In article <[log in to unmask]>, Pamela Sweeney
<[log in to unmask]> says:
>
>From today's (11/9/94) St. Paul Pioneer Press's "College Hockey" column by
g
>Greg Wong: Brink call a mistake, chief of officials says
>
>Shepherd, a St. Paulite who also referees in the league said, "After looking
>at the tape, I felt it should not have been a disqualification.  (Brink)
>never really punched (Reimann).  He pulled out of a headlock and
>straight-armed him, he didn't really punch him, and he even missed him
>with that.  It was not a deliberate punch."
 
Excuse me, but what the hell's this? Officials supervisors cranning
their necks to a television screen to see if a player actually landed
a punch? I feel bad for the officials who did that game. Whether a
player is fighting and should be disqualified is strictly an on-site
judgment call that should belong to the officials at the game and not
be left to the scrutiny of replay. Fighting shouldn't be tolerated in
any sport, and the criteria should not be whether punches were
actually landed. I wouldn't be surprised if the rest of the officials
in that league become a bit more timid when it comes to taking charge
when things get out of hand, and that could cause more problems.
 
As a baseball umpire myself, I don't hesitate to eject players
when they even so much as get into a pushing match. Walk away. It's
only a game. No need to push, shove, headlock, punch.
 
_____________________________________________________________________
Ryan Robbins               "Nothing in fine print is ever good news."
University of Maine                                  -- Andy Rooney
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