Because general managers and coaches face fines if they publicly criticize the replacements, just as they did with the regular officials, many will not discuss the officiating on the record.
It has brushed off complaints about the uneven officiating, noting — correctly — that everyone complains about the regular officials, too.
Some have argued that the officiating crews let defensive backs play more physically than the regular officials have allowed in recent years, thinking that the replacements were loath to throw huge flags in key situations.
It is, the league has said, part of Goodell's plan to improve officiating for the long term, to reduce the bad calls that even regular officials make.
"The players respect regular officials.
But the regular officials will return eventually, maybe within a few weeks.
The regular officials have been preparing throughout the lockout to return to work.
Nobody believes that there are not a few regular officials who remain fans of teams.
Even the regular officials would have had a tough time making that one".
"In a few weeks we can go back to complaining about the regular officials," he said.
They were applauding the return of the regular officials, who had, at last, replaced the replacements.
