By Spike Eskin

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The NFL says they will use replacement officials for the first week of the regular season. According to a report, the locked-out referees are willing to sit out for much longer to get what they want.

Mike Freeman of CBS Sports sites a source that says that officials are willing to sit out most, if not all, of the NFL season. “This is a battle of right and wrong,” Freeman’s report quotes an unnamed official saying. “We are willing to wait for as long as it takes.”

“I say again: Things can turn quickly and a deal is a phone call away, but if the real officials’ position is that they can wait things out, this whole situation might take longer than expected,” Freeman says.

The NFL has used replacement officials for the entire preseason, with at-best mixed reviews. The best case scenario for the locked-out officials is a crucial mistake, or mistakes, by replacement officials this weekend. However, if this weekend goes off without a hitch, their bargaining position becomes far worse.

Do you think the NFL can succeed with replacement officials? Let us know in the comments.