Seahawks

NFL THURSDAY SEATTLE (4-2) AT SAN FRANCISCO (4-2) TV: NFL Network, 5:15 p.m. Line: 49ers by 7. Over/under: 37. Sam Farmer's pick: The 49ers have never lost consecutive games under Jim Harbaugh, and they've consistently bounced back strong after losses. This will be physical and close. 49ers 21, Seahawks 17.

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman had words for New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on the field during the game Sunday, on the sidelines immediately following the game and on Twitter hours after the game. Sherman intercepted a Brady pass attempt in the third quarter after he had told Brady all game that he would do so. "I kept saying I'm going to get that next time. Every TV timeout, I went up and said it right to [Brady]: 'Please keep trying me. I'm going to take it from you.' That was when they were winning," Sherman said, according to the Tacoma News Tribune.

Two years ago, the NFC West was a joke. Four teams, four losing records. The Seattle Seahawks became the first team in history to win a division and reach the postseason at 7-9. Fast forward to today, and the NFC West is, top to bottom, the best division in football. Undefeated Arizona won at New England and stomped Philadelphia. Before losing to Minnesota last Sunday, San Francisco had convincing wins at Green Bay and over Detroit. Seattle crushed Dallas, then edged Green Bay - with an asterisk for that Hail Mary, yes, but the Seahawks had eight sacks in the first half, plus their share of calls and noncalls go against them.

In an unusual move, a Las Vegas casino is offering refunds to gamblers who lost money on the Seahawks controversial 14-12 win over the Packers on Monday. Yes, you read that right, a casino is actually offering to return money to bettors. The owner of The D Las Vegas, Derek Steven, told the Associated Press that the events that transpired in the final moments of the game were unacceptable and that giving people back their money was the right thing to do. The Seahawks won after some of the league's replacement officials botched a call , giving the Seahawks a touchdown on the final play of a game.

Millions of "Monday Night Football" viewers saw Green Bay intercept a Hail Mary pass in the end zone, a game-ending play in Seattle that clinched a hard-fought victory for the Packers. But the replacement official closest to the play saw something very different - a decision not supported by any camera angle - a winning touchdown by the Seahawks. By Tuesday, the NFL was facing its nightmare scenario. A stand-in official, shoved into the spotlight while regulars are locked out in a labor dispute, had made an incorrect, game-deciding call, handing a defeat to one of America's most popular teams.

The deal is done: The regular NFL officials are coming back for Week 4. NFL executive Greg Aiello tweeted: "Pleased to report that an agreement has been reached with the NFL Referees Association. " Multiple reports, including one on NFL.com citing a league source, said a deal was reached Wednesday night after back-to-back days of marathon negotiations that were spurred by a blown call that cost the Green Bay Packers a win over the Seahawks in Seattle on Monday night. The deal was first reported by ProFootballTalk.com.

The one thing about the National Football League on which almost everyone agrees is that it takes its job of providing first-rate entertainment very seriously. That could be one explanation for the league's effort to supplement the pleasure of watching two teams of superbly trained athletes compete by adding the comedy stylings of pick-up referees, capped by the spectacular fiasco of Monday night's Seattle Seahawks-Green Bay Packers game. Or the explanation may be simply that a business collecting more than $9 billion in revenue this year sees value in sacrificing one crucial component of its success - credible and firm enforcement of the rules - merely to save about $5 million a year, or five hundredths of a percent.

  Monday night's game between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers has led to renewed outrage over the performance of the NFL's replacement officials. Join us for a Google+ hangout starting at 11:30 Pacific time when NFL columnist Sam Farmer, business writer Michael Hiltzik and Deputy Sports Editor John Cherwa discuss the blown call and what this means for the future of the settlement talks with the regular referees. As Farmer wrote earlier today: "Who caught the ball in Seattle?

Monday night's game between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers has led to renewed outrage over the performance of the NFL's replacement officials. Earlier today, Times NFL columnist Sam Farmer and business writer Michael Hiltzik took part in a Google+ hangout to discuss the game. Among the topics: How a dispute over the regular officials' pension plan opened the door to all of this. Whether the blown call will lead to the NFL reaching a hasty agreement with the old officials.

I can't remember a better NFL weekend, a more entertaining end to a Monday night game. So what's with an ESPN SportsCenter anchor saying she's depressed, media everywhere going into a conniption fit because our entertainment package goes haywire? I would argue there's nothing better when we can jump up and down in excitement, disgust or whatever at the end of a sports event. Breaking news: This is not the end of the world or the demise of the National Football League. They played three regular season games with replacement players in 1987, counted the results in the standings and reduced the season to 15 games.