Meet Sundays Official: Pete Morelli (stats via FoxSports)UPDATED OP With Footballzebras.com Crew info

[Alaskins]

This is good news... wish the same could be said for P Moronilli...

Ohh LOL, I just emailed PFT with the info that Morelli's crew was expected to ref the game. Hopefully they read the updated info... This was one time where I really thought that we as fans could make a difference by contacting media-types via email and twitter to let them know the situation.

Mr. Florio (Esq.),

FYI, I don't know if this is news worthy or not... But in their infinite wisdom, the NFL has assigned Pete Morelli's ref crew to officiate the Redskins/Seahawks Wildcard round game this weekend. If you remember correctly, this was the crew that ejected Hall for taking his helmet off and arguing with Head Linesman Dana McKenzie. Then there was the ugliness that followed with the he-said-he-said and 30k fine.

I am a Skins fan so I am not an unbiased source. In fact I got this info from a thread ("Meet Sundays Official: Pete Morelli...") Started by "KDawg" on extremeskins.com (ES; of which I am a member). But I do find it interesting that with all of the drama that occurred between the McKenzie and Hall, that the NFL would assign that squad to officiate this game. You would like to think that McKenzie would be impartial, but and questionable call made against Hall will receive immediate scrutiny. I thought that the NFL would have realized that before assigning the referee squad for a game of this magnitude.

Feel free to use anything in this email, or to completely ignore it if this is a non-story.

Thanks!

-My real name (Alaskins on ES)

[AngloSackSon]

Just tweeted by Rich Campbell

@Rich_Campbell: Dana McKenzie, is not expected to work Sunday's playoff game, source says

Great news for the Skins the NFL did the right thing here.

Well, I am shocked by this.

Anybody know if members of a crew a commonly replaced? Or, is it unusual for this type of action to be taken?

Seems strange that the NFL would make an oversight like this, then do the sensible thing.

[KDawg]

Added this info to OP to make sure people see I didn't make this up:

Also here's the tweet that made me aware of the situation from SI's Peter King:

Peter King ‏@SI_PeterKing

RT @RefereeJimD: Wildcard Weekend: Scott Green in Green Bay, Al Riveron in Houston, Mike Carey in Baltimore, Pete Morelli in Washington.

And here's the original tweet:

Jim Daopoulos ‏@RefereeJimD

Wildcard Week-end: Scott Green in Green Bay, Al Riveron in Houston, Mike Carey in Baltimore, Pete Morelli in Washington. Good Luck to all!

---------- Post added January-3rd-2013 at 10:36 AM ----------

More Additional Info from footballzebras.com

NFC Wild Card: Seahawks at Redskins, 4:30 p.m. (Fox)

Pete Morelli is the referee, who is in his 16th year and 11th as referee. This is his 12th postseason assignment (6 Wild Card Playoffs, 4 Divisional Playoffs, and 2 Conference Championships).

Yr. Crew College Occupation

R 135 Pete Morelli 16 St Mary’s high school principal

U 71 Ruben Fowler 7 Leavy Huston-Tillotson retired firefighter

HL 8 Dana McKenzie 5 Morelli Toledo claims adjuster

LJ 9 Mark Perlman 12 Leavy Salem teacher

FJ 89 Jon Lucivansky 4 Morelli Minnesota high school associate principal

SJ 97 Tom Hill 14 Winter Carson Newman teacher

BJ 133 Steve Freeman 12 Triplette Mississippi State custom home builder

■Alternates: Jeff Triplette (backfield), Adrian Hill (linesman), Dave Wyant (deep)

■Replay official: Tommy Moore

■Replay assistant: Bud Alexander

■Supervisor: Neely Dunn

■Observer: Jim Duke

Hill was in the AFC conference championship game last year.

Morelli worked a Redskins-Steelers matchup in Week 8 in Pittsburgh.

[Alaskins]

KDawg... Who thought that you were making this up?

You're a trustworthy source in my book

[KDawg]

KDawg... Who thought that you were making this up?

You're a trustworthy source in my book

No one. Wasn't trying to imply anyone currently was. Just wanted to do a little CYA. Plus that info should have been in the OP anyways

[skinsfan07]

WTF Refs have other jobs? High School teachers? WHY?

[KDawg]

WTF Refs have other jobs? High School teachers? WHY?

Because they're part time.

[skinsfan07]

Because they're part time.

If I went to the school that some of the refs teached at, and they blew a call in a game, I would give em hell.

[Major Harris]

stop building excuses before the game starts.

we are going to win. we won't need the excuses.

[Corcaigh]

stop building excuses before the game starts.

we are going to win. we won't need the excuses.

That's bull****. We all know preparation and coaching mean nothing if the team wears the wrong color pants.

[S.T.real,lights,out]

That's a good picture of you, S.T.

Where'd you get the hat? It's fashionable!

Hey man im trying...

Update from Twitter...http://news.fredericksburg.com/redskinsjournal/2013/01/03/official-who-argued-with-deangelo-hall-taken-off-redskins-playoff-assignment/

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet.

[skinzplay]

These two teams are going to determine the outcome of the game on Sunday, not the officials. This is the playoffs, and a lot of the officials know that a new regime will be overseeing the officials as soon as this postseason ends; a lot of guys currently in stripes won't be wearing stripes when the 2013 season begins.

That being said, guys lay off KDawg. He's just conveying the information that was put out there by reliable and reputable sources. We should be thankful that he's willing to share the info. As far as the assignments for this weekend go, McKenzie was indeed slated to work the Skins game with two other members of his normal crew. He's already in the DC area, so now he's been switched to the Ravens game.

Morelli is a good official - very professional, and he knows how to effectively manage games; that crew will be ready. And don't worry about the Pittsburgh game from earlier this season. Officiating wasn't the reason that game was lost. There were a million other reasons - drops, lack of concentration, poor defensive adjustments......

And this is the playoffs. Don't worry about the stripes on Sunday; the only thing that will slow this offense down is the dreadful turf at Fed Ex Field.