scabwatch Page 1 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

The Many Horrible, Stupid Faces Of Roger Goodell: A Gallery Of Authoritarian Derp
Roger Goodell is the worst, a nothingburger who rose to power on his daddy's good name, a sort of Commissioner Fredo whose legacy thus far is two self-destructive labor fights, some owner collusion, and ceaseless bullshit about the sanctity of the game. We've spent a lot of time writing about all t...

Replacement Official Speaks Out: "The Last Guy Who Was Perfect They Nailed To A Cross"
By the time the referee lockout ended last night, many of the scab replacements had become notorious for blunders or impropriety of some kind. Jeff Sadorus fell into that classification when reports surfaced 10 days ago that he had been a paid practice official for years with the Seattle Seahawks, w...

Tonight's Referee Crew Walked Out To A Standing Ovation In Baltimore
Referee Gene Steratore and his officiating crew, with a combined 70 years of professional experience, walked out of the M&T Bank Stadium tunnel to a standing O and cheers from everyone on hand. (For the record, the first penalty of tonight's game came just 2:41 in: Illegal contact on the Browns de...

The NFL Sacrificed Three Weeks Of Games On The Altar Of Bullshit Ideological Purity
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"The Referee Lockout Is Over! Let's Give Roger Goodell A Raise," Says Shill
I suppose we shouldn't be surprised that this happened, but it's maddening, nonetheless. Shortly after the NFL referee lockout came to an end last night, Mike Florio posted this pile of crap on ProFootballTalk.com, in which he argues that Roger Goodell actually deserves our praise for how he handle...

The NFL's Replacement Referees Will Not Be Missed, But They Did Entertain Us
Here's a greatest hits compilation that surfaced on YouTube within minutes of the news that the NFL and its referees had come to agreement on a new labor deal. Seeing all these lowlights strung together in one sad clip after another does give an appreciation for the unprecedented levels of suckitu...

Rejoice, NFL Fans: The Referees Are Coming Back This Weekend
After 48 regular season games that nearly brought the National Football League to its knees and turned the league's officiating into a recurring national joke, the NFL and the referees union have agreed to a new eight-year deal and the officials will be back on the job Thursday night in Baltimore. ...

Why Are The Scab Refs Screwing Up Illegal-Contact Penalties?
The replacement officials made many mistakes over the weekend, some of such great consequence that they inspired incredible anger, others bad enough only to prompt a very loud "bullshit" chant. But they've all been bad. Instead of focusing on one specific mistake, or all the mistakes as a whole, tho...
![Touchdown? The Real NFL Referees Reportedly Are Coming Back Soon [UPDATE: Maybe]](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/18081ugw1gpsrjpg.jpg)
Touchdown? The Real NFL Referees Reportedly Are Coming Back Soon [UPDATE: Maybe]
The following tweet was sent out by Adam Schefter just a few minutes ago: ...

The NFL Told Broadcasters To Go Easy On The Scab Refs
Hoo boy. Notice how every broadcaster has come down so hard on the replacement refs? But it only really seemed to start in Week 2? This is not a coincidence....

Someone Is Actually Sticking Up For The NFL In This Labor Deal Mess
It was bound to happen. Call it Murphy's Law of Contrarian Journalism. Two weeks back, it was ESPN's Darren Rovell looking to blame the NHL lockout on "die-hard fans," and now Ashley Fox, his colleague at the WWL, has stepped her toe into the shitstorm that erupted Monday night. Seems we've really a...

32 Photos Of 32 NFL Coaches Yelling At The Scab Refs
You're angry at the replacement officials. The Green Bay Packers are angry at the replacement officials. Kyle Shanahan is angry at the replacement officials. Barack Obama is angry at the replacement officials. And, yes, even though they're not allowed to discuss it, the NFL coaches are angry too. He...

Ask George Atallah, Spokesman For The NFL Players Association, About Last Night's Shitshow In Seattle
As the NFLPA's assistant executive director for external affairs, George Atallah is the official spokesman for the NFL players. As you might expect, he's a busy man right now. "What a nutty day," he told us earlier, when we approached him to see if he'd be willing to do a live chat. ...
![Did This Angry Packers Fan Hock A Mean Loogie On The NFL Headquarters' Window? [UPDATE: Yes, As Confirmed By The Spitter Himself]](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/1808g8y89o502jpg.jpg)
Did This Angry Packers Fan Hock A Mean Loogie On The NFL Headquarters' Window? [UPDATE: Yes, As Confirmed By The Spitter Himself]
This afternoon, we were forwarded the following email from someone who claims to work in the same building where the NFL league offices are housed:...

Here's NFL Referee Ed Hochuli's Adorable Response To A Fan Who Emailed To Say He Missed Him
We got an email from a reader named Tyler a little while ago. Tyler and his friends are fed up with the work of the NFL's scab officials, so they decided to contact locked-out ref Ed Hochuli by emailing him at his law office to say they missed him. And look: Hochuli responded!...

What Can NFL Players Do To End The Referee Lockout (Besides Tweeting About It)?
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NFL Admits Very, Very Quietly That The Seahawks' "Touchdown" "Catch" Could've Been Overturned
Here is the most important part of the NFL's official statement on the final play of last night's Packers-Seahawks game:...

The Packers-Seahawks Refs: Who Are Those Guys?
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New Jersey State Senator Wants To Ban Replacement Referees
After witnessing the debacle that was last night's Packers-Seahawks game, New Jersey state senator Stephen Sweeney announced that he is planning to introduce legislation that will ban replacement officials from being used in professional sporting events, a move that is totally reasonable and defini...