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Send in the Owners

9/26/2012

Think this guy would be any worse than the jokers they are using? (see below) Photo courtesy of Wahoo Gazette

The National Football League knew it was in trouble when David Letterman mocked the officiating fiasco Tuesday night. A very bedraggled Alan Kalter trudged across the stage wearing a don’t-mess-with-me scowl and striped referee gear. He just had a bleeping day, he said.

Then there was a Top Ten List cataloging the mistakes by the ringers, with sports maven ace writer Bill Scheft from the wings explaining the N.F.L. misery.

Now we read in Judy Battista’s excellent front-page piece in the Times that new, intransigent owners are responsible for the hard stance.

If I read between the lines, some of these new people want to solve the ills of the world right here and now – by stiffing the help.

They are willing to dilute the product for a ridiculously miniscule piece of the action – what the Times says is $3.2 million extra, out of the $9 billion in annual revenue of the N.F.L. In other words, the owners are saying, it’s not the money, it’s the principle.

They could downsize the limos at the Super Bowl and afford real refs by next Sunday.

We haven’t seen such haughtiness toward the working class since…since…since Mitt Romney talked straight from his avaricious little heart to his rich friends in that now-infamous tape.

Mitt can’t worry about poor people; the N.F.L. owners can’t worry about fans. They all have their agendas.

If I read the tea leaves correctly, some new owners are trying to make their points against a society they just joined. In that, they remind me of the 40 or 50 new tea-party types who came to Congress in 2011, with no intention of actually belonging to it. They slept in their offices and rushed home as soon as they could, scorning the institution and, in effect, the country.

By ignoring the expertise of the referees, the nouveau hard-line owners have jeopardized the product they recently bought into. They have their own tapes proliferating – the botched calls, the yowling fans, the twittering players, and the laughter on the late-night shows -- contempt, rocketing around the world.

This league is already in trouble because generations of ignored brain damage are catching up with it. Now the owners are showing us who’s boss.

Roy Edelsack

9/26/2012 03:38:12 am

Larry Merchant in his book, 'The National Football Lottery" (1974), pointed out that when the NFL speaks about the "integrity of the game, they are actually talking about "the integrity of the bet." That's why there are strict rules on reporting injuries (that seemingly apply to everyone except Belichick). Steve Politi in a feature piece in today's "Star Ledger" headlined "Bad Bet: Replacement refs put integrity of the game at stake" makes the same connection Merchant made.

So at what point does Vegas stop posting a line for the NFL games because there's not enough "integrity" to establish one? Not yet apparently, as Politi's own "Star Ledger" has the point spread for every NFL week 4 game posted on page 2 of the sports section.

Is this how the ref lockout finally ends? Will significant numbers of fans finally stop watching if they can't bet the games?

George Vecsey

9/26/2012 03:44:26 am

Dear Mr. Edelsack: really good point. The N.F.L. loves to talk about its role in the gambling jones of America. That would be a good question to ask the Commish. GV

Roy Edelsack

9/27/2012 12:23:34 am

Well, they settled last night. In keeping with the theme of my original post, the quote of the evening came from Deadspin:

"Our long national nightmare if finally over/under."

Roy Edelsack

9/27/2012 12:27:35 am

"is" not "if."

I am not a morning person.

Alan Rubin link

9/26/2012 11:06:56 am

George

Roy and you have nailed the essence of the situation—GREED.

I would also add hypocrisy to the owner’s list of abuses.

In all major sports, many owners cry poverty, but studies at some universities have refuted many of their claims.

George, you once answered a soccer question that I had asked by saying, “it’s all about the money.”

Many years ago, extremely poor weather conditions cancelled all the EPL matches for the day. It was decided to flip a coin to determine the winners because so much money was being held by the bookies.

Unfortunately, I cannot locate the documentation for the above three comments.

I feel badly for the replacement referees. They are getting the lion’s share of the blame, but they are doing the best they can on a level that were not trained for. They are taking longer trying to get it right. It might even be worse if they made quick decisions in the interest of speed.

I am not surprised by anything that the NFL owners do. They talk about protecting their investment, but do not seem to care enough to protect their players from injury. Is the money invested in acquiring and developing talent a tax write-off when a star player, or any player, is injured and lost for the season or longer?

Brian Savin

9/26/2012 05:59:24 am

Whoaaa! A tour de force as good as any done for the Times and we weren't charged a penny! How many needles did one thread, thread? In order of appearance (there are far more than recognized on my first read): Music, mockery, avarice, class warfare, social and political commentary, sport values, and a resounding finale of a medical commentary on the causality of brain damage by the brain damaged. Suitable for framing. Thanks.

George Vecsey

9/26/2012 08:06:47 am

Brian, thanks so much. It's what columnists do, or try to do -- put stuff together from our heads. The site is a great place for just doing it....best, GV

Ed Martin

9/26/2012 02:47:24 pm

As it says on Facebook: LIKE!

John McDermott

9/26/2012 05:29:53 pm

Have some sympathy for the poor owners. They have to save up to pay off the big, overdue bill that is surely coming their way for all those debilitating head injuries and other long-term disability issues suffered by former players cared for by team doctors whose first concern was getting them back on the field as soon as possible. It sounds like the new guys took Jerry Jones as their role model. They make the late Al Davis look like a humanitarian. No too many Rooney's or Mara's around these days, not even an Eddie Debartolo...

George Vecsey

9/27/2012 01:50:54 am

The Rooneys and Maras have always seen football as a human endeavor as well as a business. I am sure that is because it is in their genes to hope for decent weather on Sunday, to sell a few tickets. Some of the new guys want a revolution. Some of the owners either did not understand how skilled real referees are, or they didn't care.Not sure which is worse. I'm glad I'm partial to the real football, where the officiating is perfect. GV

Ed Martin

9/27/2012 05:27:44 am

another Facebook reference, George, LOL. (Mea culpa, I have grandchildren).

George Vecsey

9/27/2012 07:05:13 am

What is this Facebook you mention?
GV

Alan Rubin link

9/27/2012 04:44:46 pm

George----If you are actually new to Facebook, consider yourself lucky that you missed out of their ill-advised IPO.

My three grandchildren now communicate by texting. If I want to send them more than 140 characters, I text that they have an email.

Ed----yours is the second Facebook “LIKE” that I have received this month. I had asked my 14 year old soccer playing grandson to review my educational soccer website and comment and make suggestions. I received a “LIKE” from him on my Facebook page. Since Eli is not big on conversation, that was actually a lot.

The youngsters may be whizzes at the social media stuff, but us seniors actually seem to be able to use them.

Ed Martin

9/28/2012 09:51:53 am

I am improving Alan, Last year I sent a message to grand daughter Gwen and closed with LOL. she wrote back what are you laughing at GP? I thought it meant Lots of Love. :)

Roy Edelsack

9/28/2012 10:16:46 am

Ed: Wait until you get the sarcastic, "ZOMG," which is used to let you know that you've just said something obvious. My son is in his first year at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. Here's a typical text interaction:

Me: Don't forget we sent you up to school with warm clothes. It must be getting cold up there.
Son: ZOMG, really?

George Vecsey

9/28/2012 03:29:01 pm

funny how one subject drifts into another. while we are on this subject, my daughter-the-ex-columnist turned on the tv in Seattle a few months ago and saw Ichiro playing RF for....the Yankees? She send me a text that said WTF??? I knew exactly what she meant.
And Thursday around 3 pm I sent a text to my-son-the-copy-editor that said, "yes!" So, yes, I get texting. GV

Ed martin

9/29/2012 03:59:59 am

Shall we return to Johnny Mize re: Ichiro?

George Vecsey

9/29/2012 04:51:21 am

I told you, didn't I?
Only instead of Johnny Hopp, they got Ichiro. Damn Yankees.
Incidentally, Bill Wakefield, who pitched for the Mets in 1964, and quite well, emailed me that he had excess Johnny Hopp baseball cards in his childhood collection, and send me a likeness. Never got around to posting it til now. GV

http://www.georgevecsey.com/1/post/2012/07/the-yankees-always-get-somebody.html

Kristie link

11/21/2012 08:40:25 pm

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