2001 NFL referee lockout

Last updated

The 2001 NFL referee lockout was a labor dispute between the National Football League (NFL) and the NFL Referees Association (NFLRA) that resulted in the use of replacement officials through Week 1 of the 2001 NFL season. The lockout began in August 2001 after both sides failed to reach consensus on a collective bargaining agreement, which had expired upon the conclusion of the 2000 NFL Season. It was the first time in the history of the league that replacement officials were used for regular season games. [1] On September 19, 2001, an agreement was reached to end the lockout, which was precipitated by the September 11 attacks that had occurred the previous week and caused the postponement of all week 2 games. [2]

Contents

Timeline

In 1994, the National Football League Referees Association (NFLRA) and the National Football League (NFL) agreed to a collective bargaining agreement lasting through the 2000 season. However, following the expiration of the contract in March 2001, the two sides found themselves far apart in negotiations for a new deal. Several referees wished to boycott all training camps and mandatory league officiating clinics, but union leaders asked for no action to be taken as they sought to negotiate with the league. [3] On August 13, 2001, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue stated that the two sides were far apart in negotiations and placed a 10-day time limit on getting a new contract signed before the league would pivot towards using replacement officials. [4]

On August 22, 2001, the NFL began the process of hiring replacement referees by sending out over 100 contractional letters to officials in the Arena Football League, NFL Europe, and college football. [3]

Following a breakdown in negotiations, the NFL officially locked out the officials on August 28 beginning with the last week of preseason games. [5] Following more failed negotiations, it was announced on September 6 that the replacement officials would work the Week 1 games after the union rejected a revised offer from the league. [1]

On September 10, 2001, replacement officials were informed that they would be working in Week 2 regardless of if the union and league came to an agreement or not. [6]

Agreement

Following the September 11 attacks, the NFL cancelled all Week 2 games and rescheduled them to the weekend of January 6 and 7. Afterwards, the negotiations between the parties gained steam, with Bill Carollo, the executive director of the NFL Referees Association, negotiating directly with Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney and council Jeff Pash. On September 17, 2001, the league and union agreed to a new 6-year contract, which would see the officials receive a 50% increase in salary with a 100% increase by year 4. [7] On September 19, 2001, the union ratified the contract by a roughly 2-to-1 vote, officially ending the lockout. [8]

Issues

The primary sources of disagreement between the league and the NFL Referees Association pertained to the salaries, pensions, and severance for the officials. [9] The NFL claimed that under their original proposal to the union, officials would receive a 40% increase in salary in the first year of the new agreement with a 120% increase by 2005, along with an increase in pay for preseason and postseason games. [10] After the lockout was imposed, the league increased their offer to the union by offering a 60% increase in salary immediately with a 100% increase by 2003, but the union chose to reject it, leading the lockout to extend into the regular season. The lead negotiator for the union, agent Tom Condon, stated that the officials simply wished to be paid in line with what officials in the NBA, NHL, and MLB were making, while commissioner Tagliabue claimed that the officials were seeking a pay increase of four to five times what they were currently making as part-time officials, wherein the officials for the other major professional sports leagues work full time. [10]

Replacement officials

Prior to the first games played with replacement officials, the league chose not to reveal their identities until shortly before the scheduled kickoff. Many of the replacement officials used had experience officiating either in college football or in other professional leagues such as the Arena Football League and NFL Europe. [11] According to Mike Pereira, then the director of officiating for the NFL, union members sent letters to prospective replacements telling them not to cross the picket line, but the letters had the reverse effect and many college officials chose to cross the picket line to spite the perceived arrogance of the union officials. [12] Replacement officials were guaranteed $2,000 per game for four games, regardless of how many games they ended up working. [13]

Bruce Smith incident

After a Week 1 loss to the San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins defensive end Bruce Smith complained to reporters about replacement official Jim Sprenger, contending that Sprenger was failing to call obvious cases of holding and clipping. Smith stated that Sprenger had told him "You play and I ref. If you get hurt, you get hurt." [14] Sprenger later resigned after Smith sent a letter to NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue claiming that he had been punched, leg-whipped, and face-grabbed with no consequences given. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Tagliabue</span> 5th Commissioner of the National Football League

Paul John Tagliabue is an American lawyer who was the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL). He took the position in 1989 and served until September 1, 2006. He had previously served as a lawyer for the NFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Football League Players Association</span> NFL labor union

The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) is the labor union representing National Football League (NFL) players. The NFLPA, which has headquarters in Washington, D.C., is led by executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. and president Jalen Reeves-Maybin. Founded in 1956, the NFLPA is the second-oldest labor union of the major North American professional sports leagues; it was established to provide players with formal representation to negotiate compensation and the terms of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The NFLPA is a member of the AFL–CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States.

In professional sports, a replacement player is an athlete who is not a member of the league's players association and plays during a labor dispute such as a strike or lockout, serving as a strikebreaker.

The 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike was the eighth and longest work stoppage in Major League Baseball (MLB) history, as well as the fourth in-season work stoppage in 22 years. The strike began on August 12, 1994, and resulted in the remainder of that season, including the postseason and the World Series, being canceled. This was the first time in ninety years, since 1904, that a World Series was not played. The strike was suspended on April 2, 1995, after 232 days, making it the longest such stoppage in MLB history and the longest work stoppage in major league professional sports at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed Hochuli</span> American football official and attorney (born 1950)

Edward G. Hochuli is an American retired attorney and former American football official. He served as an attorney at Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, P.L.C. from 1983 to 2021, and was an official in the National Football League (NFL) from 1990 to 2017; his uniform number was 85. Before becoming a football official, he played college football for four seasons at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Carollo</span> American football official (born 1951)

William F. Carollo is a former American football official who officiated National Football League (NFL) games from 1989 through 2008. He wore uniform number 63. Carollo officiated in two Super Bowls and eight conference championship games. After the 2008 season, he became the Coordinator of Football Officials for the Big Ten Conference and is currently Coordinator of Officials for the Collegiate Officiating Consortium (COC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry McAulay</span> American football official (born 1959)

Terry McAulay is a former American football official who worked in the National Football League (NFL) for the 1998 through 2017 seasons. He was the referee for seven conference championship games and three Super Bowls. He was the Coordinator of Football Officials for college football's Big East and subsequently the American Athletic Conference from 2008 to 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Green (American football official)</span> American football official (born 1951)

Scott H. Green is a former American football official in the National Football League (NFL) from the 1991 NFL season until the 2013 NFL season. He had officiated Super Bowls XXXVI in 2002, XXXVIII in 2004, and was the referee for XLIV in 2010. Green was also the head of the NFL Referees Association (NFLRA) and led negotiations during the 2012 NFL referee lockout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Goodell</span> 6th Commissioner of the National Football League (born 1959)

Roger Stokoe Goodell is an American businessman who has served as the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) since 2006.

Edward P. Marion was an American official in the National Football League (NFL). Marion was in the league from 1960 to 1987 and officiated in Super Bowl V, IX and XI. He wore the number 26 for the majority of his career.

The 2011 National Football League Player lockout was a work stoppage imposed by the owners of the NFL's 32 teams that lasted from March 12, 2011, to July 25, 2011. When the owners and the NFL players, represented by the National Football League Players Association, could not come to a consensus on a new collective bargaining agreement, the owners locked out the players from team facilities and shut down league operations. The major issues disputed were the salary cap, players' safety and health benefits, revenue sharing and television contracts, transparency of financial information, rookie salaries, season length, and free agency guidelines. During the 18-week, 4-day period, there was no free agency and training camp, and players were restricted from seeing team doctors, entering or working out at team facilities, or communicating with coaches. The end of the lockout coincided with the formation of a new collective bargaining agreement prior to the start of the 2011 regular season.

The 2011 NBA lockout was the fourth and most recent lockout in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Team owners began the work stoppage upon expiration of the 2005 collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The 161-day lockout began on July 1, 2011 and ended on December 8, 2011. It delayed the start of the 2011–12 regular season from November to December, and it reduced the regular season from 82 to 66 games. The previous lockout in 1998–99 had shortened the season to 50 games. During the lockout, teams could not trade, sign, or contact players. Players additionally did not have access to NBA team facilities, trainers, or staff.

Shannon Eastin is a former NFL official; she was the first female official of the National Football League (NFL). She has spent 16 combined seasons officiating for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, high school games, and for the Arizona Cardinals Red and White game.

The Fail Mary, also known as the Inaccurate Reception or the Intertouchdownception, was a play in the National Football League (NFL) game played between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks on September 24, 2012, at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Washington. In a nationally televised game on ESPN's Monday Night Football, the Seahawks defeated the Packers, 14–12, in controversial fashion.

The 2012 NFL referee lockout was a labor dispute between the National Football League (NFL) and the NFL Referees Association (NFLRA) that resulted in the use of replacement officials through Week 3 of the 2012 NFL season. The lockout began in June 2012 after both sides failed to reach consensus on a collective bargaining agreement. On September 26, 2012, an agreement was reached to end the lockout after increasing criticism of the NFL and the performance of the replacement officials, culminating in the infamous "Fail Mary" game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers.

The NFL collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is a labor agreement which reflects the results of collective bargaining negotiations between the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) and National Football League (NFL). The labor agreement classifies distribution of league revenues, sets health and safety standards and establishes benefits, including pensions and medical benefits, for all players in the NFL. The first collective bargaining agreement was reached in 1968 after player members of the NFLPA voted to go on strike to increase salaries, pensions and benefits for all players in the league. Later negotiations of the collective bargaining agreement called for injury grievances, a guaranteed percentage of revenues for players, an expansion of free agency and other issues impacting the business of the NFL. The NFLPA and team owners have negotiated seven different agreements since 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Packers–Seahawks rivalry</span> American National Football League rivalry

The Packers–Seahawks rivalry is an American football rivalry between the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks. The Packers entered the National Football League (NFL) in 1921 and saw significant periods of sustained success under Curly Lambeau in the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in the 1960s under Vince Lombardi. However, the Packers entered the 1970s in a sustained slump. They only made the playoffs once from 1968 to 1975. The Seahawks entered the NFL in 1976 as part of an agreement to expand the league after the AFL–NFL merger. The Packers and Seahawks played their first game during the 1976 NFL season, with the Packers winning 27–20 at Milwaukee County Stadium. During the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, the two teams only played each other intermittently, as they were in different conferences. However, this changed in 2002 when the Seahawks were moved from the American Football Conference (AFC) to the National Football Conference (NFC). Teams playing in the same conference compete against each other in the regular season at least every three years and may meet more often if they share common positions in their respective division or are paired in the playoffs.

The 2021–22 Major League Baseball lockout was the ninth work stoppage in Major League Baseball (MLB) history. It began at 12:01 a.m. EST on December 2, 2021, after MLB owners voted unanimously to enact a lockout upon the expiration of the 2016 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the league and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). It ended on March 10, 2022, with the signing of a new agreement. Issues raised between the league and union involved compensation for young players and limitations on tanking to receive higher selections in the MLB draft.

The National Basketball Referees Association (NBRA) is the labor union that represents National Basketball Association (NBA), G League, and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) referees. It was founded in 1977.

The National Football League Referees Association (NFLRA), established in 1972 as the Professional Football Referees Association is a labor union that serves as the collective bargaining agency for game officials with the National Football League (NFL).

References

  1. 1 2 Glauber, Bob (September 7, 2001). "Refs Replaced for Openers". Newsday . Retrieved June 9, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ Murray, Ken (September 20, 2001). "Referees, NFL come to terms". The Baltimore Sun . pp.  1d, 2d . Retrieved June 9, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 Freeman, Mike (August 23, 2001). "PRO FOOTBALL; Officials In N.F.L. Consider Job Action". The New York Times . Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  4. ↑ Detrani, Vinny (August 14, 2001). "NFL crying foul over officials". The Record . pp.  46 . Retrieved June 9, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Freeman, Mike (August 29, 2001). "PRO FOOTBALL; N.F.L. Locks Out Officials as Negotiations Falter". The New York Times . Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  6. ↑ Glauber, Bob (September 11, 2001). "NFL crying foul over officials". Newsday . Retrieved June 9, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Myers, Gary; Vacchiano, Ralph (September 18, 2001). "NFL, refs agree on new contract". Daily News . Retrieved June 9, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Gola, Hank (September 20, 2001). "NFL, refs agree to go back to work". Daily News . Retrieved June 9, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ Ford, Mark L. (2014). A History of NFL Preseason Games: 1986-2013. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 165.
  10. 1 2 Shapiro, Leonard (August 15, 2001). "NFL's Contract Offer Underwhelming to Refs". The Washington Post . Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  11. ↑ Domowitch, Paul (August 31, 2001). "Replacement refs blend into background". Philadelphia Daily News . Retrieved June 9, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ Pereira, Mike; Jaffe, Rick (2016). After Further Review: My Life Including the Infamous, Controversial, and Unforgettable Calls That Changed the NFL. Triumph Books.
  13. ↑ Myers, Gary (September 6, 2001). "NFL ups ref offer, but deadline today". Daily News . Retrieved June 9, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ Paris, Jay; Hiro, Brian (September 10, 2001). "Smith can't replace his feelings for the refs". North County Times . Retrieved June 9, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "NFL Notebook: Referees voting on plan to end lockout". CT Insider . Retrieved June 9, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.