NFL Refs Ready If Lock-Out Ends

Officials signal after Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate pulled in a last-second pass for a touchdown from quarterback Russell Wilson to defeat the Green Bay Packers 14-12 in an NFL football game, Monday in Seattle. The touchdown call stood after review. (AP Photo/seattlepi.com, Joshua Trujillo)

Ed Hochuli is perhaps the most famous of the National Football League’s 121 regular officials, and if a new contract with the locked-out officials gets done within the next 24 hours, American football fans will owe him a debt of thanks — because the prep work of Hochuli will be a key for the real refs to hit the ground running, starting with Sunday’s 13 NFL games. A deal, however, is not imminent, according to one official who got an email from NFL Referees Association negotiator Scott Green early this afternoon. “He said we’re making progress but not close to a deal right now,” the official said/ Peter King , SI. More here.

Question: Do you think the NFL will settle with the striking refs in time for Sunday’s games?