Goodell tells fans 'We're sorry' about replacement refs

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is apologizing to fans for having to use replacement referees during a lockout of the regular officials.  The three-month impasse led to three weeks of controversial officiating — culminating with a questionable call that cost the Green Bay Packers a victory Monday night.

Goodell apologized Thursday during a conference call about 12 hours after the two sides came to an agreement.   The referees' union and league finally shook hands on a tentative eight-year deal that will allow the regular refs to return beginning Thursday night with the Baltimore Ravens-Cleveland Browns game.

"Something like this, it's painful for everybody," said Goodell.  "Most importantly, it's painful for fans.  We're sorry to have to put fans through that."

The use of replacement refs during the lockout was a public relations disaster for the NFL that saw multiple games affected over the first three weeks of the regular season.

A deal was finally struck after the Seattle Seahawks debatable last-second win over the Packers Monday night in which the replacement referees missed a call.

Aaron Rodgers rips NFL, apologizes to fans

The NFL released a statement Tuesday with a double-discount excuse for what most people concede was an atrocious ruling at the end of Monday night's Green Bay Packers-Seattle Seahawks game.  In case you've been living under a rock, the NFL said it agreed with the decision not to overturn the touchdown on replay although it never said the initial call of a simultaneous catch was correct.  Got it.

A few hours later, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was more direct on his radio talk show on WAUK-AM Milwaukee.  Rodgers was more animated than at his press conference following his team's shocking loss.  He opened up the show by joking to host, Jason Wilde, "I'd say this is a highly anticipated show today."

Rodgers took a more angry tone after the opening crack while discussing the game-winning Hail Mary pass that gave Seattle the debatable victory.

"First of all, I've got to do something that the NFL is not going to do: I have to apologize to the fans," Rodgers said.  "Our sport is a multi-billion dollar machine, generated by people who pay good money to come watch us play.  The product on the field is not being complemented by an an appropriate set of officials.  The games are getting out of control.

"My thing is I just feel bad for the fans. They pay good money to watch this," he continued.  "The game is being tarnished by an NFL that obviously cares more about saving some money than having the integrity of the game diminished a bit."

Rodgers called the NFL's backing of the controversial call "bold" — and not in a good sense.

Rodgers went on to read the NFL statement in a harsh and sarcastic tone and noted how it was worded: "the officials determined both [Golden] Tate and [M.D.] Jennings had possession of the ball" when the players fell to the ground.

"I call bull on that because they say 'officials,'" Rodgers sniffed.  "There was zero communication between them."

The bitter quarterback went on to rip the simultaneous rule — who has the ball on their chest first.

"That's garbage, obviously," said Rodgers. "They're covering their butt here ... I mean, come on.  That's embarrassing."

Rodgers went on to rip the officials for coming into the Packers locker room to pull out players for a meaningless extra point claiming they "got kind of a rude welcome."  He also beefed about the crowd on the field after the fiasco in the end zone.

"How did all those people get on the field?  It was a mob scene over there," he said.  "It's unbelievable.  It was chaos."

Not as chaotic as it is in the NFL offices right now.

Victor Cruz: I would not take credit for Golden Tate's controversial catch

You can't look anywhere today without seeing replays of Monday Night Football's controversial touchdown call — or non-call, if you prefer — that gave the Seattle Seahawks a last second victory over the Green Bay Packers.

Seahawks rookie quarterback Russell Wilson's Hail Mary pass as time expired was credited as a touchdown to his receiver Golden Tate — even after Packers cornerback M.D. Jennings came up with the ball.  In the mad scramble for the ball on the play,  one replacement referee signaled "touchback" and another raised his arms showing "touchdown."  After a review, the TD call stood.

While Tate told SiriusXM NFL Radio he had no problem saying he deserved credit for the touchdown catch.  "I know I had the ball," he said in the  postgame interview.  Jennings said if Tate was asked to take a lie detector test, he would fail.

On ESPN's Mike & Mike Morning Show Tuesday, New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz told his hosts that he doesn't think he would have taken credit for the touchdown catch like Tate did.

"Probably not.  I would have been honest," said Cruz.  "Obviously, the film shows, the video shows that I obviously didn't catch the football.  I wouldn't have owned up to catching it, if I didn't catch it."

The salsa-dancing Cruz thought the replacement referees made the wrong call.

"I thought it was a tough play," said Cruz.  "Obviously the refs at least have to agree on the call at the very end.  But obviously I felt like it was the wrong call.  We hated it, we wished it wouldn't come down to something like this with the replacement refs, but unfortunately it has.  And it cost Green Bay the game."

Cruz went on to confess that players are getting more physical and getting away with more infractions because of the replacements.

"I feel like the defenders — and I would do the same thing, if they're seeing that some of the refs aren't calling some of these downfield holding calls or pass interference or whatever the case may be.  I would start using that to my advantage, start holding a little bit and stuff like that."

And the frustration goes beyond the New York Giants' players.

The blown call even has New Jersey politicians calling for the rent-a-refs' heads.  Just hours after the Packers were victims of the inept referee crew,  a State Senator wants to block replacement referees from working pro football games in New Jersey.

They take their football seriously — and honestly — in the Garden State.

Victor Cruz concerned about 'glorified high school' replacement referees

Victor Cruz admits he has a lot of concern for the safety and integrity of the game if the replacement referees end up working games in the NFL regular season.

The New York Giants wide receiver had a close up look at the newbies during Friday night's 32-31 loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars and walked away with doubts they distinguished themselves.

Cruz said he was "a little bit concerned" especially since he heard one ref "had only ref-ed glorified high school games— which I don't even know what that means."

It sounds like Cruz better take a little spice out of his celebratory salsa the next time he scores.

"Sometimes you could see them being a little flustered at times, " Cruz said.  "It's just tricky.  It's obviously tough for them because they have to get adjusted on the fly to refereeing NFL games.  It's by far a tough job for them.  But we just want to make sure that, as players,  we're protected as well."

The Giants have lots of reasons to be concerned about the new referees if their last game was any indication.  There was a few awkward moments on Friday night including a missed TV timeout and some obvious muffed calls.

"Like when they called a holding call on the returner when he was returning the punt.  That was probably the most mind-boggling one to me," said Cruz.  "We just want to make sure we get the refs back out there making the right calls."