> Even two good referees can have two totally different styles -- so
> players have no clue how a game will be called. This makes games very
> haphazzard and frustrating.  Then if you have two bad refs, one calling
> everything, one nothing, -- or one bad ref being inconsistent throwing
> off the good one -- there's just twice as much chance for disaster.
>
> Furthermore, time and again I see one referee taking on the role of
> "dominant partner" and it messes everybody up.  The worst referee in
> the history of the world, as far as I'm concerned, is Mike Noeth
> "Nothing." He used to be in the NHL, so he thinks he can run the show,
> and he winds up making call after call from across the rink when the
> other official is standing right there.  This kind of junk goes on all
> the time.
>
before you comment this way, you ought to try officiating.  sometimes the
hardest calls to make are the ones that occur right in front of my face.  I am
concentrating on the crease, or the two guys fighting while coming across the
blue line while I am on the goal line...and the puck is being played right in
front of me.  A ref would be completely remiss if he were to look down at the
puck and take his eyes off the whole ice surface.  Just because the ref on the
other side of the rink makes a call, this does not mean that the near-side ref
missed anything.
 
> Another minor point:  Referees are so much worse about getting out of
> the way of the darn play.
 
BS!!! that's like saying that the boards or the glass get in the way sometimes
when a guy skates into it.  the ref is part of the ice surface, the players need
to look up and go around them.  The ref should try to jump over pucks, but they
need not.
 Over the years it seems like the refs get in
> the way more -- maybe it's me.  But the linesmen used to know how to
> get out of the way -- but now there's two refs, paying attention to
> penalties not the puck, and they don't know how to move.
 
watch closely...those NCAA refs can move.  they generally skate as well or
better than the best skaters on the ice...(kariyas excepted)
 
 
also, as far as the calling and non calling of penalties...the refs do what the
officiating committees of whichever given league tell them to.  It might be
intersting to note that no refs are on these committees.  At the beginning of
the season, the committees tell the refs to call the close ones (thus the
million and one intrference calls in the BU NE game a couple months ago, anyone
remember??)...then as the season goes on, the committee changes its mind says
'let the boys play'  Don't blame the refs.  when the refs make bad calls, Walsh
or Parker (in HE) will send in the video tapes and that ref will get repremanded
and suspended.  the refs only do what the league tells them to.
 
talk to a ref sometime...you will be surprised at who the person inside the
stripes is..I promise.
 
jim
 
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jim
 
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