Republican Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan today all but endorsed the referees union (albeit without endorsing their demands) by saying it's "time to get the real refs back." For those not in the loop, the NFL owners, which include Mac & Cheese Giant Robert Kraft (New England Patriots), 203-year old Ralph Wilson (Buffalo Bills), and Multimillionaire Playboy Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys) have locked out the NFL's regular referees due to a dispute in whether or not to continue giving the officials a pension. The replacement officials (or "scabs" as another diarist accurately called them) have been an unmitigated disaster, utlimately resulting in a Monday Night Football match where the replacement officials decision essentially cost one team (Ryan's Green Bay Packers) the game.
Paul Ryan then tried to get funny (I think he gets his humor from Mitt Romney) by comparing President Obama to the replacement officials:
"You guys watch that Packers game last night?" Ryan asked an audience inside the factory warehouse at Byer Steel. "I mean, give me a break! It is time to get the real refs. And you know what it reminds me of? President Obama and the economy. If you can't get it right, it is time to get out."
But Paul Ryan failed to observe that the current incarnation of the NFL, complete with replacement officials and a cabaret of hypercapitalist NFL owners, should have Republicans cheering like they won the Super Bowl! I call this new era of the NFL "Free Market Football."
Think about it! The NFL is estimated to be a $9 Billion a year industry, if not more. Since the 30 NFL teams are clearly struggling companies, pension reform (see: completely gutting all pensions without room for compromise) must be on the table. The NFL, refusing to compromise a few million bucks per year in the face of their ever-dwindling multi-billions to prove their point that skilled, hard-working referees who hold other jobs don't deserve a right to retire comfortably, must be commended. This is Republican policies at its finest -- since the regular officials are making unrealistic demands, we can replace them! With high school basketball and junior college referees! Everyone will keep buying our product!
This is free market football at work, and a microcosm of what happens when a plutocracy begins to form in different areas of life, whether it be professional sports or something more abstract like campaign finance reform. Instead of pitting Americans against each other into thinking the referees are making unrealistic demands, we can hopefully educate our friends, co-workers, and families that THIS -- the same thing that cost Paul Ryan's beloved Packers a game last night, is what happens when Republican policies infiltrate many Americans favorite Sunday pastime.