What a rough weekend for the replacements. My argument has been and will be that there are no real replacements for the real thing. Coke tried it and failed. Public schools try and it just doesn’t work. Now in the NFL, the most popular of all professional sports, the replacements have clearly become the scapegoats of every team, every player, every coach, and of every fan, and you know what, it is failing.

Drew Brees criticizes, Detroit Lions criticize, and just waiting for the Green Bay Packers to criticize. My take is this, the officials are not performing at a normal standard due to the increased speed of the game. There is no way, one could just step into a game that is at a whole different level then what one is used to officiating.

My disappointment lies in the fact that game officials are not performing at a level that is necessary. This is a professional game.

As a Packer fan, I am more disappointed in the play of the offensive line in the first half then the officials. I thought that adjustments weren’t made and Rodgers was running for his life. The officials will take the blame, but lets just say that the Saints are 0-3 and the Packers are 1-2, the Patriots are 1-2, so our teams just haven’t played to the levels necessary and the officiating has not helped. Finally, officiating has cost a team a game on the final play. Not good, but the Packers will be back. Maybe they will play with purpose.

Watching Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy at the post game conference, was telling. I have never seen them that short in their responses. Aaron was almost comical with his “I’ll probably be fined by this time tomorrow”. Just wait until we get another Drew Brees comment, of it was “horrendous and an embarrassment.”

So to all the replacements and substitutes. I still love you but there is no replacement for the real thing.

Final thoughts, how many fantasy football team owners lost because some guy named Tate scored a second TD or because you had the Packer defense and they gave up that final TD? It just might cost your team the playoffs.

I am hoping that the NFL is providing security for the replacement referees. That poor guy that just lost the big money on a big bet in Vegas might be a little upset.