What a year it has been for the NFL, both on and off the field.
There have been a number of different storylines throughout the season that have made headlines (Rodgers’ injury, Minnesota’s Pass-tronaut, and now the Giants’ Tommy Devito), but the one thing that has dominated the year has been one thing: Referees.
Referees and umpires are always under the microscope in professional sports, and this year, it has been hard not to notice the referee problem in the NFL. Social media is quick to jump on an officiating crew when they don’t make a call, or when they do throw a flag on something that maybe could have been a “play on” situation.
And you know who else is all of the sudden more prone to criticize the referees? The NFL players, believe it or not. The whole world saw that when Patrick Mahomes went full “crybaby” after a late game call, and now a star player from the Dallas Cowboys is also speaking out.
During time with the media, Micah Parsons spoke on the referees and how players are “encouraged” to interact with them:
“Yeah, the problem I see with officiating is I think it becomes a lot more of an ego thing than it is them actually wanting to call it.
People say when you come over and talk to a (referee) nicely, he’s going to want to do his job right. But in my eyes, why would I have to talk to you any kind of way if you just did your job the first time.”
Parsons might have a point there…
Micah is basically just asking why the refs do not just do the job they are paid to do, without any other strings attached? It wasn’t all that bad of a quote, until he continued his thoughts on the matter:
“They don’t care. They’re not getting checks in the mail or notes in the mail about things like that. That’s the only problem I have. It’s just like they don’t care and when you tell them, it’s just like, ‘Oh you’re away from the play, you can’t make the play.’
How are you telling me what I can make? You in my body? You got my abilities? You can’t make that play. I’m a little different, I think I can make every play if I’m near the ball.”
The “away from the play” thing is definitely odd, and seems subjective. Parsons certainly looks like he was right in the middle of the play in the video below, where a holding penalty could have easily been called on the Philadelphia Eagles:
Parsons even responded to that video by saying “I told you it’s comical!”
To be honest, I’m all for NFL players talking trash to the referees. As long as they are okay with getting fined by the NFL, it makes for quite the spectacle, and at the very least keeps the refs accountable.
