Wednesday, March 12
Report: NFL asks eight officials to resign or be fired
Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Eight NFL officials were asked by the league to resign by March 20 or they would be fired, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
Mike Arnold, a labor lawyer representing the NFL Referees Association, told the newspaper it was the largest number of referees ever asked to resign at one time.
He also said the league did not give a reason for its decision to the officials or the union, except that they were connected to the officials' performances.
"We have not been notified of any specific reason why this has happened," Arnold told the newspaper. "We're investigating the details. We're operating on fairly limited information."
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello would not confirm the report Wednesday, but said there is always turnover among the 119 officials.
"Every year, some officials are asked to leave," Aiello told The Associated Press. "Last year, there were 16 new officials."
Many officials leave due to retirement, and Aiello said over the last eight years the average number of new officials has been nine per season.
Neither Aiello nor Arnold would disclose the names of the officials, but Arnold said each of the officials received satisfactory performance ratings from the league last season and were angered by the decision.
Each official filed a grievance against the league, according to other game officials who spoke to the newspaper on the condition of anonymity. They also identified the dismissed officials as James Duke, Dave Warden, Tom Johnson, Dave Anderson, Lloyd McPeters, Bill Spyksma, Ron Spitler and Tommy Moore.
Game officials are not allowed to speak to the media without permission from the league.
The forced resignations come after league officials expressed concern over several highly controversial calls last season, especially a missed pass interference call at the end of a wild-card game between the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers.
Report: NFL asks eight officials to resign or be fired
Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Eight NFL officials were asked by the league to resign by March 20 or they would be fired, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
Mike Arnold, a labor lawyer representing the NFL Referees Association, told the newspaper it was the largest number of referees ever asked to resign at one time.
He also said the league did not give a reason for its decision to the officials or the union, except that they were connected to the officials' performances.
"We have not been notified of any specific reason why this has happened," Arnold told the newspaper. "We're investigating the details. We're operating on fairly limited information."
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello would not confirm the report Wednesday, but said there is always turnover among the 119 officials.
"Every year, some officials are asked to leave," Aiello told The Associated Press. "Last year, there were 16 new officials."
Many officials leave due to retirement, and Aiello said over the last eight years the average number of new officials has been nine per season.
Neither Aiello nor Arnold would disclose the names of the officials, but Arnold said each of the officials received satisfactory performance ratings from the league last season and were angered by the decision.
Each official filed a grievance against the league, according to other game officials who spoke to the newspaper on the condition of anonymity. They also identified the dismissed officials as James Duke, Dave Warden, Tom Johnson, Dave Anderson, Lloyd McPeters, Bill Spyksma, Ron Spitler and Tommy Moore.
Game officials are not allowed to speak to the media without permission from the league.
The forced resignations come after league officials expressed concern over several highly controversial calls last season, especially a missed pass interference call at the end of a wild-card game between the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers.
