[citation needed] She was hired as a replacement official in 2012 during the lockout of full-time referees which began in June.
[2] Eastin's first regular season game came on September 9 between the Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams.
[3] Although several NFL players expressed support for Eastin being the first female NFL official, several writers such as Darin Gantt of Profootballtalk.com and Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times lamented that she broke this gender barrier while being a strikebreaker.
[6] NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said about Eastin that "she's well prepared for it, and I think she'll do terrific.
"[8] Some players like Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Larry Foote expressed concern about her on-field role, with Foote explaining to the Associated Press, "Women are more honest and fair than men and they know how to catch a man cheating.