Replacement ref to McCoy: "I need you for my fantasy team"

[baltimoreravens 19]

Source: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/eye-on-football/20220992

 

LeSean McCoy says replacement ref told him 'I need you for my fantasy' team

 

In Week 2, a number of specific games drew criticism for the work of the replacement referees. Among those was the Ravens-Eagles game, which got more than a little chippy. It should absolutely help matters, then, that Philadelphia running back LeSean McCoy said on Monday that one of the refs in his game was talking about his fantasy football team.

 

McCoy joined 94 WIP's Anthony Gargano and Ike Reese on Monday and was asked about the job the refs are doing. The running back called them "fans" and said that one of them specifically mentioned his fantasy team, during the game.

 

"They're like fans, kind of though,” McCoy said. “I'll be honest, they're like fans. One of the refs was talking about his fantasy team, like ‘McCoy, come on, I need you for my fantasy,' ahhh, what?!"

 

Now, McCoy said this jokingly, laughing about the comment. But we have to assume he's being serious when he quotes someone on a public radio show, especially since he cited another specific example of Ray Lewis basically scaring a replacement ref by puffing up his chest.

 

"During the game, they made like a bad call or something, the ref, and I see Ray Lewis like pump his chest up, trying to scare him,” McCoy said. "Don't you know [the ref] started stuttering? I'm like ‘what's this?!'"

 

This should make Roger Goodell and the NFL, um, not very happy. There's no question the replacement refs are intimidated by the stage they're on. That much is quite obvious.

 

But if there are refs out on the field talking to players about their fantasy football teams, that's really, really bad. It's even worse when the guy charged with objectively deciding what should happen in a football game specifically mentions the outcome of a possibly-involving-money game of chance like fantasy football to a player.

 

Even if the ref was trying to be funny, it's still a trainwreck that couldn't come at a worse possible time.

[Conshy 36]

I love how this is even an article. Was week 2 that boring?

Why are we acting like the real refs didn't play FF? I'm pretty sure this was a nonfactor, seeing how total bogus calls were made against both teams.

[Thanatos 2,847]

I love how this is even an article. Was week 2 that boring?

Why are we acting like the real refs didn't play FF? I'm pretty sure this was a nonfactor, seeing how total bogus calls were made against both teams.

 

Because the NFL has specifically forbidden officials from playing fantasy football, for quite obvious reasons. If a ref has McCoy on his team, maybe he gives him that little extra inch to get into the endzone, just by way of example.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Looks like we are moving closer and closer to the real refs return. Peter King says the money isn't even an issue. The big drawback right now is the pension program.

[Conshy 36]

Because the NFL has specifically forbidden officials from playing fantasy football, for quite obvious reasons. If a ref has McCoy on his team, maybe he gives him that little extra inch to get into the endzone, just by way of example.

 

It is naive to think that the real refs don't play FF, and I doubt that an extra inch would have been given. I understand what makes the author concerned, but that doesn't mean I agree. To be concerned about that is paranoid and disrespectful to the refs. They have obviously made wrong calls due to lack of awareness and lack of knowledge, but to imply that the refs would rig a game over FF is insane.

[seanbrock 1,684]

I highly doubt that an NFL ref would risk his job by favoring players on their fantasy team.

[Thanatos 2,847]

It is naive to think that the real refs don't play FF, and I doubt that an extra inch would have been given. I understand what makes the author concerned, but that doesn't mean I agree. To be concerned about that is paranoid and disrespectful to the refs. They have obviously made wrong calls due to lack of awareness and lack of knowledge, but to imply that the refs would rig a game over FF is insane.

 

I'm not implying that. I'm saying it is specifically forbidden by the NFL, so this ref admitting to it is admitting to breaking the rules the NFL set forward. After the abysmal showing of the refs in week 2, this is simply more "evidence" that the "real" refs can use in their negotiations- thus why its a news article.

 

I agree that it most likely wouldn't happen, but its the appearance of impropriety that the NFL is guarding against here.

[Conshy 36]

Clearly, I misunderstood what you were saying. I agree with where you are coming from, but I still think there were better things to include in the article to show that the refs screwed up calls, like citing examples of the refs screwing up calls.