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NFL hires first full time female ref

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The NFL has hired its first full-time female official, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

 

 

Sarah Thomas, a Mississippi native who Wilson said has been a finalist for an NFL position previously, has officiated Conference USA games in the NCAA for nearly a decade. She has also officiated during NFL camps and the preseason previously.

 

A technicality would keep Thomas from being the first woman to ever officiate an NFL game though. That honor belongs to Shannon Eastin, who was on the field working when replacement officials were brought in by the league during a referee lockout in 2012. Thomas, however, would be the first female to be hired as a regular official by the NFL.

Thomas has previously said that the biggest difference she sees in the NFL compared to NCAA games is how fast the players move at the professional level.

 

"The speed, yes, is there," Thomas said. "These are just phenomenal athletes on both sides of the ball. The game has a tendency to slow down the [more] snaps you get and repetition. So, hopefully, the more snaps I get, things will start slowing down a little bit."

 

Thomas is no doubt at the point where she's ready to take the next step, or the NFL would likely not have hired her. It's refreshing to see the league make the right decision without waiting for public outcry to prompt them.

 

 

 

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I would say there's no way she could be worse than the current crop, but no matter how sh*tty refs are, they can always be worse.

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It's refreshing to see the league make the right decision without waiting for public outcry to prompt them.

 

How do they know it's the right decision? :dunno:

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women seem particularly adept at point out failings and wrongdoings... I'd expect her to flourish in her new role

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Fock, men can't even do the job right. Now they're gonna give it to women? What next, train some seeing eye dogs?

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Fock, men can't even do the job right. Now they're gonna give it to women? What next, train some seeing eye dogs?

 

Asian women then dogs

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Asian women

That's a penalry frag for reg whipping.

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Makes no sense imo. There are no female players so why female refs? To me the officiating should somewhat reflect who is being officiated.

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Makes no sense imo. There are no female players so why female refs? To me the officiating should somewhat reflect who is being officiated.

 

I feel the same was as the NBA, they have no place

Ask Chris Paul

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women seem particularly adept at point out failings and wrongdoings... I'd expect her to flourish in her new role

 

x10

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I wonder if she'll still have to wear white pants on those heavy days.

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Makes no sense imo. There are no female players so why female refs? To me the officiating should somewhat reflect who is being officiated.

Why?

What does sharing the trait of having a have to do with ability to be a competent ref?

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Cant wait to see the response when she makes her first bad call or gets knocked around by a player accidentally.

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women seem particularly adept at point out failings and wrongdoings... I'd expect her to flourish in her new role

 

:first:

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Makes no sense imo. There are no female players so why female refs? To me the officiating should somewhat reflect who is being officiated.

War On Women! :thumbsdown:

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women seem particularly adept at point out failings and wrongdoings... I'd expect her to flourish in her new role

:thumbsup:

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Well the important question is... Would you fock her?

You might get called for blocking below the waist. Or some other penalty that would be funnier.

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You might get called for blocking below the waist. Or some other penalty that would be funnier.

What's gonna happen the first time she experiences 8 men in the box?

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Why?

What does sharing the trait of having a ###### have to do with ability to be a competent ref?

Nothing really. I'm not saying women can't be competent refs. I'm all for female refs in women's basketball and all that.

 

Just seems odd to me that you don't have a single woman in the league yet you've got female officials :dunno:

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Nothing really. I'm not saying women can't be competent refs. I'm all for female refs in women's basketball and all that.

 

Just seems odd to me that you don't have a single woman in the league yet you've got female officials :dunno:

 

Don't have a lot of judges in the league either...but they have them as refs.

I don't think not having someone of the gender in the league means much.

Plenty of those refs probably never played a down of football in their lives.

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100 bucks says Belicheat and the Pats find a way to exploit this to their advantage.

 

:thumbsup:

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this will help the paganos and haubaughs of the league deal with their feelings after losing to the pats, maybe she'll share tampons with them.

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Honestly I could care less what gender the person is as long as they can do their job well. I used to think that if you wanted to coach or ref in a certain sport then you should have at least played that sport. Otherwise you wouldn't be as competent but I've seen people who have not played the sport be a better coach than someone who has.

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For the "day" job of officiating plays, as long as she is sufficiently physically fit for her position, I don't see why a woman couldn't do it.

 

My concern is more in the scrums, particularly fumble piles. Concern is probably a strong word; interested to see if it is an issue. In our TKD we have women center judge mens' rings. My wife (5'1", 117, 30D) is way better at judging forms than I am, from experience. And as good as anyone judging sparring rings. But she isn't comfortable judging the high rank 18-29 yr old mens' sparring ring. Whole lotta testosterone flying around in that ring with large, strong, fast men. This new ref is probably larger than my wife. Then again, NFL athletes are bigger/stronger as well. And perhaps less disciplined, at least when tempers flare. :dunno:

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Honestly I could care less what gender the person is as long as they can do their job well. I used to think that if you wanted to coach or ref in a certain sport then you should have at least played that sport. Otherwise you wouldn't be as competent but I've seen people who have not played the sport be a better coach than someone who has.

 

:thumbsup:

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