A couple of NFL referees caused quite a stir following Sunday afternoon’s game between the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when side judge Jeff Lamberth and line judge Tripp Sutter were caught on camera appearing to get an autograph from star Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans. Apparently, the NFL was not too thrilled by their actions.
According to league insider Tom Pelissero of The NFL Network, getting autographs is a breach of the collective bargaining agreement and NFL is reviewing the incident.
“The NFL is reviewing the incident involving side judge Jeff Lamberth and line judge Tripp Sutter, I’m told,” Pelissero said in a Tweet on Monday. “The NFL-NFLRA CBA specifically says game officials ‘shall not… ask players, coaches or any other team personnel for autographs or memorabilia.'”
While the video is undeniably surprising and it did cause quite some controversy in the NFL world, it’s worth noting that the officials didn’t appear to show any bias or favoritism toward the Buccaneers on Sunday. If they did, it certainly didn’t help Tampa Bay as the team suffered a shocking loss to the Carolina Panthers despite entering the game as 14-point favorites.
Still, this clearly isn’t something the NFL wants to happen, and the league will likely address the issue with the officials.
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