IRVING, Texas - Ok, so you know it's going to happen. We shouldn't be surprised when it does.
But it will happen and there will be a joke in probably ever NFL stadium this weekend.
*"Man, I thought these are the real refs? The scab guys could've done that?" *
With the real officials coming back, and coming back in some cases only hours after a new deal has been reached, there is bound to be a few errors this weekend.
Expect it. Embrace it, but realize the big picture.
Every football game I've ever watched on TV or been to in person or even heard about it secondhand, there was a call that *someone *thought was wrong. It happens and it'll happen this week, too. It might even happen more than usual.
Calls are missed on every play. To expect that everything will suddenly be fixed and the NFL will be back to normal is simply being naïve.
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy this got resolved. The NFL has too great of a product to be a weekly punch-line or an eyesore like it was after Monday's debacle in Seattle. Yes, it was a debacle and yes I was one of many who said on social media seconds after that play occurred that this would likely be the tipping point to get the old refs back.
It was inevitable, just like it's inevitable that these regular refs will come in rusty. They'll make some mistakes and they might even blow a major call that could determine the outcome of a game.
But the difference will be, these guys are trained for these rules. They know the rules, they understand why they're in place. And overall, it will bring much better structure to the league and to each individual game.
But make no mistake … because these refs will certainly make a few this weekend. Still, it'll be glad to have them back.
