"Don’t let the door hit you" – Jerome Boger retirement news has fans mercilessly clowning NFL ref

NFL referee Jerome Boger has decided to retire from officiating, the league announced on Thursday.

Boger, 67, became an NFL official in 2004 as a line judge, turning into a referee two years later. He was one of the most experienced officials in the league. Nine other officials are stepping down following the 2023 season.

Boger was also one of the most controversial officials in the league. He was the referee for Super Bowl XLVII when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the game known as the Harbaugh Bowl. The name came from the fact that the head coaches from the teams, Jim (49ers) and John (Ravens), are brothers.

The announcement had NFL fans making all kinds of jokes.

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Jerome Boger retires: Is NFL officiating at a crisis?

Fans are always quick to judge the referees, and Boger was one of the most criticized. Commissioner Roger Goodell defended officiating during Super Bowl week and sparked criticism from league fans:

"For us, when you look at officiating, I don’t think it’s ever been better in the league. Our officials do an extraordinary job. … Are there mistakes in the context of that? Yes. They are not perfect, and officiating never will. … We may not agree with every TV announcer or every officiating expert, but we think our officials are doing a great job."

But the cold, hard truth is that, on the league's biggest night, officiating was almost perfect, especially on controversial calls.

During Super Bowl LVII, officials came under fire for a holding call on Philadelphia Eagles cornerback James Bradberry. Bradberry supposedly held Kansas City Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who was trying to get to the end zone after receiving a pass from Patrick Mahomes.

The holding call on Bradberry might look controversial, but the Eagles cornerback himself admitted after the game that the referees made the right call. When the player involved defends the call on the field, fans shouldn't be throwing shade at the referees for doing their job.

There was also a tough catch by Dallas Goedert on a crucial third down where it was not clear whether he maintained possession as he was leaving the field. The referees called it a catch at first glance and confirmed it with a replay. Goedert was in a tough spot, but he did maintain control.

Andy Reid challenged the play, but the referees got it right.

It is difficult to lay the blame on referees for making the correct calls when things are so tight.