probably could make other income at your job or be with your family all weekend, they are in another city talking football then working football. And now they have a game every week on Thursday so now in the middle of the week officials will have to leave a job or leave their family potentially. All I know is I have a game Friday and Saturday and I will make barely $200 for the two days and most will be eaten up by gas. And I am not getting paid by a multi-billion dollar industry to spend that time away from a family that I would have to work football. And I will be home at the end of the night. An NFL official might be on a plane than home very late depending on the time their game is played.

Originally Posted by IUgrad92

Well, maybe those days are over and the league wants a bigger committment from the officials. Just with any other business, things change. Either get on board or find something else to do. It's called the Real World.....

That is fine than pay them for their further commitment. That is also the real world or you will get only young guys like MLB does to replace the guys in that sport. And they never get rid of those guys.

Peace

[IUgrad92]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

You are right, no sacrifice. No missing family events or maybe even games. No strain on marriages or missing job situations that would be difficult. It is a great gig, but it is a gig still. So when you have other income and probably could make other income at your job or be with your family all weekend, they are in another city talking football then working football. And now they have a game every week on Thursday so now in the middle of the week officials will have to leave a job or leave their family potentially. All I know is I have a game Friday and Saturday and I will make barely $200 for the two days and most will be eaten up by gas. And I am not getting paid by a multi-billion dollar industry to spend that time away from a family that I would have to work football. And I will be home at the end of the night. An NFL official might be on a plane than home very late depending on the time their game is played.
Peace

I could be wrong, but I think every NFL official signs up for the job and knows full well what they are getting into. You make it sound like someone is holding a gun to their heads making them do it, and for little reward nonetheless. Give me a break. If they don't want to deal with the things you mentioned above, guess what, it's a free country. They can quit anytime and find another profession. Normal people do it every day!

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by IUgrad92

I could be wrong, but I think every NFL official signs up for the job and knows full well what they are getting into. You make it sound like someone is holding a gun to their heads making them do it, and for little reward nonetheless. Give me a break. If they don't want to deal with the things you mentioned above, guess what, it's a free country. They can quit anytime and find another profession. Normal people do it every day!

You make it seem like the officials are doing something un-American by negotiating for the best deal possible. Or do negotiations only go one way in your world?

[IUgrad92]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

You make it seem like the officials are doing something un-American by negotiating for the best deal possible. Or do negotiations only go one way in your world?

On the contrary, more power to them to try and get what they want. I just see a number of people on here that are up in arms about the replacement officials, how they aren't supporting their fellow brothers, and how these officials are going to be or should be ostracized.

America is the land of opportunity, and right now the NFL officials, by using their rights to negotiate the best deal possible, are themselves giving other officials the opportunity to fill their positions in the league. It may or may not pay-off for them. Time will tell.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by IUgrad92

On the contrary, more power to them to try and get what they want. I just see a number of people on here that are up in arms about the replacement officials, how they aren't supporting their fellow brothers, and how these officials are going to be or should be ostracized.

Actually no one is up in arms about them, just telling it like it is. BTW, I have about 3 people that are actual FB friends of mine and I have worked with that crossed. The very same thing I told you here, I would tell them and have said to one of them. They are going to be used as a pawn and when this is all done they will not work much games. Only one has a potential career in college after this, but his advancement will end right where he is. That is a choice he had to make and even he recognized how bad the "overall group" has looked based on what the media has pointed out or certain official. Even the guy that worked the Hall of Fame game (I worked a college game with him last year and he is in one of my associations) was basically bounced from his crew chief position and it is doubtable that he will work a real NFL game. He was used for what they wanted and now his is thrown away. And probably will not likely work many of what he was doing before his big time jump in the spotlight.

Originally Posted by IUgrad92

America is the land of opportunity, and right now the NFL officials, by using their rights to negotiate the best deal possible, are themselves giving other officials the opportunity to fill their positions in the league. It may or may not pay-off for them. Time will tell.

It is a land of opportunity, but it is a land of consequences. If you make the wrong choice you will suffer from those choices. And if it was worth it just to say you worked an NFL game but having nothing to come back to, then I guess it is worth it.

Peace

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by IUgrad92

...and how these officials are going to be or should be ostracized.

...

I'm not saying anything should happen to them. I'm just saying what is a likely consequence.

Have you ever spoken to any (former) Big South/Conference Carolina basketball offcials who worked during the NBA labor dispute?

[Adam]

Originally Posted by IUgrad92

On the contrary, more power to them to try and get what they want. I just see a number of people on here that are up in arms about the replacement officials, how they aren't supporting their fellow brothers, and how these officials are going to be or should be ostracized.

America is the land of opportunity, and right now the NFL officials, by using their rights to negotiate the best deal possible, are themselves giving other officials the opportunity to fill their positions in the league. It may or may not pay-off for them. Time will tell.

There are perhaps a few "up in arms," but for the most part, most of us just wouldn't do it. I'm not going to throw rocks at the guys working the games, I'm not even going to pick their games apart. I just wouldn't do it, which seems to me what the original question was.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by IUgrad92

On the contrary, more power to them to try and get what they want. I just see a number of people on here that are up in arms about the replacement officials, how they aren't supporting their fellow brothers, and how these officials are going to be or should be ostracized.

America is the land of opportunity, and right now the NFL officials, by using their rights to negotiate the best deal possible, are themselves giving other officials the opportunity to fill their positions in the league. It may or may not pay-off for them. Time will tell.

Does it strike anyone as odd that we're not supporting the "other" officials who are getting their shot. There are two sets of officials here...and one is bad because they like the terms of the job and the other is good because they don't like the terms of the job?

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by IUgrad92

I could be wrong, but I think every NFL official signs up for the job and knows full well what they are getting into. You make it sound like someone is holding a gun to their heads making them do it, and for little reward nonetheless. Give me a break. If they don't want to deal with the things you mentioned above, guess what, it's a free country. They can quit anytime and find another profession. Normal people do it every day!

Well they do not just sign up, they get asked. And when you put what they were doing in context and mostly D1 officials are the ones that become NFL officials, they are not only getting a bigger pay check, but more responsibility to travel and do things during the week. There is a reason that D1 basketball officials can consider seriously giving up their regular jobs and a D1 football official would not even think of doing that seriously. Again, they were not asking to bankrupt the NFL over their requests. Knowing what you are getting into is not a justification to accept the conditions that the NFL wants to change.

And no people do not just quit a good gig just because they do not like the certain conditions. What fantasy world are you living in? And considering that they are working in many cases two full time jobs to be an NFL official (especially crew chiefs). This is not something they are doing like a regular HS official and if you think so you do not know much about what happens at that level.

Peace

[IUgrad92]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

And no people do not just quit a good gig just because they do not like the certain conditions. Peace

Mike Bibby didn't want to play for the Washington Wizards anymore so he takes a pay cut so he can play for the Miami Heat. He quit a good gig because of the conditions and moved on. My wife had a great paying job, but she got a new boss that was unbearable. She found a new job that paid a little less, but the office conditions were much better.

I can get you more examples if you want. They will all be from the real world too.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by IUgrad92

Mike Bibby didn't want to play for the Washington Wizards anymore so he takes a pay cut so he can play for the Miami Heat. He quit a good gig because of the conditions and moved on. My wife had a great paying job, but she got a new boss that was unbearable. She found a new job that paid a little less, but the office conditions were much better.

I can get you more examples if you want. They will all be from the real world too.

Are you really comparing an NBA player that wanted to win a title for historical glory to guys that will be a footnote and the scorn no matter how many NFL games they will work? Do you think any of these guys are going to work the Super Bowl? I would rather not work than be the guy that was on the game where I gave a 4th timeout (actual FB friend was on that game).

Peace