Happen to see the '49ers play the Vikings yesterday? When Minnesota was driving and trying to kill the clock, so Harbaugh called his last time out, then threw the red flag because he realized his team had recovered a fumble? And the refs not only gave him the challenge (despite his lack of any time outs,) but, after deciding he won it, announced "San Francisco will not be charged with a time out" and GAVE THEM BACK THE ONE THEY HAD ALREADY USED?! It came in handy a few minutes later, when SF won another challenge of a non-fumble call.

No, it did not change the games outcome, because the SF offense is garbage and they were down by 11, but it was not for lack of trying. Is that what it takes? The refs giving a team a game they lost? It is pretty sad when the PLAYERS are saying, "give the refs their money—PLEASE!" That is like wildebeasts cheering for lions.

I do not understand the argument that their routine and glaring shortcomings are excusable because they are rank amatuers. If that is a valid reason for frequent major screwups, maybe I should take up open heart surgery. "I know the patient is dead, and I know that is, like, the fifth one today, but I am just a roofer; until last week my greatest medical accomplishment was giving my kids St. Josephs aspirin."

As laudable as busting unions is, there are larger issues at stake here. Like officials who know (as you, I and everyone who has watched more than ten minutes of pro football do) defensive holding is a FIVE (not TEN) yard penalty and automatic first down. Granted, Denver needed all the help we could get against Atlanta, but if the refs had walked off the correct yardage last week that TD pass Demaryius Thomas caught three yards into the endzone with 0:08 left in the half (and no time outs) would have been 1st and G at the 2.

The replacement refs have full time jobs the rest of the week? Guess what: The old refs were so well compensated they needed other full time careers, too. Take away their pensions and you can get used to officials who do not even know how many time outs teams get; you get what you pay for (if you are lucky....) For some perspective on just how BAD the replacement refs are, remember: They are screwing up this badly DESPITE the NFL keeping a consultant upstairs for them to conference with at need (which is why the first quarter of Denvers game against Atlanta lasted an HOUR.)