Here’s some quick trivia.  After what day of the week do antacid sales increase by 20 percent?  If you take a minute to think about it, the answer shouldn’t evade you too long: Monday.  Just think of how tailgating and the Sunday social gathering around your pro team is accompanied by wings, a plethora of dips and copious amounts of drink (Let’s be honest, some of us aren’t drinking sweet tea here.)  Not only does a Sunday of football (or a complete weekend if you are a true fan) take precedence over most American’s plans but also wreaks havoc on our ph balance.  
   For some, these weekends and games are a part of our traditions.  So why is the National Football League risking taking the glimmer of the game away?  With so much at stake, it is hard for me to comprehend the logic behind the controversial lockout of the NFL referees.
  If you’ve watched an NFL game this season chances are you witnessed a botched call.  You can hardly blame the replacement refs though.  
They are doing their job and putting their necks on the line for roaring coaches like Bill Belichick to bite off.  Most of the penalties happen in fractions of a second and demand a clean call; this is quite easy to forget when we have an eagle-eye view of the whole play.  They also have to be ready to run up and down the field with the players while avoiding getting bulldozed by a wide receiver running a post route.  There is no time for them to become spectators as they have one of the most visible and scrutinized jobs in our country.  I have no doubt they try their best.
But this just isn’t good enough for a league that boasts a whopping 9.5 billion in revenue.  With as much publicity as it gets, the NFL and the fans deserve to witness a well officiated game.  
We can’t expect every call to be spot on, but with teams now risking their W’s on a blown call in the end zone, the issue is starting to get serious.  
 The lock out started as soon as the 2011 season ended with contractual discussions continuing since last October.  Basically the refs want to get paid more. Now, of course there is more in the fine print but the hold out is estimated at a difference of $4 million per year. 
At first glance this may seem like a lot but compare the average salary of an NFL ref to that of Peyton Manning: $140,000 vs. $96 million over five years.  Even considering your time value of money, it’s not that big, right? 
Again, I am sure there are some finer issues regarding player safety and full-time need for refs but the numbers just don’t make sense with the results. These aren’t players. They aren’t coaches.  They are the law on the grid iron.  These guys make the tough calls and do a darn good job at it, despite being blind.  They deserve to be well compensated for the job they do.
 I just don’t see how a fraction of the NFL’s revenue is worth risking the integrity of the game.   It’s obvious the fans are outraged at the blow calls.  
The Sept. 24 “Monday Night Football” matchup between the Seahawks and the Packers is probably the best example yet.  With a blow call on the last play of the game, it was estimated that $150 million were shifted in bets.  
The sad thing: this call wasn’t even close. Give it a few more games where enough coaches start feeling hosed by calls and bedlam will ensue. It’s a bad time to be a replacement ref.  
The pace of a pro game isn’t something you can just officiate without experience.  It is quick and very physical.  
You can’t call every holding or pass interference call you see or the game would be completely lame, although with the new pace it’s starting to feel that way. 
Referees have to be able to make the right call as it affects the play of the game.  This is quite a tall order considering how much money and pride goes into one football game.  
 I did not think I could be more disappointed with the league as I was when the players were locked out last year.  Again, it is the fans who get the short stick while we still pay too much for a ticket and official jersey.  
However, I feel we won’t be seeing any of the old refs on the field anytime soon. The NFL will not lose nearly enough money from disgruntled fans to consider caving on the issue.  
In fact there is a good argument to be made that all the hubbub related to the situation is only creating drama, therefore getting the NFL extra publicity.  As if seeing Eli Manning on DirectTV commercials wasn’t enough, we are now subjected to Letterman and SNL making jokes at the league’s expense.  
Bottom line: the NFL knows it is the most watched sport in the country and can see the long term benefit of cutting cost and suffering a few years of scrutiny until the new refs “get the hang of it.”  
I just wish they could have integrated the new refs on a smooth gradient. They could have kept Ed Hochuli and Mike Carey to make the big calls while having some of the new guys work under them. This seems like it could have kept the game a little more honest.