NCAA and NFL Referee news
The 2013 NFL season is finally here, with Walt Coleman handling the officiating duties in Denver. We’re working feverishly to track down the week 1 assignments.
If you know of any others that we’re still missing, please leave a comment and let us know.
Brian Urlacher, linebacker for the Chicago Bears, has been fined $20K by the league for “abusive conduct toward a game official”.
The words came following a bizarre play last week in which the Falcons fumbled the ball, the Bears recovered it, then they fumbled, and the Falcons got the ball back. The result of that was a first down for the Falcons, because the ball had changed possession. It was a confusing play, but it certainly seemed that Al Riveron and his crew took their time and made sure to get it right.
I guess Urlacher was just frustrated with the play, because the refs certainly got it right.
Other players were recently fined for similar incidents, including Miami’s Joey Porter, Denver’s Dre Bly and the Rams Richie Incognito.
Just days after Saints’ coach Sean Payton was fined $15,000 for ripping the officials, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has been fined $25,000 for a similar offense.
Jones had made comments about Ed Hochuli‘s famous week one mistake in the Broncos-Chargers game. Jones admits he was out of line, saying that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is “doing his job”.
Jones was fined more than Payton because owners are held to a higher standard. Chargers coach Norv Turner was not fined for referring to the blown call as “unacceptable”, since he limited himself to that single word and referred all other questions about the matter to the league office.
According to ESPN, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton has been fined $15,000 by the NFL for criticizing the officals after last week’s 34-32 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Specifically, Payton was upset that an obvious neutral zone infraction wasn’t called with 2:40 left in the game. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made it clear to all teams that they are welcome to talk to him about officiating problems, but any public criticism (like Payton’s) will result in disciplinary action.
The referee in the Saints-Broncos game last week was Ron Winter, though this call would have been the responsibility of his Head Linesman or Line Judge.