Shannon Eastin: Gender Shouldn't Factor into Judgment of NFL Referee

The NFL is a violent, borderline barbaric league wrought with players intent on destroying one another physically and mentally. They do all this to win a game, and it's not for the faint of heart.

The league's brutal physicality doesn't leave room for female football players, but the labor strike involving the NFL's referees has opened the door for one, or more, female official.

Shannon Eastin will be the line judge in Thursday's preseason tilt between the San Diego Chargers and Green Bay Packers. She will be the first female to ever referee an NFL game, and that is only a positive thing.

That's right. It's a good thing. Anyone who is trying to tell you that it isn't should be given a funny look and then be asked "why?" immediately.

It's impossible to doubt history. The NFL, and really, sports in general, has always been a "man's world." The risks of throwing a female football player onto the playing field, as a player, is certainly risky, but as an official? I'm actually wondering why it has taken this long.

Eastin spoke to this "man's world" mentality in an interview with ABC News reporter Eliza Murphy:

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“Knowing that I’m a female in a man’s world, I’ve always put the most pressure on myself. Pretty much everything I do is going to be magnified. I know what I signed up for,” Eastin explained.  ”I have to be bigger, stronger, know that I understand the rules. I have to do things even better than the men that are working. And I’m ok with that.”

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Eastin mentions being "bigger" and "stronger" in her statement. Some may question her ability to stand up to the modern-day gladiators that we like to call professional football players.

Murphy's report debunks those concerns by informing us that "this isn’t the first time Easton has been in the spotlight. She is a world-class judo athlete, earning six national judo championships. At age 11, she was the youngest judo athlete to ever be accepted to train at the United States Olympic Training Center."

I think it's fair to say that Eastin's toughness won't be an issue.

Today's society has female doctors, teachers, scientists and political policy-makers. Hillary Clinton has enjoyed a successful political career, as has Condoleezza Rice.

I'm not trying to get political here, but this isn't 1950s America anymore. The stigma attached to placing females in "power" positions should be long gone. If women can succeed in positions that directly impact countless lives, do we seriously think an NFL game is a steep mountain to climb?

Anything suggesting that is absurd, plain and simple.

In the coming days you will probably hear people questioning this decision, but gender shouldn't play a factor. It's one thing if Eastin turns out to be a terrible official, but her gender shouldn't impact how she's viewed by anyone.

Most so-called pioneers are met by resistance in some way, shape or form. The NFL's decision definitely goes "against the grain," and dissent should be anticipated.

According to Murphy, Eastin has experience. She's worked football games for 17 years, and she's spent the last four of those in college football's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. That's a far cry from the NFL in terms of competition, but football is still football.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe no one will complain about this, but I suspect that Eastin's first questionable call will draw the ire of NFL fans across America.

In that case, let's be clear. Eastin's bad calls have nothing to do with her gender. She's no different than Ed Hochuli or any official who botches a critical call.

The only thing that matters is quality officiating. If an elephant can get the call right, then so be it; just so the correct call is made. Eastin earned this chance, and I wish her the best of luck in a groundbreaking moment for the NFL.