NFL Agent Weighs Replacing The Replacements
PITTSBURGH (93-7 THE FAN) -- Replacement referees in the NFL reached a new level of ridicule after the inexplicable ending to Monday night's Packers-Seahawks game in Seattle, but local agent Ron Del Duca does not expect Roger Goodell to bring an immediate end to this increasingly controversial labor dispute.
Del Duca joined "Seibel, Starkey & Miller" Tuesday afternoon to break down the origins of the current disconnect between the league and its officials' union.
"They want to have seven full-time officials, which means each crew would have one full-time guy. The NFL Referees Association doesn't want that," Del Duca explained. "They're not going to get paid the same as a full-time MLB or NBA official, and they're worried about who would be the full-time referee [on each crew]."
Del Duca says the regulars are well-paid despite being considered part-time employees by the NFL, which hurts their leverage.
"I think Goodell, at least on the surface, has to stick to his guns for a while," he said.
In addition, Del Duca explained some of the other issues separating the two sides, including the NFL's pension plan, and a new idea that he believes would make the regulars nervous about job security:
"Seibel, Starkey & Miller" can be heard weekdays 2:00-6:00 on SportsRadio 93.7 The Fan.
