OT: Refs/Umps have the most control in which sport?

[Rusty_Savage]

You 2 every get mad and/or question an official/ref/ump during a professional game? Or do you believe that's laughable too?

 

Boxy has no issues with anger. Like at all

[Boxcar]

Boxy has no issues with anger. Like at all

 

But I spread my anger out. Everyone gets a piece. I don't focus it at one hapless dipshit refereeing as a side job.

[TwistedLogic]

Totally analogous, because 8 year olds are the same as pro athletes

 

Well, to be fair, if the 8-year-old is your child, you'll have much more of an emotional interest in the game. Whereas pro games truly are meaningless to the average person, unless you're dumb enough to bet on them.

[polar bear]

NFL without a doubt.

[Brownie19]

Have you considered that it's a meaningless game and that your kid isn't headed to the NHL? Try to relax and hopefully don't jump on the ice and start bearing the s*** out of people.

 

Lol @ getting this mad over an offside call in an 8 year olds hockey game.

 

I highly doubt the ref was trying to throw the game. Hockey parents are f***ing nutjobs.

 

Totally analogous, because 8 year olds are the same as pro athletes

 

King - correct me if I'm wrong, but you're relatively young with no kids. Boxy, you may fall into this same category (although I'm not sure). Regardless, it appears that you're relatively naive and ignorant on the matter.

 

The notion that hockey parents are nut jobs who all live vicariously through their children and think they are going to the NHL is utter nonsense. It's an outdated stereotype I too used to believe. Don't get me wrong - there are nut jobs out there (but there are in every sport, workplace, school, etc.), but I for one have no ill illusions that any of my sons are going to play in the NHL (or any other professional sport for that matter) and rarely run into a parent who seems to have that view.

 

That said - I am extremely passionate about my sons and the sports they pursue (which is hockey and baseball right now). I volunteer copious amounts of my free time coaching youth sports and frankly - it's one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. It's incredible to see how much an 8 year old can improve in 4 months through hard work. The transformation is remarkable. It's also amazing to see them develop social skills, leadership skills, empathy, responsibility, etc. - all those secondary benefits of youth sports. From my observations - I see similar passion, love and support in most hockey parents. These folks sacrifice their time and money - driving kids (theirs and others) all over Ontario - any day, any time. As a result - they become very invested in their children's sports teams - and yes, when they think a referee/umpire/official isn't treating their team fairly - they're going to get upset (just as they would if they felt their child's teacher was being unfair to them). I never understood this until I had kids, so I don't expect you to understand. Maybe one day you will. It's a pretty amazing feeling.

 

The offside example I gave was just one of many. It happened to eliminate a breakaway opportunity in a tied hockey game. Should we expect perfection from an amateur referee? Of course not, but let's also not forget that it isn't that challenging to keep up with the pace of a novice hockey game. To overrule your fellow official while being about 45 feet out of position is almost comical.

 

As Twisted alluded to. I don't think either of you believe it's ridiculous to get upset over a professional official, whom you think has been unfair to "your team". Think about that for a second. That fact that people get so passionate about a random sports team that they've chosen to cheer for, full of people they have little to no personal connection to is pretty pathetic in a bubble (when compared to the passion you have when cheering for your child's team). Getting upset over a ball/strike call, or a bad penalty call in a professional sporting event is, IMO, far more meaningless and laughable. Sports are just our escape from daily lives.

[John_Havok]

King - correct me if I'm wrong, but you're relatively young with no kids. Boxy, you may fall into this same category (although I'm not sure). Regardless, it appears that you're relatively naive and ignorant on the matter.

 

The notion that hockey parents are nut jobs who all live vicariously through their children and think they are going to the NHL is utter nonsense. It's an outdated stereotype I too used to believe. Don't get me wrong - there are nut jobs out there (but there are in every sport, workplace, school, etc.), but I for one have no ill illusions that any of my sons are going to play in the NHL (or any other professional sport for that matter) and rarely run into a parent who seems to have that view.

 

That said - I am extremely passionate about my sons and the sports they pursue (which is hockey and baseball right now). I volunteer copious amounts of my free time coaching youth sports and frankly - it's one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. It's incredible to see how much an 8 year old can improve in 4 months through hard work. The transformation is remarkable. It's also amazing to see them develop social skills, leadership skills, empathy, responsibility, etc. - all those secondary benefits of youth sports. From my observations - I see similar passion, love and support in most hockey parents. These folks sacrifice their time and money - driving kids (theirs and others) all over Ontario - any day, any time. As a result - they become very invested in their children's sports teams - and yes, when they think a referee/umpire/official isn't treating their team fairly - they're going to get upset (just as they would if they felt their child's teacher was being unfair to them). I never understood this until I had kids, so I don't expect you to understand. Maybe one day you will. It's a pretty amazing feeling.

 

The offside example I gave was just one of many. It happened to eliminate a breakaway opportunity in a tied hockey game. Should we expect perfection from an amateur referee? Of course not, but let's also not forget that it isn't that challenging to keep up with the pace of a novice hockey game. To overrule your fellow official while being about 45 feet out of position is almost comical.

 

As Twisted alluded to. I don't think either of you believe it's ridiculous to get upset over a professional official, whom you think has been unfair to "your team". Think about that for a second. That fact that people get so passionate about a random sports team that they've chosen to cheer for, full of people they have little to no personal connection to is pretty pathetic in a bubble (when compared to the passion you have when cheering for your child's team). Getting upset over a ball/strike call, or a bad penalty call in a professional sporting event is, IMO, far more meaningless and laughable. Sports are just our escape from daily lives.

 

Having been a former referee, I can tell you that there's nothing wrong with being passionate about your kids sports.what's wrong is when people react horribly to mistakes, or have such a twisted view of reality they can't accept anything other than perfection.

 

What's wrong are when nut jobs verbally assault officials because of a missed call or a completely legit call they just can't accept cuz everyone's kid is perfect. And most of the the officials are also volunteers or being paid very little and sometimes maybe only a few years older than the kids playing the game. Not saying this is you, just saying I've seen it, had it done to me and boy it feels great having some f*** wad 40 year old yell at you when you're 14 because you called a penalty on his kid in a meaningless exhibition game.

 

Get over it.

[Spanky99]

Well, in that case, Brownie should have leapt on to the ice to deliver swift justice via his fists to those refs who were ruining childrens' lives by not being NHL caliber and probably just doing it for fun/a little bit of extra money.

 

A little over the top, don't you think, lol. I doubt Brownie's a nut job at the rink, I understand where he's coming from as his last post illustrates, my dad was emotionally involved, but some do get nutz! I reffed for 10 bucks a game Saturday mornings and umpired in the summer for 20 a game... the things I heard were nothing I haven't heard before, but it did get a bit intimidating. That was in the 80's, I doubt people are like that now, not in this era. Yet, I don't have any first hand knowledge how it is now, I'm just assuming it's gotten much easier. Good discussion, though, as DP alluded to.

[King]

Having been a former referee, I can tell you that there's nothing wrong with being passionate about your kids sports.what's wrong is when people react horribly to mistakes, or have such a twisted view of reality they can't accept anything other than perfection.

 

What's wrong are when nut jobs verbally assault officials because of a missed call or a completely legit call they just can't accept cuz everyone's kid is perfect. And most of the the officials are also volunteers or being paid very little and sometimes maybe only a few years older than the kids playing the game. Not saying this is you, just saying I've seen it, had it done to me and boy it feels great having some f*** wad 40 year old yell at you when you're 14 because you called a penalty on his kid in a meaningless exhibition game.

 

Get over it.

 

I've worked in minor hockey for several years as well.

 

This is a good post!

[Spanky99]

I've worked in minor hockey for several years as well.

 

This is a good post!

 

Yeah, same... has to be better than mine and John's era, interesting.

[TheHurl]

If parents cared about their kids having fun in sports or progressing in sports development...they would never watch them play. I have studies to prove this. Why the f*** is an 8 year old playing a playoff game anyway? And I hope there is travel involved because you are in too small of a community to play opponents locally.