Re: Terry Vaughn :: DC United vs. The ______ ClashQuakes :: Referee Thread :: [R] [N& This is really a flawed theory. I'd agree that the referee should not be the game because no one comes to a game, except for some of the sickies I ref with in New Jersey (we must be responsible for half of the USL attendance in NJ ), but when the referee fails to assert himself during key points of a match, his absence will be more noticable than his presence as is the case with Baldamero during the Thornton incident. Take Collina for instance since he is the gold standard. He firmly stamps his presence on the match. You know he's the referee and he lets the players and the fans know what will and will not be tolerated. In some ways, Collina becomes the show. The nature of the job requires a referee to involve himself to some degree. What you have to strive for is finding a balance. You don't want to involve yourself needlessly and you don't want to fail to get involved when your presence is required.
Re: Terry Vaughn :: DC United vs. The ______ ClashQuakes :: Referee Thread :: [R] [N& Maybe flawed but definitely poorly stated. What I meant was that good refs should not be noticed. Obviously the players should notice how they're calling the game. And fans may get upset with some of the officiating. But, in the end, the very fact that we are tracking them and insulting them on a first name basis, means they are far from invisible. And I, for one, would just as soon not notice them.
Re: Terry Vaughn :: DC United vs. The ______ ClashQuakes :: Referee Thread :: [R] [N& No, this is the nature of soccer and it happens all over the world. In no other sport, really, is there a combination of referees A) having so much discretion and power and B) being announced publicly well before matches. Look at some other examples: American Football? Sure, a couple of the referees are known because of their funny mannerisms, but with 7 officials on the field and with the most controversial call being a pass interference call (which comes from nameless back judges), referees in American football get off light. Basketball? Other than through the scandal involving airline tickets a few years ago, basketball officials seem to be nameless faces. They call a foul or don't call a foul, it's almost as simple as that. With so many games, and so many officials, it's hard to become familiar enough with any NBA official to hate him. Baseball? Besides the occassional specific umpire who's noted for an egregiously small or large strike zone, baseball umpires also tend to stay relatively anonymous. Only extremely controversial calls (like the 1999 ALCS phantom tag, or the 1985 WS first base call) become etched in fans' memories, and even then--at least for me--it's difficult to even remember the names of the umpires since they rotate so often. Ice Hockey? Referees in hockey probably come the closest to the noteriety that soccer referees face. For one, hockey referees last a long time and become known. Guys like VanHellemond, McCreary and Koharski have stuck around the NHL for 20+ years. I'd bet Kerry Fraser is as well-known in the hockey world as Collina is in the soccer world. If they call a game-changing late penalty, or a controversial game misconduct (ask about Fraser in Calgary), they will be remembered. Still, given that their calls can't affect a game as directly as a red card or a penalty can in soccer, I still don't think their infamy rises to the same level. That's really it. Red cards and penalties have such a profound effect on the game (in what other sport do ejected players not get replaced? or, effectively, an 85% chance at a goal can be awarded?) that it's just the nature of the job for soccer referees to be more intently scrutinized than officials in other sports. That's why I think the "it's the job of the referee not to be noticed" can fly in other sports, but not in soccer. If a player stops a breakaway by fouling, or commits an atrocious tackle, it's the job of the referee to issue the red card--even if it's in the 5th minute of the game and even if it means he gets "noticed". I don't think this (meaning the referee threads and overall referee scrutiny) is an MLS phenomenon or means our referees are particularly bad. It happens all over the world and will continue to happen here--no matter how good our referees get. My only hope would be that credit is also given for good performances, but I know that might be stretch.
Okay, so remember when I said that Toledo hadn't been assigned a game since the Thornton incident? You guys might not want to check MLSnet.com if you don't want to be surprised regarding who the referee is for tomorrow night's match. I'm sure the resulting thread will be interesting, to say the least.
Re: Terry Vaughn :: DC United vs. The ______ ClashQuakes :: Referee Thread :: [R] [N& Had already been mentioned in the thread about the match itself (pre-match thread).
Re: Terry Vaughn :: DC United vs. The ______ ClashQuakes :: Referee Thread :: [R] [N& With the NBA this may be true. Serious fans of NCAA college bball, however, do follow referees meticulously. At the schools I grew up ball-boying for, at my undergrad institution, and where I went to grad school, everyone in the student sections tends to know the names of all the regular refs in the conference. They fade with time; but names like Ed Hightower, Eric Harmon and Ted Valentine still make me cringe.