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Stop The Complaining
by Paul on 03/06/08 at 01:49 PM ET
Comments (8)
from Adam Proteau of the Hockey News,
But words cannot express how utterly exhausted I’ve grown of listening to NHL fans – make that all sports fans – attempt to chalk up nearly every lost game or squandered opportunity on the boys in Black and White.
At the risk of getting into ABC After School Special-territory, how difficult is it for people to understand that nobody’s perfect, and because of that, there never will be an error-proof system for policing games?
Have we not learned from Hockey Night In Canada host Ron McLean, a onetime serial ref-ripper, who, despite being a Level 5 referee himself, only truly understood the challenges officials face after the league allowed him to serve as a referee for a pre-season game in 2006?
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Comments
I think what bothers some fans the most is the things the officials can control.
They aren’t going to see everything, and they are going to miss penalties on both sides, but the feeling of “evening up” the calls drives me crazy. A hook is a hook is a hook, and if one team commits six penalties in a row, then they should have to kill off six consecutive penalties instead of the other team waiting for the officials to get any excuse to call a penalty against them.
If you are collectively so stupid that you can’t figure out how to not do exactly the same thing that you just got called for three minutes ago, then you shouldn’t benefit from the officials trying to be fair and call undeserved penalties on the other side.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 03/06/08 at 02:54 PM ET
You don’t need a doctorate degree to see the
“Law of unintended consequences” at work here.
For decades we had one Referee and a few bad/missed calls here and there. You double the number of Referees trying to correct that and you double the number of bad/missed calls.
Baroque, as usual, has brought up a valid point.
Posted by HockeyTownTodd on 03/06/08 at 05:22 PM ET
Amen, Baroque.
Another thing that grinds me is the horrible inconsistency RE: disciplinary action by the league. A few years ago, Mathieu Schneider got a 3 game suspension for what was obviously an accidental high stick to Glen Murray’s head. Now, you have Dion Phaneuf intentionally hip checking Kopecky’s bare head into the end boards, and…I as far as I know…the league didn’t even look at it. (I know the two incidents are rather far apart, but cases of overly strict suspensions are few and far between.) While Colin Campbell has deservedly leveled some major suspensions this season, there are far more cases (especially of headshots) where no displinary action was taken. IMHO, the NHL is courting disaster with its failure to send a consistently strong message RE: blows to the head.
Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 03/06/08 at 05:42 PM ET
HockeyTownTodd,
Great point, also. If I remember correctly, the use of a second ref was originally intended to help clean up infractions behind the play. Instead, it seems to have morphed into lots of calls from 200 feet down the ice, while the ref closest to the play stands by with his whistle in his pocket.
Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 03/06/08 at 05:50 PM ET
Nothing new there, they have been promising to do something since LaFontaine’s forced retirement.
Empty promises, year after year after year…
Posted by HockeyTownTodd on 03/06/08 at 05:52 PM ET
Another thing that grinds me is the horrible inconsistency RE: disciplinary action by the league.
Do NOT get me started on that topic. Grrrrr….. 
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 03/06/08 at 05:53 PM ET
YZ:
The Ref closest to the play is directed to watch the puck, while the back Ref watches for infractions.
I am surprised more P x P men don’t point that out.
Ken Daniels, and Ron Maclean (both Refs) have mentioned it repeatedly.
Posted by HockeyTownTodd on 03/06/08 at 05:59 PM ET
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I started reffing recently.
Let me tell you, it’s tough with 30 year old beer leaguers. Never mind the speed of the NHL game.
Sure sometimes they blow calls, but in all honesty a fan has to admit that sometimes the blown calls go their way too.
Posted by Laker from BC on 03/06/08 at 02:41 PM ET