…About Referees, Rules, and Replacements

Well, hello! Welcome back… It's been a while, but I feel like it's finally time to have a conversation I've been  thinking about for quite some time. 

I think it's time to start holding referees' feet to the fire. 

When video review in football first came around, I was not a big fan. "Don't take out the human factor," I said. "Video will take over the game," I said. "We don't need the annoyance," I said. 

Perhaps I was a bit quick to judge. There have been many occasions where I have been happy to see the replay review change the call. 

Admittedly, it is always a happy thing when that call reversal benefits my own team, but I feel I am honest enough to appreciate getting it right even when it benefits the opponent. This is especially true when it deals with things like "targeting," or a call that could change history. (If you don't get what I mean by that last phrase, it's ok.)  

I have a few friends who are "stripes." My dear friend John is one of the hardest working officials I know. By his character, he strives to call the most near-perfect game he is capable of calling. That's his nature. He couldn't look in the mirror if it were any other way. So, John, Rennie, Dan, et al, please don't flag me for Unsportsmanlike Conduct when I continue my rant. But… I digress. 

If we (editorially) are going to use video replay to determine the outcome of a play, or decide whether or not a player was trying to play dirty, or whether or not it was actually a fumble, we need to use it to confirm whether or not an official is worth having on the field. 

I am not an official; have not done the schooling for it. I am like so many millions of others - an armchair Coach/Quarterback/Referee. What I am is able to see what is going on during a play. Now I know there are many things that official is supposed to be watching. I get that. But when there is a penalty that is so obvious my Great Dane can see it, that's just wrong and the unseeing official should be held accountable. (No, I have no Great Dane, but you get my point.) 

Here comes today's prime example. I am currently watching a bowl game, the very clear underdog is trying to make a game of it. The wide receiver goes long - post pattern to the goal line. The defensive back for We're So Great U is beaten. At the point of the catch it is as clear as well water that the DB is holding the WR's arm. The replay shows two officials looking dead at the play. Neither throws a flag. NEITHER throws a flag! How can you tell ANYONE that there was no foul? How can you tell ANYONE that you didn't see it? That's just pure bad officiating.  

Here's the next point: Rules. Are. Rules. There is no softening of that fact. Rules. Are. Rules.  The rules of any game are the rules of the game and are to be followed. That is how life operates. That's just the way it is. The most asinine statements made every game are: 

* You gotta let 'em play. 

* That wasn't much of a hold. 

* It's gonna be a long game if you're gonna call every little thing. 

* That's a good No-Call. That statement makes me want to instigate violence more than any other. 

If it's a rule that you can't do this or that, when someone does this or that, it's a penalty. Period. Done. Fini. Over. End of conversation. Throw the flag, walk it off, press on.  

So here is my solution to bad officiating. If a replay shows an official blatantly miss a call, or choose to make a no-call on a clear penalty play, on the third occasion, have the official removed from the game and replaced. And this should be a "challengeable" thing. Three strikes and you're out. If you're not going to be efficiently effective, you get to sit out - and with no pay, mind you. Make the calls, correctly, or take a seat.  

And NO calls are above being challenged. I know an official is not going to see every single thing. There are too many things going on. But there are many, many, many things that are not called that are pure ridiculousness. 

Surely this would be fair!  Absolutely nothing less is expected of us in our jobs! 

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...About Being Fed Up

Well... Hello again!   It has been a while since I've written anything here. I guess the reason would be that things have just been kinda rocking' along - not perfect, but not too bad. I've never been one to want to write or post every move I make - please refer back to the blog entry "...About Social Media", April of 2012 - so I don't always have that much to say. I'm not interesting enough that my daily occurrences would be compelling reading. The things I do from day to day would seem interesting to some, out of the ordinary to others, and just plain boring to most. But... I digress! 

I am sick to damn death of it, and I can't stand it any longer without blowing off some steam about it. I have had all I can stand of the bullshit about changing our country, and our flag, and our mannerisms, and our religious practices, and our way of dress, and our Driver's License pictures, and every other damn thing about OUR way of life to avoid offending some maniacal religious group that hates our country anyway! We - not me, the editorial "we" - have changed damn near everything about our way of living in this FREE country named The United States of America. And all to appease a bunch of terrorists posing as crying religious fanatics who want to create such a pacifist nation that it will be easy to overthrow and destroy. 

It seems to be working, too. We have become so soft; so swayed by this pacifist, pansy-ass way of thinking, that there are those who are currently feeling sorry for the Boston Marathon bomber and think "maybe he's learned from this and is changed." ARE YOU PEOPLE THAT DAMN STUPID!?! From the time you're old enough to stop peeing in your pants you know what is right and wrong. You know what is acceptable and what is not. I have two brothers, a year apart each from me. I can assure you that none of the three of us could ever have swayed the other to do something he knew was wrong, if he didn't want to do it. Never. And yet, having become so frikkin' "politically correct" and "more accepting of others' beliefs", we have one ridiculously gullible herd of lemmings after another marching right off the damn cliff by espousing some bullshit about how WE need to change to accommodate those with differing feelings. Screw their feelings! If they want to be in this country, be in THIS country. 

The latest I've seen today is that the Catholic School Crosses violate Muslim rights at Catholic University. Apparently, too, there aren't enough prayer rooms for the Muslim students (at this private CATHOLIC institution), so they have to pray in rooms with Christian artifacts and symbols in the room. (Please forgive me, Sister Johanna) TOUGH SHIT! Don't like it? LEAVE.  

English is our language. Learn it or LEAVE. 
Religion is a free right. To believe and practice, or the choice not to practice is a free right. No matter what faith. Don't like that? LEAVE. 
Sexual Preference is a free right. In so much as it doesn't impose itself into another's lifestyle, no problem. Don't like that? LEAVE. 

There are so many other examples like these, but you see what I'm saying. If you don't want to abide by this country's laws, and practices, and beliefs get the hell out! We won't care. We won't miss you. We won't cry when you're gone. There are many, many, many who want to come here to pursue a better life. We don't need your crying, subversive, entitled ass here. 

We have so many, many problems in our country that must be overcome. Those of us who are citizens here have so much work to do already. We have to continue to better our relationships with our neighbors. We have to work very, very hard to improve our race relations and equality; our gender equality; our economic foundation; and our positive influence in raising our children. 

We have a lot of stupid people in our country who "belong" here. We have a boat load of work to do already. But that's our row to hoe. We, the people of this country will work on it, and make mistakes, and work on it some more. We may fight among ourselves, but as they say in south Alabama, "Don't be gettin' all up in the middle of my family!" You fanatic "sumbitches that ain't from 'round here" need to realize this: the people of The United States of America will join together and will whip your ass if you think for a moment that you're going to destroy the freedoms we have. Think not? Look back at the unity of our country on Sept. 11, 2001. We will 2x4 and baseball bat your stupid ass back to the Stone Age. 

And I, for one, think it's just about time. 



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