Obama: NFL refs’ return is ‘great day for America’

President Barack Obama warmly welcomed the breakthrough deal that will see the NFL's regular refs return to work. Their temporary replacements angered and baffled football fans coast-to-coast with controversial calls.

Obama thinks "it's a great day for America," White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters aboard Air Force One, as the president headed to Virginia to campaign.

"The president is very pleased that the two sides have come together to resolve their differences and ensure that, going forward, when we watch our favorite teams play in the NFL, we can focus on the players and the game rather than on the officiating," Carney said.

Obama himself had weighed in on the standoff after the final play of the Seahawks-Packers game.