"Research by the Broad and Gates Foundations shows that these replacement Officials have not only performed admirably, but even better than the old status-quo supporting Officials," said a NTP spokesperson.
The New Teacher Project issued a report called The Irreplaceables which documents the NFL Officials crisis in America’s professional football stadiums: a failure to retain the right officials. "Clearly, these replacement Officials have shown the American spirit through their willingness to undermine a union supported seniority system and their dedication to the children of America who love to watch football."Teach for America through its subsidiary, FOFA - Football Officials For America, received a contract from the NFL to set up a 5-day training program for the strike-breaking Officials who will now lose their jobs.
"What a shame these amazing and dedicated replacement Officials have come under attack," said Wendy Kopp. "FOFA's 5-day training program has proven more than adequate to handle the challenges of NFL officiating. Years of experience is an unproven and overrated commodity in proving competence to officiate a simple football game. And yes, that was a touchdown catch Sunday night. Green Bay just has a sore loser mentality."
In preparation for the next the owners attempt to break the union the NFL has announced that it will give FOFA a 5-year contract to develop a 5-week training program that will lead to top-notch officiating.
"This dispute was about the adults ignoring the interests of children who love their football," said Michelle Rhee in a statement issued through Students First. "The old NFL Officials only want to maintain the status quo," she said. "Students First was ready to pour hundred of millions of dollars in support of the NFL owners. Unfortunately, they cracked. Really, even worse than Rahm Emanuel's caving in to that scummy teacher union. I'm very disappointed in both the NFL owners and Rahm Emanuel."
Walden Media immediately announced a new film about how fans and football players team up to use a football trigger law to take over an NFL team and replace it with a charter. "Football fans in each city suffer from a monopoly and need a choice of football teams. We do understand that New York City has two teams, but really, one of them is the Jets, so that doesn't count," said a spokesman for Philip Anschutz and Rupert Murdoch who backed the film "Won't Back Down." The new film, tentatively titled, "We Will Not Back Down From Those Slimy NFL Referee Bullies," will star Jake Gyllenhaal as a hunky referee who graduated from FOFA's accelerated 5-hour referee training program.
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Diane Ravitvch and Jersey Jazzman have posted on the NFL Officials story.
I was watching Morning Joe yesterday and Joe Scarboro, who couldn’t get enough of trashing the teachers in Chicago last week, was up in arms over the greedy NFL owners refusal to pay for experienced refs.
Governor Scott Walker says it is time to bring back the referees’ union so there will be competent referees on the field. Why is it more important to have experienced referees in NFL football games than to have experienced teachers in our nation’s classrooms?
MORE BELOW THE BREAK
Jersey Jazzman takes note of the media hysteria about those NFL referees who replaced the experienced, unionized referees. Even Governor Scott Walker was upset when the inexperienced referees made a call that led to a loss by the Green Bay Packers.
Do we need “Referees for America” to step in when the unionized referees go on strike? Apparently the football lovers of America say no.
Maybe experience and qualifications matter.
And remember how the media piled on teachers in Chicago for their outrageous salaries? Was it $56,000, $74,000?
Well, a reader sent this important information:
The refs make $150,000 for 6 months of part time work. They want $200,000. I haven’t seen those numbers thrown around in the media. Every time they talked about the teachers in Chicago they threw out the bogus $74,000 average salary. Then some pundit would always add they only worked 8 months out of the year as well. Everyone bemoaned the greedy overpaid teachers.
I was watching Morning Joe yesterday and Joe Scarboro, who couldn’t get enough of trashing the teachers in Chicago last week, was up in arms over the greedy NFL owners refusal to pay for experienced refs.
A reader reacted to an earlier post about TFA by noting how upset the media are about an inexperienced referee. She sees an important parallel:
Isn’t it ironic that the news stations and many fans are more upset about a second-rate referee making a bad call in a football game, but they are not so worried about untrained, novice TFA teachers practicing on our kids for 180+ days and then ditching the profession?
No wonder the teaching profession is doomed.
Will the politicians and corporate reformers be working to dismantle the referees’ union as fiercely as they are the teachers’ union?
It gets even better: Governor Scott Walker says it is time to bring back the referees’ union so there will be competent referees on the field.
Why is it more important to have experienced referees in NFL football games than to have experienced teachers in our nation’s classrooms? Why is it okay for referees to have a union but not teachers? Is sports more important to the future of our nation than education?
nice to know that we don't only have the Onion to go to for these kinds of important stories (or the mostly-retired Gary Babad on NYCeducationnews site.)
ReplyDeleteYou got it! I also saw the irony in the responses of football fans and wrote this response to an Anonymous reader of Fred Blonsky's blog:
ReplyDeleteI wonder how Anonymous feels about the NFL referee strike or for that matter, the NFL strike. I know here in Louisiana where football is revered – the moniker SAINTS ain’t no misnomer – the vocal right wing citizenry felt their wings had been clipped BUT not by the standoff by players or referees (unions) but by greedy unreasonable management as personified in Mr. Goodall himself.
When “Referees for America” showed up they were quickly recognized as unskilled, inexperienced, incompetent bubblers. It was noted that one should be expected to pay a high price for capable officials charged with this most essential American enterprise – Professional football. Of course the officials who preside over it should be Professionals. And shouldn’t the compensation for those with even more Power than, say, Drew Brees who recently successfully negotiated his own contract for $100 million, be sufficiently obscene so as to bring some credibility anyway to their authority? At least until they make a “bad” call against one of OUR players.
Likewise, ya’ll can rightfully expect those fans who pay $3,000 plus for season tickets, if they can get them, to be pissed when they learn the cost of a public education for their kid in Louisiana ranges from $5,400 to $11,000 depending on their geographic location relative to the Superdome. That leaves little in their piggy bank for lavish tailgate parties or the required official NFL attire boasting the number of their favorite player. Damn those teachers (who in Louisiana are prohibited from striking) for thinking the should be paid based on degree or years of experience. Damn those teachers who send homework home on game nights. Damn those schools for requiring uniforms that limit my child’s ability to express him/herself. I paid good money for that licensed NFL jersey and want mug kid to wear it.
You get the picture….Teach for America, low pay and union busting are good for our public schools but DON’T MESS WIT DEM SAINTS! GEAUX SAINTS!
See my blog at (what else) http://www.geauxteacher.net
Norm:
ReplyDeleteEvery once in a while you get it right.
But, but, but those replacement refs were SO ENTHUSIASTIC! Isn't that what the NFL needs in a quality ref? Those old, experienced refs can't fire up players like the young, energetic refs. I could see the dramatic effects through the TV (with and without high def) the minute those replacements ran onto the field. Their ENTHUSIASM inspired the players to play harder, run faster, throw farther,and block with reckless abandon. What a shame the old refs used their contract as a protection racket. That's SO 1980.
ReplyDeleteAnon 5:48 You know, you're just a defender of the status quo.
ReplyDeleteAnon 5:38 - How nice to be acknowledged by my friends from Unity. You're not a slug -- for today at least.
One of your best, Norm! Love it.
ReplyDeleteLove this post. Hilarious! Wouldn't be surprised if Billionaire Boys Club and all the deformers in the nation end up sinking money to create a program called FOFA. Knowing that their insensitive, selfish, egotistical, power-driven, pompous, haughty nature would take the love of a sport by many and slowly kill the joy of watching it.
ReplyDeleteWow Norm!!! Really good stuff!!!
ReplyDeleteSchoolgal :)