Last night the Pirates and Braves played 19 innings…that ended with what looks to me like one of the worst officiating calls ever in pro sports. It’s one thing to miss a 90 mph strike or get it wrong when a pile of bodies bury one another at a goal line. But to miss the [...]
Posts under ‘referees’
Video: Kobe Bryant calls referee a faggot
TNT cameras stayed on Kobe Bryant a little too long after a technical foul during last night’s Lakers-Spurs game. They followed Bryant to the bench where he went into a mini tirade, punching a chair (and a teammate in the process), throwing a towel and then yelling out what certainly looks like, “Bennie…fucking faggot.” That’s [...]
Podcast: Sports pet peeves
Before we give thanks later this month, we talk on our latest podcast about what bugs us in sports. We discuss the complaints we get from readers about topics we put on our blog. Also, the officiating in the NFL has gotten off to a false start this year. And then, of course, there’s the [...]
Bridgewater State hosts Dave Pallone
Out former MLB umpire Dave Pallone is the keynote speaker at Bridgewater State’s celebration of Gay History Month on Oct. 7, 7pm-9pm. The event is co-sponsored by the Bridgewater State Department of Athletics and the GLBTA Pride Center and is being promoted by the athletic department. Dave’s been a popular public speaker for years, so [...]
NBA Playoffs heat up players and refs
I’ve had trouble getting into the NBA regular season for the last 10 years. But inevitably, around early May, I get hooked on the playoffs. I start planning my evenings around them. The players seem to suddenly come to life. Whereas they slog through March, in May they turn on a switch. Defenses come alive, [...]
First woman to officiate college bowl game
This weekend Sarah Thomas became the first woman to officiate a college bowl game, the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl (Marshall beat Ohio, 21-17). The Mississippi mother of two is in her first season officiating college football and earned high enough marks to place her in a bowl game. Thomas said: It was a little uncomfortable [...]
German referee called ‘dirty homosexual’
A German soccer referee is taking action against an assistant coach for allegedly yelling a gay slur at him. Arminia Bielefeld assistant coach Frank Eulberg allegedly called Georg Schalk a “dirty homosexual” afer a recent match. Said Schalk’s lawyer in a complaint: Through Mr Eulberg’s behaviour it’s not only the smooth running of a sporting [...]
NBA changes the sport of basketball
Remember in elementary school when you learned that you have to dribble a basketball to run with it? Well the NBA has changed all that. This season they are allowing players to take two full steps with the basketball before coming to a stop. It’s believed that this is the first time any major basketball [...]
Who’s atop the AFC?
Before the NFL season kicked off, four teams were collectively the prohibitive favorites to win the AFC. Since then, they have played a lackluster collective eight games. The Steelers barely beat the Titans then lost to the Bears; The Patriots got a miracle win against the Bills then looked out-of-sync on offense in a loss [...]
The NFL says, Do Over!
So let me set the stage. Jerry Jones spends $1 billion dollars of his own money to build one of the most beautiful stadiums in America. They’ve solved a bunch a problems with the old stadium, including how to close the roof during inclement weather. Jones spared no expense to prove the point that everything’s [...]
Fired gay Turkish referee fighting back
How much are the attitudes of people in sports and the general society toward gay people changing? The gay Turkish soccer referee who was outed and fired by the Turkish football federation, Halil Ibrahim Dincdag, is fighting back and has found a groundswell of support, all thanks to the fact that he didn’t hide but [...]
How big is NBA referee image problem?
It seems with every NBA playoff comes more talk about the corruption of the league’s officials. Criticism this weekend was levied by Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who has manipulated referees over the years more than anyone else, and who has benefited more than any other human being from bad calls by the refs. We reported [...]
Soccer player farts, gets a yellow card
A player for an English soccer team was given a penalty yellow card by a referee after farting during a penalty kick. The Chorlton Villa player got a yellow card for the noise which was classed as “unsporting behavior.” The team, who conceded a goal on the second take, went on to win the match [...]
Video evidence the refs cheat for Duke
Count me among the many who feel the referees cheat to help Duke basketball win games. It all stems from the 1991 NCAA basketball semifinal between Duke and UNLV in which UNLV got called for everything and Duke got away with everything. The talk will surely heat up again as the Blue Devils head to [...]
Steelers win North by 4 points and ångströms
Pittsburgh Steelers fans (hi Sam!) can all thank their lucky stars for instant replay. In a game that was, to quote Jim Ross, “bowling shoe ugly”, the Steelers used a stifling defense and a little bit of luck to beat the Baltimore Ravens 13-9 yesterday to claim their 4th AFC North title in the last [...]