NFL: Talks To Hire Replacement Refs?

Talks between the NFL and the officials broke down after two mediation sessions that followed nine bargaining negotiations since October. Both sides say they'll have an agreement by the start of the season, but the league isn't taking any chances. So they are looking to hire replacement officials from anywhere but the BCS conferences because those officials are run by NFL officials, and the NFL doesn't want to put the BCS officials in an awkward situation. Their search would instead target retired college officials and perhaps current ones who would be qualified to work professional games.

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"In yesterday's session, the NFLRA ... abandoned positions that it had previously taken with both us and the mediators, and made economic demands totaling millions of additional dollars that they had agreed to drop at earlier sessions," league spokesman Greg Aiello said.

The league said that regional training sessions for replacement officials would begin this month "to ensure that there is no disruption to NFL games this season."

"Our goal is to maintain the highest quality of officiating for our teams, players, and fans, including proper enforcement of the playing rules and efficient management of our games," the league said in a statement.

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if you thought the refs before were bad, look out.