NFL: Players Should Strike to Get the Regular Refs Back on the Field

The boiling point has been reached.

In case you have been living under a rock for the past 12 hours, the Monday Night Football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers came down to the wire. Russell Wilson threw a Hail Mary as time expired. Golden Tate was in the end zone, and committed offensive pass interference. Packers safety M.D. Jennings and Tate went up for the ball, and it seemed like Jennings grabbed the ball before Tate. 

The refs called the catch a simultaneous catch, and NFL rules state ties go to the passers. The Seahawks were awarded a touchdown, and won the game off the Hail Mary.

Now, fans and players are not happy, and it seems like last night could have been the breaking point. T.J Lang, offensive lineman for the Pack, had some profanity laden tweets towards the replacement refs and the NFL in general. After Sunday nights loss to the Ravens, linebacker Brandon Spikes also had harsh words for the refs. Even big name stars Drew Brees and Ray Lewis have had criticisms for the refs.

So far, these words have done little to force the NFL to reach a labor agreement. The only solution may be a players' strike.

It may seem drastic, but it could be the only way for the players to show they're serious. If the players strike, they will not be giving the owners money, the money that they want to save by paying the regular refs less money. 

Of course, the players would be losing out their own salaries. But with the amount of wrong calls and missed calls, especially hits to the head, it may be more dangerous for the players to continue to play. 

Big name players have already spoken out against these refs, and truly it's not the refs fault. They may be underqualified, but they shouldn't be in this position in the first place. The NFL brought in these refs knowing that they would not be able to call the games with the same authority and confidence that regular refs do, and they're getting torn apart by the players. 

The NFL needs to realize that the players are serious about getting the regular refs back on the field, and a players' strike may be the only option.