How come there has never been a retired referee as an announcer?

lol better question IMO

Would there be anyone more boring for the job than a ref?

:) I defend what deserves to be defended. When not deserved...I keep quiet. Referees wouldn't be all that great as color commentators because they are not involved with the team during the week when it comes to practice, and strategy etc. They would have limited knowledge to offer

Exactly. When they have those live in-game consultations with Mike Pereira, he doesn't exactly ooze "broadcast journalist."

Speaking of broadcast journalists, I enjoyed seeing Czarniak on SC the other day. She did a good job, even though it seemed like Coachman was giving her a bit of on-air hazing.

Would there be anyone more boring for the job than a ref?

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WKBayfGaNtU/Sw1ZhkdyrXI/AAAAAAAACo0/4pWHZpvypRo/s400/BenStein.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WKBayfGaNtU/Sw1ZhkdyrXI/AAAAAAAACo0/4pWHZpvypRo/s400/BenStein.jpg

When this thread first popped up my first thought of a ref in the booth was of someone extremely boring talking in Ben Stein's annoying monotonous tone of voice. Could you imagine a ref with that kind of voice calling an amazing play like Dwayne Bowe's touchdown catch last week? Imagine reading the below in Ben Stein's voice. That's my perception of what having a ref in the booth would be like.

"And it's tipped. Dwayne Bowe is still keeping the ball alive. And he caught it. It's a touchdown. Kansas City. As per section 8, paragraph 2, line 4 of the rule book states,'It is established as a catch when a receiver maintains two feet in bounds with secure possession of the ball.' What a play."

I hope the NFL never puts a ref in the booth.

Also, remember most (if not all) refs have other professions on going, and I don't think they have the short nfl career span that most players, or even coaches, that go onto broadcasting do. Look at Jeff Triplette's Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Triplette) I don't see him being in any quick hurry to go in the booth:

Triplette is a retired Army Reserve colonel. He was awarded the Bronze Star for actions in the Persian Gulf War while serving in the North Carolina Army National Guard.

In January 2007, Triplette was named President and Chief Operating Officer of FNC, Inc., the provider of collateral management technology to the nation's largest mortgage lenders. Before joining FNC, he was Vice President for Risk Management at Duke Energy, a large energy company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Also, remember most (if not all) refs have other professions on going, and I don't think they have the short nfl career span that most players, or even coaches, that go onto broadcasting do. Look at Jeff Triplette's Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Triplette) I don't see him being in any quick hurry to go in the booth:

Jeff Tripplette - Not your stereotypical "stuffed suit" corporate executive.

And Ed Hochuli is an attorney. No wonder why his explanations are so detailed.(which why I like him. lol)

I guess it has been done before...in the NHL

Bill Chadwick - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Chadwick)

Still, I don't think we're aching for a former ref to sit next to Brad Nessler in the broadcast booth

AW, this is an excellent question. I agree that 90% of the refs would be mind-numbingly boring. But I bet there are a few who would be fantastic -- especially the old-school guys from Louisiana or Texas. They do love the game and do understand it as well as, say, Dennis Miller.

So this leads me to conclude that there is a code of silence enforced by the NFL. Let's check the CFL and see if any of them are working up there.

AW, this is an excellent question. I agree that 90% of the refs would be mind-numbingly boring. But I bet there are a few who would be fantastic -- especially the old-school guys from Louisiana or Texas. They do love the game and do understand it as well as, say, Dennis Miller.

So this leads me to conclude that there is a code of silence enforced by the NFL. Let's check the CFL and see if any of them are working up there.

They have to be paid, and they're probably paid Thom Brennamen money, not Aikman and Buck money. These guys have pretty well-paying jobs already, and don't necessarily desire the travel required for being an announcer.