Report: NFL to hire Sarah Thomas as first female game official

[CreekDog]

Source: CBS Sports



The NFL has hired its first female official, according to the Baltimore Sun's Aaron Wilson.

Sarah Thomas, who became the first female to officiate an NCAA football game in 2007, has previously been a finalist for the NFL job.

Thomas has been on the league's radar for seven years. NFL VP of officiating Dean Blandino said in 2013 that "She was in our pipeline for a while," but noted that making the leap to NFL official takes time for any prospective official.

"It's similar from when a players jumps from college to the NFL," he said at the time. "Getting used to that type of speed is important."

Read more: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25134056/report-nfl-to-hire-sarah-thomas-as-first-female-game-official

[Brickbat]

1. Glad to see they didn't hire the scab.

[titaniumsalute]

2. Good for the NFL

[iandhr]

3. Excellent

Also the NBAPA hired a women as its ED. Progress is being made.

[F4lconF16]

4. Without knowing anything about her abilities

I sure as hell hope nothing major goes wrong. If she makes a really bad call, it will be used as a reason not to hire more women, and that would be sorely disappointing. I think it's the same type of thing that would have happened if Jessica Williams took over the Daily Show and only did alright.

To be clear, it would not be her fault if that happened. I'm fully behind her all the way on this, and I'm sure she is fully able to do the job (as are many women--it's about time this happened ).

[Auggie]

5. Thomas will be one of 119 officials in the NFL

[awoke_in_2003]

6. A rather elite job...

only 119 people do it. It takes a lot of time to make it there, and it seems like she has put in some time. Good luck to her.

[Auggie]

7. No reason to think she won't be great at the job ... as the link says,

the NFL plays a lot faster than the NCAA, so she'll have to acclimate as any rookie player would. So she has even more time in front of her.

[awoke_in_2003]

8. Oh, I agree...

she will have to get acclimated to the speed of the game, but that is true players coming from college to the pros, or those who have been out for a while due to injury. When I wished her luck, I did not mean to imply she would need it- it is one of those things some are conditioned to say, like "bless you". I am an atheist and I still say that from time to time after someone sneezes

[libdem4life]

9. Is there something in the collective water in the US? Women, gays, Hispanics,

all over the news. Did we just shift to another wave length in the Universe? I see a lot of slopes becoming slippery...each one hard fought. We must always keep in our hearts and minds those who went before this seemingly magical time.

A Black Man as President of the US. Susan B. Anthony, Mother Jones...those who broke the "glass ceiling" for women in the corporate Board Rooms. Billie Jean King...Greg Louganis in sports. Now we have the Castro twins poised to take Washington by storm, in Spanish and English.

What's an old Liberal to do but just get a bit teary eyed and very thankful.

[tabasco]

10. She couldn't be any worse than the males.

The rules give the refs too much control of the game.

I call it "refball" nowadays.