Finding a Place in the Replacement Game

We all have feelings about the replacement refs. Like them or hate them, the fact was they were in charge. While the seasoned, regular officials were on strike, these replacement referees had to step in. Team owners and league officials were not about to stop a lucrative season just because they couldn't agree with the refs on a contract. There was too much at stake. 

No matter how much we'd like to think sports are about the love of the game, the spirit of competition or the display of human physical strength, the reality is, they're about dollars and cents. They're about seats filled, tickets sold, advertisers and sponsors. And, when money is on the line, you have to do what it takes to keep the bank account happy. 

In 2012 we had to hire replacement officials to accomplish this and even though they may not have done a stellar job, there were still tickets sold and seats filled. Because, what's more important, seeing your favorite player or watching the ref? 

In 1987, however, it was a completely different story. The regular refs were there, it was the players that weren't! On October 4, 1987 replacement players played their first game in NFL history, shocking not only fans, but the regular players who were on strike. 

Teams stopped at no great lengths to find players to replace those on strike. They found them in grocery stores, bars, semi-pro teams and even prison camps. These players did not have the glitz and glammar we're used to seeing in the NFL. They were somewhere in between in their careers. Most of them had little money, but they had big dreams.  (1)

There is always an event that turns the tide in a lockout situation. In the recent replacement refs situation it was the missed call that changed the Monday Night Football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers. In the 1987 situation it was arguably the replacement players game between the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys. The Redskins replacement team came to Dallas and won despite constant ridicule. They showed they were capable of competing despite their lessened ability. 

In any situation, fans are always happy to see the regulars return to work. Whether it's the regular players or the regular refs. But, what about the replacements? What happens to them? The answer, we don't know. They return to their lives before the spotlight. They've earned a spot in history, but only time will tell how they're remembered. The 1987 lockout is remembered two ways. Some look back on it as the "scab" season. Replacement players who tried to take the place of the more seasoned professional players. Others view the season as a magical one filled with realized dreams and a second chance at glory. 

But, all things must come to an end. So, whether you're a replacement ref realizing your dream of calling a professional big league game or a replacement player who thought his chance was over, you're just a moment of history. 

Sources: 

(1) ESPN: NFL. 1987 NFL Replacements Part of History http://goo.gl/5p8sM

ESPN Radio: This Day in Sports History-October 4 http://goo.gl/cFBSW

NFL: Top Ten Biggest Upsets: The Replacements http://goo.gl/Vyrw5

Picture: Real Clear Sports.com