Another day, another player unhappy with the replacement officials for the way they called a game over the weekend. While I’m sure many of you have already grown tired of hearing the whining, Aaron Rodgers at least kept it unique with his complaints during an interview Jason Wilde on ESPN Radio in Wisconsin. Unlike some players who have blamed the officials for their lack of production, Rodgers cited a specific call that resulted in a huge play for the Packers against the Niners.
“They’re under a lot of scrutiny, and the ones we had last week deserved the scrutiny,” he said. “You have to understand the rules. It’s just frustrating when you’re positive that there’s either a missed call, or that the rule was not interpreted the way that it’s supposed to be interpreted.
“Anybody who watches the TV copy, I mean I saw it from the sidelines, but we scored a touchdown on a legit block in the back. I don’t know what happened on that. It has to hopefully get better.”
Rodgers was referring to Randall Cobb’s punt return for a touchdown. The officials initially threw a flag for an illegal block in the back before picking it up and allowing the touchdown to stand. They should not have picked it up. Of course, it’s easier for Rodgers to admit it after the Packers lost the game. Had they won, he may not have wanted to admit that they won with the help of the officials.
While I personally feel that a lot of the mistakes being made by the replacement refs have been overblown, they have had their fair share of unacceptable screw-ups that could have affected the outcome of games. The more superstars like Rodgers speak out, the more power the officials who are currently locked out will gain.
Thanks to Sports Radio Interviews for transcribing the quotes
Photo credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE
