NFL grading refs about length of games. Can you tell?

November 18, 7:09 AMSports ExaminerPaula Duffy

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Maybe I'm not being sensitive to the plight of the NFL referees but I almost spit out my coffee this morning as I laughed while cruising past a New York Post article from the weekend. It reported that the league's refs are now responsible for the pace of football games.

Haven't they come under enough fire this season bad officiating? After the weekend when the Pittsburgh Steelers-San Diego Chargers overturned touchdown saved the day for Vegas and bookies we learn that taking too much time to get it all right is a black mark on their report cards.

Can't have it both ways, NFL. You've only started putting the screws to your officials about communicating with each other to be certain penalties are assessed correctly. For you to point to those meetings and ask that they be infrequent or quick to resolve something leaves the zebras in a tough spot. It's new for them to caucus together, come out of a huddle and pick up a penalty flag and say, "oops."

And you're asking for fewer chain gang moments, too. Was it not just a week or so ago that television's digitized yellow, first-down line came into question? Can you give them the rest of the season to adjust to calling the game correctly please? Then you can slam them next season for the games exceeding three hours.

I want the games shorter, too, but I think America has spoken about bad officiating and spoken loudly. Thoughts?