Replacement Ref | featured news

The National Football League (NFL) reached an agreement to end a labor dispute with its regular game officials on Wednesday, ending three weeks of questionable calls that had threatened the integrity of the sport.

The good news is that there’s a tangible sign of progress between the NFL and the locked-out officials. The bad news is it’s progress on a lesser issue, while the major issue between the two sides is no closer to being resolved.

The NFL put its stamp of approval on the still-smoldering outcome of the Green Bay-Seattle game: Wrong call. Right review. Wrong team still wins. Seahawks 14, Packers 12. With frustration mounting among coaches, players and fans, the worst fear finally materialized: a mistake by a replacement official would decide the outcome of a game.

The furor over the work of replacement officials reached a fevered pitch during Week 3 in the NFL, especially Monday night when Seattle beat Green Bay on a desperation pass that many thought was an interception....