When it comes to the labor fight between the NFL and its game officials, the NFL Referees Association is operating with one hand tied behind its back. In part because the league has its hands deep in the pockets of multiple major media outlets.<\/p>\n
Earlier today, Adam Schefter of ESPN \u2014 which is now partially owned by the NFL \u2014 posted a tweet that shared the league\u2019s one-sided characterization of the ongoing negotiations<\/a>. On Sunday night, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network posted multiple tweets framing the controversy from the perspective of management.<\/p>\n \u201cThe NFL has offered its game officials a six-year labor deal with a 6.45% annual growth rate in compensation, while the NFLRA is insisting on 10% plus $2.5 million for marketing fees the league regards as worthless, sources say,\u201d Pelissero tweeted. \u201cThe union also continues to resist changes<\/a> the NFL is insisting upon, including shortening the \u2018dark period\u2019 after the Super Bowl, deploying underperforming officials to spring leagues for extra reps and ending a seniority-based system for playoff assignments. \u2018We want to pay for performance,\u2019 source said.\u201d<\/p>\n As to the reality that the NFL needs full-time officials, Pelissero posted this: \u201cThe NFL has made a proposal to make some officials full-time, but have met \u2018staunch resistance\u2019<\/a> from the NFLRA, source said. In essence, from the league\u2019s standpoint, the union wants officials to make substantially more money without any substantive changes to their jobs or hours and with a system that rewards seniority, not performance.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s no indication that Pelissero sought a response from the NFLRA before presenting the information that clearly has come from the league. But that\u2019s how things tend to work these days. Instead of seeking out the other side affirmatively, reporters will present one side and then wait for the other side to respond elsewhere.<\/p>\n There are always two sides to every story. But if the officials are somehow being so clearly unreasonable that they won\u2019t engage in fair, evenhanded negotiations with the league in an effort to advance the best interests of the game of professional football, the NFL shouldn\u2019t lock them out. It should get rid of them.<\/p>\n