The Players' Tribune: The Zebra

[Coach]

Very interesting to read. I have a lot of respect for officials, but they are human and make mistakes, so it's nice when the odd one owns up to it.

If there's one thing that bugs me about referees in general (amateur ones anyways), it's that when mistakes are made, some of them just make up BS excuses or say something is the rule when it's not. If you didn't see it, just say that. No one can argue with that. but don't try to tell me I don't know the rules.

I remember listening to Mike Cvik (sp?) speak on The Fan a little while ago and they asked him about coaches expressing issues with the reffing and he said "Oh it's just them trying to get an advantage for their team." And I'm like, maybe they just think the reffing sucks. That IS a possibility. We all suck sometimes.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Very interesting to read. I have a lot of respect for officials, but they are human and make mistakes, so it's nice when the odd one owns up to it.

If there's one thing that bugs me about referees in general (amateur ones anyways), it's that when mistakes are made, some of them just make up BS excuses or say something is the rule when it's not. If you didn't see it, just say that. No one can argue with that. but don't try to tell me I don't know the rules.

I remember listening to Mike Cvik (sp?) speak on The Fan a little while ago and they asked him about coaches expressing issues with the reffing and he said "Oh it's just them trying to get an advantage for their team." And I'm like, maybe they just think the reffing sucks. That IS a possibility. We all suck sometimes.

Fraser is the biggest NHL apologist ever. His articles defending terrible calls referencing some obscure rule that the ref who made the call (or didn't) wouldn't have known off the top of their head in a middle of a game makes my blood boil.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by MontanaFlame

What amazes me about that rugby referee video is that after a player is shown the red card, they quietly jog off the field without a word.

When I have to give a guy a game misconduct in hockey it's usually followed by the player giving me an "evaluation" as i like to put it. Usually using language that would make George Carlin blush

I was terrible for this as a player. I used to yell at the refs all the time. The late Joe Sports threw me out of a game years ago, I got my money's worth on that one. He was cool as a cucumber, just led me off the ice as I ranted.

I'm amazed my Dad never talked to me about it, he must have seen it as he was my coach for most of minor hockey. My kid will have better respect than I did.

Leaf fans need to get over it. You can't call what you don't see, period.

Another amazing article. I like Quennville even more now. Nash, too. It's tough to make an apology like that. Theo's still fighting those demons. I wish him well.

[Northendzone]

interesting to hear an officials point of view as they usually are not granted a fourm in which to speak.

I have always had the opinion that refs are human and like players who miss a check or an open net, they will miss calls.

if everyone in the game was perfect, the scores would all be 0-0

[Superfraggle]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

Fraser is the biggest NHL apologist ever. His articles defending terrible calls referencing some obscure rule that the ref who made the call (or didn't) wouldn't have known off the top of their head in a middle of a game makes my blood boil.

I pretty much assume that professional referees at the highest level of a sport know the rules pretty well. Even the obscure ones. Your reaction to Fraser bringing up a rule you didn't know to explain why a call was correct is to assume that the refs (who made the right call) also didn't know the rule, and were actually trying to make the wrong call and failed?

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Kerry Fraser makes rediculously bad calls in very important games.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Fraser has a very good book out there. I recommend it to anyone interested in what it is like to be a ref