Fans And Players Throw Flags At NFL-Refs Labor Dispute

A year ago, the National Football League was absorbed in an ugly labor dispute. Just a season later, the league is embattled in yet another labor issue. This time, the issue involves referees and not players, and the quality of the on-field product is being diminished, and the use of replacement officials could have ramifications, depending on how long the clash lasts.

On Aug. 29, the NFL notified all 32 teams that it would use replacement officials during Week One of the regular season. In a memo sent to the teams, Ray Anderson, NFL executive vice president of football operations, said replacements would be on the field Wednesday night, when the Dallas Cowboys visit the New York Giants during the opening game of the NFL season. The memo also said negotiations between the NFL and the NFL Referees' Association were deadlocked. The NFL locked out the officials in early June.

As expected, the NFLRA countered the NFL's position by issuing a statement following the release of the league's memo.

"It now appears the NFL is willing to forgo any attempt to reach a deal in the last seven days before opening night," the NFLRA statement said. "It is unfortunate, because the referees want to get back on the field. Our members have been engaged in extensive preparations and are ready to go. If the NFL is serious about negotiating, we are ready, but we can't negotiate with ourselves."

Anderson told league-owned NFL Network that the NFL was "committing to the replacement officials for as long as we need them to perform their services. It's a week-by-week basis, but they are prepared to go the distance if required."

Anderson said he thought it would take full-time officials 7-10 days to be fully prepared to officiate games once an agreement was reached. A number of rules were changed following last season, and the NFL has not shared those revisions with the regular officials since they were locked out. With all teams in action by Sept. 10, the longer it takes to reach an agreement, the more likely the 2012 season will be tainted.

The NFL used replacement officials -- none of whom came from NCAA Division I ranks, according to the NFLRA -- throughout the preseason, and their performances received unfavorable reviews by players, fans and commentators.

During the Ravens' 31-17, preseason win against the Atlanta Falcons in August, replacement official Craig Ochoa's mistakes weren't limited to his penalty calls. Throughout the game, he referred to the Falcons as "Arizona" when explaining various penalties to the crowd.

Cary Williams shares a few words with an official during the Ravens' preseason opener.

Sporting News conducted a poll of 146 players from 29 teams. The results showed that 90.4 percent, or 132 players, think games would be negatively impacted if replacement officials were used. Of the 132 players that responded, approximately 50 percent said the game would suffer intensely, while around 42 percent said the difference would be marginal. Fourteen players thought the season would proceed normally.
DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, is not making fans feel any better. He told Sports Illustrated the NFLPA didn't rule out the possibility of a strike, because of concern for player safety.

"In America, it is the employer's obligation to provide as safe a working environment as possible," Smith told SI's Jim Trotter. "We believe that if the National Football League fails in that obligation, we reserve the right to seek any relief that we believe is appropriate.

"The NFL has chosen to prevent the very officials that they have trained, championed and cultivated for decades to be on the field to protect players and -- by their own admission -- further our goal of enhanced safety. That is absurd on its face."

Although some players, such as Indianapolis Colts safety Antoine Bethea, have voiced support for the officials, it's highly unlikely any player would vote to give up a game check as a sign of solidarity for referees.
Fifteen-year NFL veteran Charles Woodson told USA Today that he was not going to draw any conclusions before the preseason. But when the preseason was finished, Woodson said: "They [replacements] haven't been very good. That's the honest opinion. Before preseason started, I think you're optimistic. But it's almost like a young guy coming into the NFL. The game goes too fast for them."

Two of the primary issues on the table during the negotiations between the parties involve money. There are currently 119 part-time NFL referees, who are paid an average of $8,000 per week. According to several reports, the focal point of the disconnect involves the initial pay increases for NFLRA members. The NFL has offered increases ranging from 5 to 11 percent, while the NFLRA is seeking an increase closer to 20 percent. The sides are reportedly about $16 million apart on a multiyear deal.

Brian Frederick is executive director of Sports Fans Coalition, the largest nonprofit fan-advocacy organization in the country. He said the salary differences were drastic for referees working other professional sports and those officiating in the NFL, which is the most profitable league in America. Fredrick's research showed that an NFL official would make $42,000 after being in the league for five years. But a fifth-year Major League Baseball umpire makes $141,000, while an NBA official with the same tenure earns $128,000.

Frederick said the difference in games played didn't matter when it came to player salaries. For example, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees earns more than Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant for playing in significantly fewer games.

Another issue the NFL is no stranger to when it comes to controversy is pensions. The league seeks to do away with the traditional pension model under the previous agreement with the NFLRA, freezing pensions and eventually terminating them in favor of a defined-contribution model ranging between $16,000 and $23,000 per year.

The NFL cites how the economic climate has changed dramatically since the agreement in 2006 and that corporate America and many NFL teams have moved to the defined-contribution model. The NFLRA is not biting on this proposed item, instead working to protect the retirement packages the union has as part of its previous deal, from six years ago.

The NFL and the NFLRA broke off talks on Sept. 1 after a third day of meetings failed to produce any results. The longer the NFL uses replacement officials, the greater the risk to the integrity of the game. In the long run, the fans may suffer the most.

Originally Posted Sept. 4, 2012 in "The Sports Business Report" at PressBoxonline.com

Freiberg Proves Auto Racing Isn't Just A Boys' Club

The Baltimore Grand Prix will feature a number of storylines during the three days of racing throughout downtown. Although the spotlight will be on the IZOD IndyCar race on Sept. 2, an intriguing story of the weekend involves Ashley Freiberg. The 20-year-old will race in the Star Mazda Series events on Sept. 1 and Sept. 2.


Freiberg did not compete in the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix, but she attended the event and said Baltimore was impressive.

"My fondest memory was definitely how enthusiastic and amazing the crowd turnout was," Freiberg said. "I have never been to a race weekend that was as packed with fans as this race was, and I have to say it was very cool to have that energy surrounding the weekend."

A year later, Freiberg will be part of creating that energy as her TrueCar Racing team competes in the Labor Day weekend event. The Star Mazda Series is part of the Road to Indy program, a ladder system designed to help drivers progress from the USF2000 National Championship to Star Mazda and then to Indy Lights before making the step to the IZOD IndyCar Series. Both the USF2000 National Championship and the Star Mazda Championship include road courses and ovals -- similar to the IndyCar Series -- to help drivers hone their skills as they progress through the system. The Grand Prix of Baltimore will feature Rounds 13 and 14 of the Star Mazda Championship.

Freiberg is competing as a member of TrueCar Racing and its "Women Empowered" initiative. TrueCar is empowering women that aspire to become championship drivers by providing full sponsorship support, professional coaching and training, marketing exposure and top-tier racing opportunities throughout the United States. Freiberg joined the initiative in December 2011.

"I have always loved being a role model for girls and women of all ages," Freiberg said. "So to become a part of something I already believe in and support was a perfect fit for me. What is really cool about the Women Empowered initiative is not that we are screaming feminism in everyone's face, but rather that we are showing that we are equal to men in many ways … that we can compete against them equally and do just as good of a job as the best of them."

According to its Web site, the TrueCar Racing "Women Empowered" initiative is unique in that no other company has actively pursued supporting an all-female race team encompassing various series. In this respect, TrueCar is paving the way and raising awareness of women as viable competitors in a male-dominated sport.

The team is composed of six competitive and motivated female athletes. It is now open to being challenged -- and challenge they will, with the TrueCar Racing Team drivers' eyes all firmly set at becoming the first female drivers to win major races and championships.

Katherine Legge, who is currently in the IndyCar Series, is one of the six female drivers competing as part of the TrueCar initiative. TrueCar Inc. is an online automotive information and communications platform focused on creating a better car-buying experience for dealers and consumers.

Freiberg started racing go-karts when she was 13, and spent time developing the basics of her driving. During her second year of competition, Freiberg won her first national championship, an accomplishment that made her decide to move into formula cars in the Skip Barber Racing Series.

She kept her karting seat for a few more years before moving completely out of karts to run the regional and national series of Skip Barber full-time. Freiberg said her first competitive sponsor was Akzo Nobel, a global paints and coatings company, which produces specialty chemicals. The company paid $2,800 to cover her racing suit and helmet.

In 2010, she won 25 Skip Barber races, including two championships and one national race. To expand on her driving skills, she also raced in a few Skip Barber MX-5 Cup races and won four out of the six she entered. Because the next step was moving to the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, Freiberg decided to run in one of the races at the Autobahn Country Club. She finished fifth in a field of 23.

Racing is an expensive sport. Following the 2010 season, Freiberg found herself without any funding.

"I spent 2011 making phone calls, writing emails, going to meetings and going to racetracks searching to find a way to get back into the seat," she said. "At the end of 2011, I was called back by TrueCar and earned a fully funded ride in the Star Mazda Championship for 2012."

This year, Freiberg competed in 10 race weekends, running in 18 total races. She said the cost of a full season depended on the number of people on a crew, how many test days a driver runs, etc., so the pricing fluctuates, with the average cost falling around $500,000 annually. Freiberg's crew consists of an engineer, mechanic, truck driver and her team owner.

Freiberg said she did face challenges outside of funding, competing in a male dominated sport.

"I would have to say the biggest challenge is not really ever having a legitimate chance to be the underdog," Freiberg said. "Being a woman definitely has put more of a spotlight on me than most of the other drivers I race against. Sometimes it can be a great thing. Other times, it can be not so great. I can tell you that it has toughened me up in a lot of ways, though."

She also said she hoped TrueCar Racing's women's empowerment initiative and her involvement would lead to other female drivers competing in open-wheel racing.

"My advice to young girls thinking about competing is to work hard, be strong, be you and have fun," Freiberg said. "There will be pressures coming at you in all different angles, and you just have to find a way to block them out and do the job you came there to do.

"Without doing these four things, unless you are the one out of a million with supernatural talent, it will be challenging to be successful."

Freiberg's advice comes from experience.

She said she couldn't recall the exact number of races she has been in and awards she has won. But she said her biggest achievements included her five national karting championships, two Skip Barber Series Championships, the Skip Barber National Series win, four Skip Barber MX-5 Cup wins, being honored with the 2010 Best All-Around Driver Award in Skip Barber and being nominated as a Team USA Scholarship candidate. Because most of her winnings from these races went to her teams, Freiberg estimated that she earned approximately $5,000 from these accomplishments.

Freiberg said her ultimate goal was to become an IZOD IndyCar Series Champion.

"I guess it is the drive I have to always want to better myself," Freiberg said. "I would label myself the nerd of racing because I love to get completely absorbed in every aspect of it and I am always learning something new, whether it is about the car, my driving, the tracks. … I can never be satisfied with what I already know.

"I just love every single bit of driving the car, and the way it feels when I drive a corner really well or make a good pass. I can't really say specifically when the moment was when I decided I wanted to make a career out of racing. I think that it was sort of a domino effect of things. I got into racing because I simply loved to drive, and I loved driving well even more, and as a result of that, I have always pushed myself to be as good as I could be.

"Any success that I have had has happened as a result of that desire, and has also shown to myself that if I really commit myself and work hard at something, I could achieve it."

Posted Aug. 31, 2012 in The Sports Business Repot at PressBoxonline.com