Replacement refs: The story the NFL wants to keep quiet

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Speaking of Hochuli...

NFL, referees still not close to deal; Ed Hochuli has prepped refs for immediate return - Peter King - SI.com

Dude is a true leader for their side. Good job, Captain Biceps.

The league likely would not demand they go through any preseason training, because the NFL is so anxious for the nightmare of the replacements to be over.

The NFL will have Hochuli to thank for the training sessions the NFL has not been able to run because he has run some of his own.

Every Tuesday night, the veteran official with the Popeye arms has been holding rules-related conference calls with all officials. Average attendance on the calls, I'm told, is between 90 and 110 per week. Hochuli, the officiating sources says, gives all officials a test each week, similar to one they might get from the NFL during a regular week of preparations, and then goes over the results on the phone with the officials.
"That's one of the reasons why the officials will be up to date and ready to go,'' the officiating source said. "Ed grabbed the bull by the horns and made sure that whenever this thing ended, the regular officials would be ready to go back to work immediately.''
As for terms of the new deal, it's likely the NFL will get some but not all of what it wanted with a taxi squad of developmental officials. One source said that was accomplished by guaranteeing the officials the same pool of money they would get even if some of them are replaced during the season for performance or health reasons.