Former Chicago Bear, Evansville Native Reacts to Botched Call
By: Jordan Vandenberge
Updated: September 26, 2012
Every replay, every angle and every reaction came as the result of a botched call on Monday Night Football where the replacement referees were clueless in Seattle
"I'll be honest with you, in the NFL, the game is a lot faster than it is in college," said Marty Amsler.
He would know.
He played for the Chicago Bears in the 1960's alongside teammates like Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers.
He would know because he served on the Board of Directors for the NFL's Players Association.
"I read something in my email this morning that came from the NFLPA," said Amsler. "They were talking about if I liked the replacement officials and I said no. The reason why was because of the health of the players."
It's not about the game's integrity, popularity, profitability or controversy brought on by replacement officials. For Amsler, it's about staring into the eyes of a former teammate.
"When I talked to him, I couldn't even see a spark in his eye," said Amsler. "To see a man with that kind of physique and that kind of love for life looking like that, it really bothered me."
It bothers him more than Monday night's botched call at the end of the game between Green Bay and Seattle. It bothers him more than a stolen celebration.
He knows it was the wrong call that cost Green Bay the game. But he also knows the league will eventually make the right decision.
"It just has to reach that point where the games are not quality anymore," said Amsler. "Prior to this last weekend, they were able to get by, now all the sudden everything is falling apart and crumbling beneath them."
Until the league can re-build the brand and quell the controversy, Amsler says the replacement officials will remain over-matched and overwhelmed.
