NFL was right to hold officials to a higher standard than coaches, players

On Monday, the NFL did what it needed to do, as to a pair of officials who failed to act the way officials should act.

Line judge Jeff Seeman was suspended two games for his double-F-bomb directed to Cardinals tight end Trey McBride. Referee Adrian Hill received a one-game suspension for his overreactive interaction with Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson after Wilson accidentally knocked Hill to the ground.

Hill may not have been suspended without the Jeff Seeman incident. Hill didn’t know why or how he got knocked down. He reacted to a misimpression of the situation.

And for good reason. Last year, Hill suffered a non-contact leg injury during a Thursday night game between the Bills and Texans. He’s surely sensitive to the possibility of getting injured again.

The NFL Players Association, which objected to the Seeman incident with a strong statement from executive director JC Tretter, had nothing to say about the Hill-Wilson exchange.

Regardless, the league took action as to both Seeman and Hill. The league had no choice. The officials are supposed to be neutral, measured, and detached. They’re the judges in the courtroom that is a football field. And judges typically don’t say “fuck you” to the lawyers or the parties who appear before them. (A judge or two may have wanted to say it to me during my former career, but never did. At least not loud enough for me to hear it.)

Appearances matter. How can anyone expect the players and coaches to restrict their behavior if the officials can’t, or won’t?

Besides, the NFL has suddenly gone fine-happy over previously acceptable celebrations by players. Also, it’s constantly looking for any type of actual or perceived “taunting” indignity that could increase the on-field temperature between players. That standard should apply to officials — and it should be an even higher bar.

The league has proven that it is. And that it will.