I don’t think most of us would like working a job where we’re ignored at our best and crucified at our worst. Perhaps that’s why we’re not referees.
These men and women are basically walking around playing fields or courts with a sign that reads “SCAPEGOAT” taped to their backs. If anything goes wrong during a game that doesn’t involve an injury on an obviously clean play, you already know who’s going to be the first to catch heat from fans and coaches. These people don’t always deserve it — like us, they’re only human and they’re going to make mistakes.
I’ve seen my fair share of people giving them the business, to borrow from (in)famous football referee Ron Cherry. One of my best friends from college was notorious in Florida Gulf Coast University intramural basketball circles for jawing at the refs when he didn’t like a call. I’ve seen coaches get ejected for losing their cool in the heat of the moment because they disagreed with calls. I lived in Buffalo in 1999, when my Sabres lost the Stanley Cup Finals on a goal that wasn’t legal until the following season and my Bills were sent into their current playoff drought by an illegal forward pass, and basically everyone in Western New York was enraged. Last week, I went to see Spoto play Plant City in basketball and watched a ref eject a fan for loudly harassing him during the girls’ game.
When people think you’re not calling the game fair and square, they can forget how to act. I don’t think that’s fair.
There are plenty of refs out there who just want to do a good job, be fair to both sides and make sure things don’t get out of hand on the field. They don’t always intend to make mistakes, as some plays can happen in the blink of an eye and those of us watching a game from a different vantage point might be able to catch something none of the refs are positioned to see. To jump to conclusions and accuse a ref of having it out for a team or player, especially below the professional level, is generally pretty ridiculous. I can assure you in most cases a grown adult does not hold a grudge against a kid they’ve never met.
But there are certainly times when it’s fair to wonder what the heck a ref was thinking during a game.
Looking back at the Spoto-Plant City girls basketball game, I believe that fan had every right to be upset with the way things played out on the court. Mackenzie Steele took a beating on the court and didn’t get many calls until later in the fourth quarter. In particular, she was knocked to the ground in one sequence and didn’t get a call, which also prompted coach Danny McIntyre to walk onto the court and question the lack of a whistle. That seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back as the fan began loudly questioning the ref’s commitment to fairness and staying bias-free — and I’m making huge understatements here, as she was going pretty hard — before play was stopped as the ref requested her ejection.
While I’m not big on harassment, I also wondered why the game was allowed to get that physical in the first place. Part of the reason the rules are supposed to be enforced is keeping players safe from things that can be controlled, such as hard fouls. Incidents like that are the reason a lot of people can be so quick to lash out at officials for even the smallest, most inconsequential calls.
The good ones don’t deserve to be lumped in with the “TV Teddy” Valentines who do tend to make the games about themselves. I don’t think we thank them enough for what they do for the games they, like us, love.