UPDATES with NFL’s reaction below, then President Obama’s: 
 
 “We appreciate Senator Sweeney’s interest, but officiating controversies have always been a part of sport,” said NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy. “Our staff, including Commissioner [Roger] Goodell, has been in negotiations with the referees union for the past week. We hope to reach agreement as soon as possible.” 
 
 President Obama this afternoon was asked about the game’s ending: 
 
 “Terrible,” he told reporters. “I’ve been saying for months, we’ve gotta get our refs back.” 
 
 There has been vociferous negative reaction nationwide to the controversial ending to the Monday Night Football game between Green Bay and Seattle – especially among bettors: professional sports bettor R.J. Bell estimates that the “house,” which was stuck with twice as much money bet on the Packers, collected an extra $150 million overall because the Packers lost against the point spread instead of the Seahawks. 
 
 But Jersey always like to step things up a notch in their own way – and has done so again. 
 
 State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester County, whose beloved Packers came out on the wrong end of a bad call in the game’s final play, on Tuesday announced that he isn’t going to take it lying down. 
 
 Sweeney noted to the Associated Press that the NFL is the same league that has sued New Jersey to stop sports betting for a perceived threat to the integrity of the game. 
 
 So here’s Sweeney’s press release in response to the botched finish: 
 
 “New Jersey state Senate President Stephen Sweeney today said he plans to introduce legislation prohibiting the playing of professional sporting events with replacement officials, citing the potential for increased injury by inexperienced referees who cannot control a game. 
 
 “This past weekend in the NFL has not only made a mockery of a great sport, but shined a very bright light on how important fully trained and professional officiating is to player safety,” said Sweeney. “We wouldn’t allow a factory or construction site to operate without fully trained supervisors on hand to ensure the safety of employees. Why should we do anything differently when the job site is a playing field?” 
 
 Sweeney said that the litany of missed calls or blatantly miscalled penalties over the first three weeks of the National Football League (NFL) season has proven the replacement officials do not have the ability to control a game in a highly physical sport where players get injured on routine plays even under the most well-trained of referees. 
 
 Sweeney said that replacement officials also lower the quality of play, devaluing the often large investments fans have made in tickets. 
 
 “Whether the sport is football, soccer or baseball, when referees don’t know how to properly enforce the rules, there is a real chance for unnecessary and serious injury,” said Sweeney. “If the NFL insists on putting replacement officials on the field, putting players at risk, then the state shouldn’t be playing a part in that.” 
 
 Comments 
 
 comments ||||| This state shutdown is infuriating for one reason above all others: It is about nothing, or close to it. It is the Seinfeld shutdown. 
 
 The core dispute is over regulations that govern Horizon, the state's largest insurer. No one was discussing the issue six months ago. And it would be a challenge to find a single person in New Jersey who sees this as a top-tier issue in a state that can't run the trains on time, and has the highest property taxes in world history. 
 
 It's time for the key players to shut themselves in a room, and start cutting their differences in half. This shutdown is not just about closed beaches and parks, though that is annoying enough. It means state workers and their families won't get paychecks, that disabled people can't apply for help, that drivers can't renew their licenses, and so on. As time passes, the bite will tighten. 
 
 The two chief antagonists - Gov. Chris Christie and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto - are now locked in a school-yard brawl that is no longer about who stepped on whose toe. It is about pride and ego, about winning. There is no principle at stake. 
 
 On Sunday afternoon, Senate President Steve Sweeney demanded that Horizon CEO Bob Marino come to Trenton Monday and help hammer out a deal with the key leaders of the combatting legislative factions. Good for Sweeney. If they reach agreement, the governor will be inclined to sign it. If not, the talks will at least help smoke out the bad actors who are being unreasonable. 
 
 Yes, this kind of backroom deal does violence to the notion of good government. Other states that have launched this kind of reform took months to draft careful bills after hearing testimony from experts and affected parties. This rush job is an insult to sausage-making. 
 
 But here we are. At this stage, a compromise on Horizon is the bucket of water that might stop these dogs from fighting long enough to restore peace. Here's a look at the key issues, and where common ground might lie. 
 
 -Horizon's reserves: This all started in February when the governor demanded $300 million from Horizon's "excess" reserves. That was extortion, it was crazy, and it's no longer on the table. A more sensible bill drafted by Sen. Joe Vitale (D-Middlesex) would place a ceiling on Horizon's reserves, but he says Horizon's current reserves are reasonable and would be permitted. 
 
 Still, the legislation does not set a precise ceiling; it establishes a process to do so. That opens the door to mischief. If the ceiling is too low, Trenton would be tempted to use Horizon as a slush fund, grabbing money each year to close budget gaps. How about ruling that out, requiring that any excess reserves be devoted to reducing premiums Horizon policy-holders instead? 
 
 -Governance: The Vitale bill would give Horizon policy-holders the right to elect three board members, from a total of 15. Horizon's concern is that outside special interests, even its competitors, could mount big-money campaigns to win those seats. How about reducing those three seats to just one? 
 
 -Charitable mission: Horizon is a non-profit, but don't mistake it for a bunch of nuns running a soup kitchen. It acts like every other insurer, and its CEO earned $4.5 million last year. The Vitale legislation would assign Horizon charitable missions that are vaguely defined and potentially expensive. Why not treat Horizon the same as its competitors, on an even playing field? 
 
 -Timing: Most of Vitale's bill would take effect in February, after Christie leaves office. Why not remove any exceptions, and make the entire bill take effect then? If the next governor wants a repeal, Sweeney vows that he will sponsor it. 
 
 Prieto has taken a hard line so far, saying he won't negotiate over Horizon until a budget is passed. If he sticks with that, the only way out of this mess would be to remove him as Speaker, a move that seems inevitable next year anyway. But he accepted Sweeney's invitation, a sign of hope. Marino says he'll attend as well. 
 
 Wish these guys luck. If they come up with an agreement, the governor will have to accept it, or take sole blame for this whole mess. 
 
 More: Tom Moran columns 
 
 Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or call (973) 836-4909. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
– New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney has introduced a bill that would make it illegal for replacement referees to work in the state, arguing that they are a danger to players' safety, the Bergen Record reports. "We wouldn’t allow a factory or construction site to operate without fully trained supervisors on hand to ensure the safety of employees," Sweeney reasoned in a statement. "Why should we do anything differently when the job site is a playing field?" Both the Giants and the Jets play in New Jersey. The NFL brushed aside Sweeney's concerns, saying that "officiating controversies have always been a part of the sport." But judging by the reaction so far, that's not likely to appease anyone. ESPN tweeted that the NFL offices have gotten more than 70,000 voicemails regarding the botched call. And more than pride and playoff berths are at stake: Las Vegas bookies estimate that between $150 million and $200 million in bets swung on the call.