Two referees are suspended by the NFL after altercations with players on the field. The two referees are line judge Jeff Seeman and referee Adrian Hill. According to NFL.com, “the league suspended line judge Jeff Seeman two games and referee Adrian Hill one game, respectively, for ‘an instance of unprofessional conduct toward a player’ (suspensions were issued by NFL vice president of officiating Ramon George).” Both of these situations are unnecessary and unprofessional. Here’s what happened in both instances.
Seeman was spotted live on camera further down the field using foul language toward Arizona Cardinals star TE Trey McBride. This was in response to McBride’s disagreement over a potential pass interference call. Hill’s incident occurred within the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins. LB Eric Wilson accidentally collided with Hill. Hill then proceeded to yell in Wilson’s face afterward. The instances were clearly pointed out by the NFL as unacceptable behavior.
This was a good practice by the NFL to hold these two officials accountable for their actions. Confrontations with players should never go to drastic measures. As an observer of the NFL’s product, the officiating can be viewed as subpar. When interactions with players start going over the line, that is when action must occur.
In its best form, this should be taken as a statement from the NFL that referees are not untouchable for punishment and poor performance. That is a good look for the NFL and a promising move for the future balance of power for the NFL. If any other escalations occur in the future, it can be trusted by the NFL to be taken care of or handled by the NFL’s administration, which is a breath of fresh air for NFL fans.
https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-suspends-two-officials-unprofessional-conduct-with-playersweek-
