Eight seconds left. Green Bay has a 12-7 lead. Seattle’s got the ball at Green Bay’s 24-yard line. Rookie QB Russell Wilson takes the snap and drops back, taking his time as the clock runs to zero, then tosses up a hail mary to wide receiver Golden Tate.
It looks like he has possession with one hand the ball, but you could say the same about Green Bay’s cornerback M.D. Jennings, who appears to have both hands on the ball, as they wrestle for the ball in the end zone. Players rush around them to catch even just a glimpse of who has possession.
One replacement official stutters on his decision of the call while another throws his arms up for a touchdown. The play goes under review for nearly 10 minutes when replacement referee Wayne Elliot let’s the Seattle faithful and the millions watching at home in on the final decision…
“The ruling on the field stands. Touchdown. Seattle wins the game”
This was one example of the embarrassing, unreputable calls that the NFL’s temporary replacement referees made to impact regular season games in a negative way, both angering fans and players of the game.
The replacement referees were put in on June 4, 2012, when the officials’ union and the NFL could not come to an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement.
A main issue between the NFL and the officials’ union was a new retirement plan.
In the original contract, NFL refs received a define benefit plan, where retired refs were guaranteed a fixed amount of income based on the length of their employment.
The league wanted to switch to a defined 401k plan, where there would be no guaranteed amounts of income and benefits the performance of the plan’s investments.
Refs felt inferior to this proposal because it would have reduced the league’s funding obligations by 60 % and shifted additional investment risk to the employees.
Referees did say they would be willing to adjust to the change, only if it applied to new officials, but the NFL still insisted that all refs switch to the new plan.
All of the madness ended on September 26, when the NFL and officials’ union agreed to a new, eight-year contract, which retains the referees defined benefit plans until 2016, or until an official earns their 20 years of experience. Starting in 2017, all refs will switch to the 401k plans that the NFL wanted.
Original referees, like the crew led by Gene Steratore, returned on September 27, for the Thursday night game between the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. They received a standing ovation from the Baltimore crowd before the game.
