All Done ...

NFL refs approve eight-year deal, scramble for Sunday return

IRVING, Texas (AP) -- NFL referees voted and approved a new eight-year deal with the league on Saturday. Now they all can get back to the business of calling games.

Referees approved the contract by a 112-5 vote, officially ending a lockout that led to a rising chorus of complaints from players, coaches, fans and politicians. The next stop for the refs who gathered in Irving, Texas, was the airport, where most were to hop on planes taking them straight to their Sunday game sites. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of SI.

Kicking Back Comments: So many angles on this story. Amount of money in the agreement; use of D3 referees as D1 and D2 guys would not go; how the D3 guys did; use of the word "replacement" with regard to the substitute referees .... on and on.

We'll start on Monday. =)