NFL replacement refs - dangerous for the game?

We are well into the current NFL season, and apart from the usual media buzz, injury news and endless discussions about the performances of rookies Quarterbacks, there is one thing standing out: the usual NFL referees are locked out and replacement crews are refereeing the games.  These replacement crews were installed in preseason and mostly consist of non-BCS conference referees from the NCAA. While this might not sound too spectacular, it might actually be a big deal for the league.

It is still a debate how good a job these referees are doing. The media are highly critical, while the broadcasting TV networks are still hesitant to be overly critical regarding the product they offer. But the first two weeks of regular season games showed that the replacement officials got at least a few major calls wrong, mixed up some penalties and generally made more mistakes than the usual referees.

The entry salary for an NFL official  is $78,000. While this might not sound bad for a season of 16 plus postseason games, their salary is significantly below those of the other major sports leagues. The talks between the officials and the NFL have basically been suspended. Both sides could not come even close to an agreement so far.

So is it really about a few blown calls or some misplaced balls on the field? I guess not, because now that two weeks of regular season play are in the books something else - even more problematic - has emerged. Numerous personal fouls were not called on the field by the replacements and the atmosphere in numerous games was more than just competitive. So my guess is that while they try to avoid any mistakes, the replacements referees miss many overly rough plays. The NFL was quick to fine the guilty players (ask Golden Tate of the Seattle Seahawks) , but on-field calls would certainly be better to stop the extracurricular chippiness and unnecessary roughness between players. Some media observes have even gone as far as arguing that the replacement refs might actually be the reason why the game is more violent and dangerous at the moment.

One of the big objectives of NFL boss commission Roger Goodell was to make the NFL saver and reduce the risk of severe (head) injuries. Rightfully so, with the high number of potential lawsuits lingering. But by being overly strict in the negotiations with the referees he might have reached the contrary. Maybe it would just be better to give the referees what they want instead of having to deal with the consequences of an increase in the number of injuries. And it is not just about the general perception of the NFL as a "save" league, but I do not think that fans want to pay for watching teams that are substantially decimated by injuries.