We're six weeks into this thing, and you may have heard a thing or 12 about NFL officials strugglin' with blown calls, no-calls, basically anything football-related. Well, Commissar Roger Goodell delivered a pep talk to his charges this week, letting them know that nobody's perfect, mistakes happen, and just as long as the Cowboys don't win a playoff game, nothing else matters*.
SI.com's Peter Kinghas the details:
For 10 minutes Friday afternoon, Goodell, speaking from league offices in New York, had his 17 referees --- the chiefs for the league's beleaguered officiating crews --- on a conference call to tell them he has full confidence in -- as he told them -- the best officials in sports.
According to a source close to the officials, Goodell tried to pump the refs with words to this effect: "Mistakes are going to happen. Don't let mistakes shake your confidence. Don't beat yourselves up over them ... You have my complete confidence.''
Goodell then added, "Alright, off you go; it's Friday and I've still got to fine a few guys for dancing. Good luck and Godspeed."** According to King, response from officials was "very positive," presumably because it's the only good news they've heard all season.
In light of some pretty horrific officiating, there has been the annual call to make the position a full-time job, but I'm not sure how that solves anything. To become an NFL official is already pretty rigorous endeavor, and it's not clear that a few extra hours of watching film, pumping iron, or practicing the "chop block" signal will someone minimize mistakes. Which is why the NFL should refocus their energies toward the long term. Specifically: robots. It makes too much sense, really.
* fabrication
** also a fabrication
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