Congrats to the NFL for getting a deal done and opening the door for the regular officials to come back to work.

I’m not sure what may have pushed them into getting the deal done – maybe they missed each other or possibly the officials couldn’t qualify for unemployment benefits (please note some sarcasm in there.)

When the season started I did have some level of empathy for these replacement refs and was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt but that changed as the more games done by these men (and one woman) the more it was obvious they were in way over their collective heads.

To be fair though, this bunch had a snowball’s chance in getting a fair shake from the players, coaches and the fans right from the first kick-off.

The Christians had better odds against the lions.

Rodney Dangerfield was given more respect. (Younger readers can Google that name).

The players and coaches ran over these officials like a monster truck crushes cars.

They knew they could intimidate them and get away with just about anything because the refs were just happy to be there.

For many it was a lifelong dream to be on the field for an NFL game and making the calls, right or wrong. Unfortunately the dream turned into a nightmare as more wrong calls were made but let’s give this some perspective.

This was like taking some summer employment student and having him or her run the company while the boss is away.

They were about as unprepared for this assignment as the citizens of Troy were when the giant horse was wheeled into the town square.

There should be plenty of blame heaped upon Roger Godell and the NFL for leaving these poor souls out to dry while a hurricane was building.

In the end the right decision was made and the deal was finalized.

It never should have come to that point but this seems to be the case in big sport these days as too many forget it’s still a game and the business side should remain in the boardroom never to be allowed to impact what is essentially entertainment.

Hey Mr. Bettman, did you happen to take a few notes? Just wondering.

sports@reddeerexpress.com