I have been reading all the comments from people about officiating in the various game posts, most from the WCHA and CCHA, and I am intrigued by the apparent desire to explain away "bad" results by blaming inconsistent refereeing. Perhaps there truly is an East-West difference here, or that Hockey East and the ECAC are blessed with solid officiating, but I rarely see a game that is dependent on the calls. Sure, a physical team can be put "off" its game if the referees call it tight, or a finesse team can be knocked around when the refs let things go, but I have almost never seen a case where the opponent didn't matter 10 to 20 times more than the refs. (Likewise for ice conditions, rink size, etc., though these may have a more pronounced effect.) I find the 2 referee, 1 linesman system used in HE to work very well on the whole, and the main benefit seems to be the reduction in the amount of chippiness behind the play, with more focus on the skills and playmaking. I admit that I prefer that to brawling and "pro-like" physicalness, and that others may prefer the rougher style, but there is still plenty of hitting and hard checking in the HE games without the out-and-out thuggery that the other style often permits. I have seen many discussions of this that ultimately focus on the differences of "Canadian vs. American", and I don't want that to occur here. My own hope is that we can put aside our sometimes-biased team interests and try to be objective on this subject. When I read about a tight game between two worthy opponents, I want to know about the GAME, not the officials. I comment on officiating when it is controversial, or gets the crowd involved in the game, but only to express the general feel of the environment, not to trash individual referees. Most of us have not been officials, and we have a tendency to assume the job is "easy", and that calls we disagree with are "obvious". Sometimes they are, and officials do make mistakes. But more often than not, the call is correct, the official is competent, and there will always be one side (the "loser" of the call) who will complain. The referee's lot is not one where they get any positive attention from the public; they have to gain their satisfaction from the support of fellow officials, family, etc. In the professional leagues, I can understand the additional pressure and criticism, as it can affect the gain or loss of thousands of dollars. But in the college game (where we at least TRY to focus on more than winning and losing) one bad call here or there should not be the main focus. If two teams are truly so evenly-matched that a single call can be the difference between winning and losing, then those calls will even out through time, and you can be satisfied with that. If you think your team is constantly getting the "worst" of the calls, then perhaps your objectivity has been compromised. The argument that you don't care how they call it as long as they call it consistently is a legitimate concern, but by definition it affects both teams the same over time, and is a matter of the overall competence of the officiating crews. This is the area that may vary from league to league, or crew to crew. Most leagues have rules preventing coaches, players, or team officials from commenting in public about officiating. These have evolved over time because most players, coaches, fans, etc., get too emotionally involved and cannot be objective. If anything, public comments serve only to make officials (and their supervisors) less cooperative and less willing to listen to legitimate criticism. For that reason alone, I prefer that criticism be routed to league offices in private, where at least it might be viewed fairly. For fans, of course, including those of us on Hockey-L, we normally don't have that outlet. So we tend to talk among ourselves, reinforcing our own biases, saying that "McBride is awful", or "Buzzy did it again", or .... You get the idea. Let me tell you, the day that my major concern is whether the refs called a good game is the day when BC is going 34-0 for the season. So, though I suppose it's wishful thinking at best, could I ask my fellow Hockey-L'ers to tone down the comments on officiating, and tell me more about forechecking, passing, conditioning, strategy, etc.? Please reply in private or with kindness, please .... :-) Thanks. --------------- ---------------------- Rick McAdoo [log in to unmask] BC will return! GO EAGLES!