An NFL replacement referee was pulled from the officiating crew of a game on Sunday morning due to a Facebook photo he posted of himself decked out in a hat and sweatshirt supporting one of the teams involved.
Now, the league says it's reviewing social media use the temporary referees who are overseeing games while the league and its regular officials union negotiate a labor dispute.
"We are doing a thorough review of the situation involving the current officials and social-media sites," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told Bloomberg in an email.
Side judge Brian Stropolo was removed from assignment for Sunday's game between the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers after a report by ESPN's Chris Mortensen that he had posted multiple photos of himself at a preseason Saints game and listed himself as a fan of the team on Facebook.
"The NFL was unaware of Stropolo's open allegiance as a Saints fan until ESPN contacted the league Sunday morning," Mortensen reported.
Stropolo's profile now appears inactive, but the pictures were a hit online Sunday and Monday among NFL fans, conspiracy theorists and critics of the NFL's replacement referees. That's one of his shots, posted above.
Replacements were used during the entire preseason and have stayed on for the first two weeks of the regular season during the league's ongoing negotiations with the NFL Referees Association.
The NFL not being aware of Stropolo's social media Saints fandom until being notified by ESPN certainly puts a bit of egg on its league face. But the situation also underscores the difficulties of relying on a cast of officials who have been culled from lower divisions of college football, in many cases hold day jobs and typically watch NFL Sundays from the couch. Potentially inappropriate social media posts by replacement refs are just one of many concerns for the league, however, as a growing chorus of players and media have become sharply critical of the temporary crews' on-field performance.
Does a social media posts like Stropolo's make a sports official unfit to referee a game? Give us your take in the comments.
BONUS: Who to Follow on Twitter This NFL Season
The league's official account. A no-brainer for any NFL fan.
The Eagles receiver is a hoot to follow because you never know what you're going to get, except for three things: capital letters, exclamation points and Instagram photos. Those you can count on.
ESPN's NFL Insider is a tweeting machine and constantly breaks news from around the league. A true must-follow for NFL die-hards.
The NFL.com writer is another good news source and an especially good follow for his steady retweets of other writers, outlets and players.
Fearsome on the field, Steelers linebacker James Harrison is friendly and down-to-earth on social media.
This parody account of the legendary coach and broadcaster will have you laughing out loud.
Sports Illustrated's senior NFL writer is a great source for quick news, links to columns and 140-character takes on the league's biggest stories.
Barnwell covers the NFL for Grantland.com. He's extremely knowledgable about the league — and about how to bet on its games.
Professionally speaking, Berry's entire purpose in life is to analyze fantasy football for ESPN — so he's a must-follow if you want bragging rights over your friends.
Tennessee Titan Jason McCourty and twin brother Devin of the New England Patriots are active and engaging on Twitter. They also share the same account (signing their posts either "J-Mac" or "D-Mac"), which makes their banter and updates all the more entertaining.
As his handle implies, Brian McCarthy does PR for the NFL. He's a good follow for updates straight from the league, as well as the lowdown on its latest innovations and initiatives.
Possibly the most fun team owner in all of sports, when it comes to Twitter, Irsay is offbeat, irreverent and always entertaining.
If you're interested in the business side of the NFL, from marketing to ticket sales, Rovell is the undisputed place to start.
Between now and February, the Twitter account of this popular NFL site will serve you a robust diet of links and news each week to carry you through to next Sunday.
The Texans running back may not be an NFL star yet — but he's a star on Twitter, where the Auburn product loves to talk college football.
Bill Simmons has built up a massive and loyal following during his tenure as a columnist for ESPN. His feed is usually good for a few good chuckles, as well as links to his mammoth NFL columns and mailbags.
The SI.com NFL writer is both funny and insightful.
Dave Zirin covers sports for The Nation and always approaches topics from a political angle. He's sure to have plenty to say, especially as repeat NFL concussions continue to make headlines.
ESPN's senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen is a never-ending stream of NFL news on Twitter.
Brees is an MVP-caliber player for the New Orleans Saints, but his tweets also reveal a keen awareness of and intelligence about issues off the field.
Battista covers the NFL for The New York Times. Her deadline game recaps are second to none, and she can also be a good follow for real-time game updates.
Jason McIntyre is purveyor of The Big Lead sports blog. The blog is a great source for analysis, player gossip and media news alike. Following McIntyre is a surefire way to stay up on the national NFL conversation.
Cam Newton's backup in Carolina is a first teamer on Twitter, where he's generous about interacting with fans, and frequently provides funny insights into his life off the field.
The Jaguars place kicker loves to interact with fans and is one of Twitter's funnier athletes.
Blogger Kerry Byrne isn't as big a name as many of the others on this list, but he's a great source for analysis and fresh perspective.
It's Prime Time, baby! Need we say more? The Hall of Famer always entertains — on the field, on camera and on Twitter.
The Jaguars tight end tweets all the time. The constant stream gives a nice look into his life and mind.
Bowen writes for the National Football Post, but he has a leg up on most NFL reporters, having spent seven years in the league as a player before entering the media game.
On Twitter, this NBC Sports blog is great to follow for its tireless procession of NFL links and news.
The Patriots running back is a fun follow for his constant interaction with fans.
Follow this account for a wide variety of links to NFL coverage from all angles.
If you take fantasy sports seriously, Rotoworld's football feed is a great way to gain an advantage over the rest of your league.
The league's official account. A no-brainer for any NFL fan.
The Eagles receiver is a hoot to follow because you never know what you're going to get, except for three things: capital letters, exclamation points and Instagram photos. Those you can count on.
ESPN's NFL Insider is a tweeting machine and constantly breaks news from around the league. A true must-follow for NFL die-hards.
The NFL.com writer is another good news source and an especially good follow for his steady retweets of other writers, outlets and players.
Fearsome on the field, Steelers linebacker James Harrison is friendly and down-to-earth on social media.
This parody account of the legendary coach and broadcaster will have you laughing out loud.
Sports Illustrated's senior NFL writer is a great source for quick news, links to columns and 140-character takes on the league's biggest stories.
Barnwell covers the NFL for Grantland.com. He's extremely knowledgable about the league — and about how to bet on its games.
Professionally speaking, Berry's entire purpose in life is to analyze fantasy football for ESPN — so he's a must-follow if you want bragging rights over your friends.
Tennessee Titan Jason McCourty and twin brother Devin of the New England Patriots are active and engaging on Twitter. They also share the same account (signing their posts either "J-Mac" or "D-Mac"), which makes their banter and updates all the more entertaining.
As his handle implies, Brian McCarthy does PR for the NFL. He's a good follow for updates straight from the league, as well as the lowdown on its latest innovations and initiatives.
Possibly the most fun team owner in all of sports, when it comes to Twitter, Irsay is offbeat, irreverent and always entertaining.
If you're interested in the business side of the NFL, from marketing to ticket sales, Rovell is the undisputed place to start.
Between now and February, the Twitter account of this popular NFL site will serve you a robust diet of links and news each week to carry you through to next Sunday.
The Texans running back may not be an NFL star yet — but he's a star on Twitter, where the Auburn product loves to talk college football.
Bill Simmons has built up a massive and loyal following during his tenure as a columnist for ESPN. His feed is usually good for a few good chuckles, as well as links to his mammoth NFL columns and mailbags.
The SI.com NFL writer is both funny and insightful.
Dave Zirin covers sports for The Nation and always approaches topics from a political angle. He's sure to have plenty to say, especially as repeat NFL concussions continue to make headlines.
ESPN's senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen is a never-ending stream of NFL news on Twitter.
Brees is an MVP-caliber player for the New Orleans Saints, but his tweets also reveal a keen awareness of and intelligence about issues off the field.
Battista covers the NFL for The New York Times. Her deadline game recaps are second to none, and she can also be a good follow for real-time game updates.
Jason McIntyre is purveyor of The Big Lead sports blog. The blog is a great source for analysis, player gossip and media news alike. Following McIntyre is a surefire way to stay up on the national NFL conversation.
Cam Newton's backup in Carolina is a first teamer on Twitter, where he's generous about interacting with fans, and frequently provides funny insights into his life off the field.
The Jaguars place kicker loves to interact with fans and is one of Twitter's funnier athletes.
Blogger Kerry Byrne isn't as big a name as many of the others on this list, but he's a great source for analysis and fresh perspective.
It's Prime Time, baby! Need we say more? The Hall of Famer always entertains — on the field, on camera and on Twitter.
The Jaguars tight end tweets all the time. The constant stream gives a nice look into his life and mind.
Bowen writes for the National Football Post, but he has a leg up on most NFL reporters, having spent seven years in the league as a player before entering the media game.
On Twitter, this NBC Sports blog is great to follow for its tireless procession of NFL links and news.
The Patriots running back is a fun follow for his constant interaction with fans.
Follow this account for a wide variety of links to NFL coverage from all angles.
If you take fantasy sports seriously, Rotoworld's football feed is a great way to gain an advantage over the rest of your league.
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