Comments on: The Replacements http://thesportseconomist.com/2012/09/21/the-replacements/ __economic thinking about sports__ Sat, 18 May 2013 01:53:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: wsporter http://thesportseconomist.com/2012/09/21/the-replacements/comment-page-1/#comment-2796 wsporter Wed, 26 Sep 2012 12:43:57 +0000 http://thesportseconomist.com/?p=4282#comment-2796 “The old refs have to hope for some major, outcome-altering blunder near the end of a widely viewed game; that’s really the only leverage they have. Otherwise, at some point along the way, “replacement” refs slowly become simple “refs.””

Yes, as a result of Monday night’s game they are now not merely “simply” refs but rather “simple” refs. Well done Brian.

]]> By: MikeM http://thesportseconomist.com/2012/09/21/the-replacements/comment-page-1/#comment-2791 MikeM Tue, 25 Sep 2012 16:29:11 +0000 http://thesportseconomist.com/?p=4282#comment-2791 Well, I think Point 1 of your argument blew up pretty seriously last night. So I didn’t bother to read the remaining points, because whatever they said, it doesn’t matter. “Millions” of people cannot do that job. First, you have to be in fantastic shape — there goes 80% of us right there. You have to have great vision; that’s now laughably obvious. You have to understand the rules. You have to be able to get in the right place at the right time. You have to be able to communicate. Did the refs last night possess any skills beyond being pretty good physical specimens? Nope.

Sorry, but the “real” refs gained boatloads of traction last night. The best they can make is $140k? That’s a bargain.

]]> By: Trav http://thesportseconomist.com/2012/09/21/the-replacements/comment-page-1/#comment-2768 Trav Fri, 21 Sep 2012 20:21:31 +0000 http://thesportseconomist.com/?p=4282#comment-2768 Interesting that you view the mainstream media to be pro-labor in sports league stoppages. Though the coverage seems to be a little more evenhanded lately, it seems to me that the story line from the mass media is usually something like, “Oh, those greedy players/refs/umpires want more money, AGAIN. Surely the poor cash-strapped owners will have to raise ticket prices, which are already so high. Why can they just be happy to be paid to play a game, and why are their agents such big jerks?” Anyway, that’s obviously an exaggeration to make a finer point, but that’s my perception.

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