NFL Referees

November 22, 2001

I really don't like watching NFL football. But since it's some kind of Thanksgiving tradition I'm watching it today.

I think the referees are hilarious. You don't see refs doing what they do in other sports.

Stripey walks into the middle of the field and turns on his mic. Over the PA system you hear:

"Lions receiver put the left foot down but his right toe did not touch the field before he was pushed out. Crowd boos The pass was incomplete, so it'll be 4th and 9 on the Packers 40 yard line. Also, if I may add, you have been a wonderful crowd, especially you sir, in section 102, Row 8, Seat 4. I love that get-up you're wearing, it's very festive. Please set the clock back to 33 seconds."

(Okay, I embellished it just a little bit) The ref gets so much airtime, it's very amusing. Instead of just a little hand signal like you see in baseball or hockey, you get this big speech. Don't the people watching understand the rules? Do they need all this explanation. I mean honestly, I appreciate it because I don't know the rules of NFL football, but it's a bit over the top. It seems to perpetuate the war/general/strategy/soldier/slow-as-molasses feel of NFL broadcasts.

Can you imagine this in hockey? Oh man would that be a hoot.