The Refs Deserve Some Slack

I know a lot of fans blame the refs when their team loses. It is just human instinct to put the blame on an outside source.

However, in my book this is just a cop out. The refs might influence the game but they definitely do not determine it.

For example, let's take an imaginary home plate umpire. He might screw up a call that leads the other team to victory, but if your base runner would have been a step faster he would not have the opportunity to screw up the call.

Between the refs and the fans, there are not a whole lot of differences. Sure, the refs have to be fair, just, and unbiased unlike the common fan. But they do share one common characteristic: making mistakes.

A fan can forget to get his buddy nachos at the concession stand and a ref can forget what holding looks like. The difference is that a ref's mistake is amplified with instant replay and big screen TVs, while yours will just be noticed by your friend.

A lot of people do not realize how hard it is to be a zebra on the field. They just blame them and think that they could do their job better.

I didn't personally realize this until I was one myself. I was a ref for a powder puff football game this year and boy did it get ugly.

I was reffing the championship game and there was a controversial call that decided the game. I admit that I was in horrible position, but I couldn't say, "I didn't see that. Let's replay the down." I had to go with my gut decision and I took a lot of slack for it.

If I would have just said, "Let's replay the down," it would have been even worse, because then the spectators and players would lose faith in the ability of my crew to ref the game. Then after every call they would question it and the integrity of the game would be tarnished.

However, nowadays, with instant replays and TVs, the refs in the collegiate ranks and professional ranks are under more scrutiny.

The day after the Yankees/Angels game where the Yankees won in Anaheim, there were replays of several missed calls by the umpires.

Some people, myself included, are supporters of instant replay as long as it does not tarnish the flow of the game. You cannot review every single little thing because the games would take four times as long to play.

I will admit that the refs need to be consistent. As I was consistent reffing powder puff by sticking to my gut the refs need to try to stay consistent with each other. You can not have people calling plays one way and not another.

I think about the crew that was suspended by the SEC and how they took a lot of heat from their work at the Florida/Arkansas game. They should have been suspended earlier after calling a Georgia receiver for excessive celebration after a touchdown that many did not agree with.

Also, remember Jake Locker for Washington who was flagged for excessive celebration after scoring a touchdown that got the Huskies within one? Their field goal kicker ended up missing the PAT to lose the game.

However, we would not be talking about this if they would have just acted intelligently. If the Georgia receiver would have just handed the ball to the ref, Georgia could have won the game. If the PAT was made in the Washington game, we would not be talking about Locker's celebration.

The best way to avoid the human error that I can come up with is just to practice, prepare, and execute your game plan better than the other team. Refs might be able to influence the game, but in the end they cannot be the scapegoat for why your team lost.

And, by the way, refs on video games are probably more accurate than the refs in real life, so please don't get mad at them. It is not like the game really matters anyways.