MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - All it took was one play to add gasoline to a flicker that had remained on the sports backburner. The replacement referee controversy is now a national headline after millions talked about a "missed" or "blown" call that decided a Monday Night Football tilt between the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks.
"Did you guys watch the Packer game last night? Give me a break, it is time to get the real refs," Republican Vice President Candidate Paul Ryan exclaimed at a campaign event.
Ryan, who is from Wisconsin, may be geographically partisan on this issue, but former Vikings Linebacker Matt Blair is not. "You get what you pay for so fans prepare yourself," Blair said with a chuckle.
Blair has been watching the situation closely and he's having a hard time with the situation. "The referees are like high school kids not knowing the full (rules), not being there with experience. Until the regular referees come back it will be the biggest headache the NFL will have ever had," the former Pro Bowler concluded.
At the KFAN studios, Dan "Common Man" Cole was having a blast playing devil's advocate. The station's internet numbers more than doubled when compared to any other Tuesday, and it was all because of that Packer-Seahawks play.
We asked Cole if the league needs to do something right away. He said maybe these replacement refs could get better with more time, but he also saw some urgency in the situation.
"This last week wasn't very good. I think if they don't want a mutiny from the players, they're probably going to have to get them back. I actually find it entertaining, it adds a little spice to the season this year," he said.
The league and the officials union met again Tuesday but did not signal whether talks were progressing positively. If the NFL got $1 for every time the final Packer-Seahawks play aired on national and local TV on Tuesday, they could probably pay their officials as much as the players.
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