Referee Labor Dispute
In 2012, the league and the NFL Referees Association became involved in a dispute over the collective bargaining agreement between the two parties. Eventually, the league then locked out the officials in June, and turned to replacement officials to officiate the games. A month later, the association filed a complaint to the National Labor Relations Board against the league for unfair labor practices. The replacement referees were met with criticism from fans, players and coaches. Incidents included the week one Seattle Seahawks-Arizona Cardinals game, where the Seahawks were given an extra timeout, week two where side judge Brian Stropolo was removed from the New Orleans Saints-Carolina Panthers game for being a Saints fan, and the controversial ending to the Green Bay Packers-Seahawks game in week three. In September, ESPN analyst Chris Mortensen announced that the two groups are coming closer to an agreement.
Read more about this topic: National Football League Controversies
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