Being a referee is more than just making the right calls, it’s about having control of a game, and when the coaches know more about the rules than the refs, that’s bad.
Sure judgement calls will always be with us, even with the regular refs. But these referees do not have the respect of the players and coaches, and when that happens, players needlessly will get hurt. That’s my biggest problem with the replacement referees.
That's kind of a self-sustaining loop, though, isn't it? The refs can't control the game because they get no respect, and they get no respect because they can't control the game.
Coaches and players have been trying to bully these guys for three (regular season) weeks now, and to express shock and dismay because the guys getting bullied are getting frazzled and making mistakes isn't helping the situation.
The person who really needs to get things under control is Goodell. He needs to state in flat-out terms that there will be no pensions for referees, and that until the refs are willing to accept that, there will be no deal. In the meantime, he himself will review tapes from every game each week, and any player or coach found to be harassing or bullying a referee will be fined and suspended.