Photo: Demaryius Thomas Halloweens it up as a replacement ref -- or maybe not

Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas came up with a Halloween costume sure to amuse NFL fans: He dressed as a replacement referee, complete with giant glasses to convey how unlikely it is that he'd make the right call; see a large version of the photo below. But will Thomas, whose performance...

By Michael Roberts

October 31, 2012

What happens on the ground matters — Your support makes it possible.

We’re aiming to raise $17,000 by August 10, so we can deepen our reporting on the critical stories unfolding right now: grassroots protests, immigration, politics and more.

Contribute Now

Progress to goal

$17,000

$3,700

Audio By Carbonatix

[
          {
            "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
            "component": "23668565",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "STN Player - Float - Mobile Only ",
            "component": "23853568",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "Editor Picks",
            "component": "17242653",
            "insertPoint": "4",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "18838239",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - 2x Rectangles Desktop, Tower on Mobile - Labeled",
            "component": "24956856",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25 
          
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "18838239",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
            "component": "17676724",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          }
        ]

Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas came up with a Halloween costume sure to amuse NFL fans: He dressed as a replacement referee, complete with giant glasses to convey how unlikely it is that he'd make the right call; see a large version of the photo below. But will Thomas, whose performance in Denver's dismantling of New Orleans on Sunday reflects a steady improvement in his play, don this outfit tonight? Signs point to "no."

Why not? Because, as Yahoo! Sports reports, Thomas deleted the snap shortly after posting it on his Twitter feed -- an account that's currently dominated by declarations of faith. One image reads, "I am covered by the blood of Jesus," and there's also a retweet of a Biblical passage (Psalm 73:25-26) from former teammate Tim Tebow.

Fortunately, Peter Burns of Mile High Sports Radio shared the shot before it disappeared, so we can all enjoy it. Here it is:

As for why Thomas removed the image, we're left to speculate. Best guess: Someone on his management team suggested that it's risky for a pro footballer to be seen as making fun of a referee, since current crews might interpret the costume as ridiculing the profession as a whole, not just the out-of-their-depth guys who filled in during the early part of the season amid a labor dispute. Worse, he could get crosswise with the league, which issued an edict during the lockout of the regular refs not to criticize the fill-ins and is still prickly on the embarrassing subject.

Which is too bad, since it's a genius costume. In our opinion, Demaryius, you definitely don't deserve a yellow flag.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

A message from Michael Roberts: If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of essential stories and to investigate issues that matter.

Support Today