Goodell Releases Apology Letter To NFL Fans
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote and released a letter to league fans recently, conveying how deeply apologetic he was for the referee holdout that finally came to a close Sept. 26.
Goodell said he believes in responsibility, not excuses. He said it was a shame the agreement between the sides could not come any sooner and that distractions to the game occurred. Fans, Goodell said, are worthy of better.
The NFL Referees Association and NFL were unable to settle on a labor dispute before and during the first three weeks of the regular season. For that reason, replacement refs were called on to officiate the games. These replacement refs are various levels of football experience but none of them had ever worked in the actual NFL.
During the Sept. 24thMonday Night Football game between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks, replacement referees were profoundly dissected for calls they were making including the game’s last play in which Quarterback Russell Wilson flung a “Hail Mary” throw that looked to have been intercepted by Packer safety player M.D. Jennings but ruled it a touchdown for Golden Tate, a wide receiver for the Seahawks. The Seahawks took home the win with a 14-12 score.
Despite the debacle, Gooddell thanked the replacement refs efforts on doing the job, saying the task was done with commitment and concentration in the most hostile circumstances.
Following Sept. 26 deal, the NFL’s regular officials came back to work Sept. 27 for the game between the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns. Fans at this game gave them a standing ovation. Regular referees will be present for all of Week 4’s Sunday games.
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