Under the previous contract, NFL referees received a defined benefit plan, where retired workers would be guaranteed a fixed amount of income based on the length of their employment.

The current group of officials are classified as part-time workers, with 90% of NFL referees holding other full-time jobs.

Fred Swearingen, a former NFL referee and field judge who was involved in two notably controversial calls in the 1970s.

The ad, which featured Mac, PC, and a supposed NFL referee, tied into the games taking place yesterday.

In addition, many of the top Division I conferences barred their officials from becoming replacements anyway because they employed current and former NFL referees as officiating supervisors.

Green is also the head of the NFL Referees Association and led negotiations during the 2012 NFL referee lockout.

Green's first experience as an NFL referee came on October 3, 2004 during a game between the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills.

What do governments, airline pilots and NFL referees have in common?

Moss was fined $40,000, which was later reduced to $25,000, during that game due to squirting an NFL referee with a water bottle.

Before the game, Warren Sapp was involved in his second "skipping" incident in two weeks, and third overall, as he bumped into an NFL referee.