Can replacements keep up with pro game?

[Editor's note: With this post, we welcome Mark Schultz as a contributing writer. We look forward to a long collaborative relationship with him.] The NFL preseason schedule is commencing without the regular officiating crews who have been locked out by the NFL in a labor dispute. Unlike the officials' strike in

ESPN: 99.9% chance of replacement refs

What seemed a far-off future threat last October is now a relative certainty, according to a report by ESPN. A source with knowledge of the negotiations between the NFL and the NFL Referees Association says, "I'm 99.9 percent sure replacements will work in Canton" officiating this Sunday's Hall of Fame Game. The