Romney muffs question about NFL refs’ lockout

“I sure hope they do,” the Republican presidential nominee said early Thursday afternoon in
response to a reporter’s question about the referees’ return after an
agreement was reached with the league over pension and other benefits.

{mosads}The NFL referees’ lockout had become a major problem for the league,
and a story that had everyone from President Obama to Romney’s
running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), calling for their return.

Team
owners and the referees’ union reached an agreement on differences late
Wednesday, and the referees will return for the Baltimore
Ravens-Cleveland Browns game Thursday night.

Romney weighed in on the issue himself on Tuesday after a blown call
by replacement referees gave the Seattle Seahawks a win over the
Green Bay Packers.

“I’d sure like to see some experienced
referees, some with NFL experience, come back out to the NFL playing
fields,” Romney said Tuesday evening in an interview with CNN.

On Tuesday, Obama also weighed in on the NFL referee lockout.

“And
I say this as a Bears fan, who obviously is never heartbroken when the
Packers lose, but it’s not just this game,” Obama told the Des Moines
Register.
“We’ve seen that over the last several months. We need to go ahead and
get this resolved and I think that is a bipartisan position.”