Just when things could not get any worse for National Football League officials, they did Saturday.

One week ago in the San Francisco-New York Giants playoff game, officials blatantly missed a pass interference call on the 49ers’ Chike Okeafor after he dragged down the Giants’ Rich Seubert near the end zone with no time left on the clock, and New York trailing by one. Seubert was the intended receiver on a desperation pass after the Giants botched the last-second field goal attempt.

Then on Saturday, the Pittsburgh Steelers found themselves on the wrong side of bad officiating at the end of their overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans. With the score tied in overtime, Titan kicker Joe Nedney missed a 31-yard field goal. But Steeler cornerback Dewayne Washington was called for running into the kicker after an Oscar-worthy acting job by Nedney. Nedney nailed his second try as the Steelers were trying to call time-out, sending Steeler coach Bill Cowher into a tirade.

“For a game to be decided on that call is ludicrous,” Cowher said. “Fine me if you want. That’s the truth.”

So the question has to be asked. What can the NFL possibly do to avoid such blatant mistakes as these?

While you can never take the human element out of officiating in any sport, there is a solution that could help limit these miscues. It’s so simple that people around the NFL have been suggesting it for years.

Under the current system, NFL officials are only part-time employees of the league. If NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue wants to fix some of the problems seen in last week’s and Saturday’s games, he should give officials want they want — a full-time job with the NFL.

Officials work only one day a week and are paid lousy wages for their efforts. For the other five days (not counting a travel day), they have to find other ways to make their money. Some run insurance companies, while others drive UPS trucks. But none work solely for the NFL.

Needing other jobs is the biggest problem for these officials. Does the NFL force its players to find off-season jobs to make money? No. Players aren’t sent home to fend for themselves and find an office job where they spend eight hours a day pushing papers. And please, do you really think you could see someone like Keyshawn Johnson in the UPS shorts and shirt driving around your street in The Big Brown Truck?

Instead, players use the off-season to get into better shape. The offseason is full of workouts where players congregate to run and lift weights. Sure, most players take off a few months to play golf and relax, but they still take time to stay in shape.

Officials don’t get this opportunity. Other than some short weekend meetings during the summer, most officials aren’t able to hone their skills during the NFL’s offseason. Instead, they spend the nine months they don’t work for the NFL sitting at board meetings or taking conference calls.

Officials are only brought back into “The NFL Life” when training camps open. It’s during these two weeks that officials are supposed to get back into the swing of things.

If officials were full-time employees of the NFL, they wouldn’t have to worry about their “regular” jobs. Wages would also have to increase, which would bring in more qualified people trying to make professional sports a full-time job.

Sure, making officiating a full-time profession isn’t the sole answer to the problem. The NFL does need to do a complete off-season review of its officials, and instant replay probably should be expanded to include more issues. But if the NFL were to make their officials full-time employees, it would certainly be a step in the right direction.

Matt Duval is a junior in journalism and The Lantern sports editor and can be reached at [email protected]. He admits he sometimes yells at officials, but tends to feel a little remorse after doing it, unless the bashing is warranted. He also mourns the passing of legendary columnist and NFL broadcaster Will McDonough, who died Thursday.