I’d love to hear what our friends PaulaR (field hockey and basketball referee) and Boltgirl (who I believe is a soccer ref) think about all the focus on referees, umpires, reviewing vs. not reviewing calls, etc. The most recent example of referee-inspired controversy occurred in yesterday’s World Cup match between the US and Slovinia.
I don’t know about you … but in the heat-of-the-moment, I am amazed that these guys are able to see small details as well as they do. That said, it sounds like the ‘mistake’ yesterday may have crossed the line into egregious territory.
Here’s Grant Wahl on the matter … adding some ineresting perspective on blaming the referee …
As much as I love soccer, I do get extremely frustrated by how often the postgame discussion revolves around the referee’s decisions. No sport, not even NBA basketball, approaches soccer when it comes to officiating controversy. And no sport does less to provide teams and fans with explanations for refereeing decisions. The fact is that we may never know why Coulibaly waved off the U.S. goal — FIFA doesn’t allow a pool reporter to interview the referee, as most sports do, and I got no response when I e-mailed FIFA’s head press officer in search of an explanation.
In the postgame mixed zone, U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati said he hadn’t seen replays yet, but he had received 43 text messages from people who had watched the replay and not seen a foul. “We don’t know what the foul was,” said Gulati. “We’ll ask, but they’re not required to tell us.”
Of course, one thing that you always have to remember about getting jobbed by the referee is this: It wasn’t the referee’s fault that the U.S. went down 2-0 in the first half, and it wasn’t the referee’s fault that the Americans couldn’t score an additional goal in the rest of the 90-minute game.
So basically, what I take from this is that the ref is definitely a part of the game … but to blame him or her for the outcome is a little like blaming one’s parents for the fact that one isn’t the CEO of a Fortune 500 Company. I mean, that may be a factor … but there’s a bit more involved than just that.
It also reinforces my gut feeling that being god-in-a-striped-shirt is a tough gig – and not one that I would ever-in-a-million-years-want! It’s way tougher than being a mere human. Making calls that decide the outcomes of games … the fates of individuals, teams, and nations … ugh! You’re going to have half of the people involved angry at you, pretty much by definition. And really, the best you can hope for is that you go unnoticed … that’s the only sure sign that you’ve done well.
So … decisive power and invisibility … interesting aspirations to hold.
I am glad that refs get paid for what they do … otherwise it’d definitely be a pursuit that would seem indicative of some sort of disorder … don’t you think?
I appreciate that refereeing is tough but one would hope in a World Cup game, referees with proved reliability were the standard. The ref from Mali had had plenty of complaints in the African Cup, the only other major tournament he participated in. He did a lousy game of controlling this game and never once stopped play and cautioned players to knock it off. In almost every other WC game, refs make it clear when players are crossing a line, whether they speak the same language or not. This was a huge blow for the USA; now new fans to the game will say not only do they not understand offsides but that refs are arbitrary and capricious. Sad.
All three US goals were things of beauty. I do not buy the logic that because you went down 0-2, you shouldn’t be allowed to win. That’s bollocks.
touche Boltgirl…When someone complains to me, I always mention that the reffing course (in what ever course) happens every year and we would welcome them with open arms to get certified and come on out and join us. I particularly love it when a student/athlete graduates, goes to college, them comes back to ref..Whole lot different on the other side of the whistle. Makes me smile.
Yep, yep, yep. It’s a thankless job, and, as Paula pointed out, you’re pretty much guaranteed to piss off half the people on/around the field every time you blow your whistle. Soccer is particularly brutal for refs–a space larger than a football field with 22 players on it and three sets of eyes–although the guys who do rugby sevens probably have it worse. That said, the US-Slovenia ref completely biffed that game. Not just the disallowed goal, but really the entire game; he was in over his head and it showed.
Gutted as I was by that call, I’m also forever indebted to the man. From now on, every time a player tells me the call I just made is the worst one s/he’s ever seen, I can honestly reply no, actually, it isn’t.
Thanks for your beautiful comment … I have printed it out to add to the island fare … 😉
I’ve never been one to yell at the refs … but I have gotten a whole different take on the subject, watching you ref. It can be BRUTAL! I appreciate that people put themselves out … and generally tend to see the calls as a part of the game.
I totally agree with you about the whole perfect game episode … although I still harbor the hope that at some point 5 or 10 years down the road, the last call will be overturned. But I’m totally okay with the lessons learned … and maybe overturning the call – even that far in the future – would undermine the meaning of the lessons.
I have been pondering your “Gods, Referees and Umpires” blog and how to contribute to the conversation. I read it yesterday before heading off to ref some AAU basketball games. Teenage girls..Anyways, twice during my 4 games I blew my whistle, stopped the game.In the first instance,I walked over and calmly spoke to an assistant coach who was constantly chirping in my ear about “moving screens”, while I let it go at first, then the parents started in as well. I asked him to please keep his comments to himself, that I will listen to the head coach but not to him. He asked about moving screens and I politely educated him. He did come up to me after the game and told me he always held me in high regard as a ref and he apologized and thanked me for not giving him a “T”. The second time I stopped the game, a parent was keeping the book at the table with the timer and was a verbal garbage pale from the toss. I blew the whistle and went to the table to remind him that he was part of the official crew when he sat at the table and if I heard any other commentary he would be asked to leave the gym. He had big attitude but was quiet. Both cases I could have “T’d” them up and got some tempers stoked, but chose not to. These are experiences I have every time I get on a field hockey field or basketball court. Its other adults that “teach” our young athletes and are usually the root cause of problems I encounter. Reffing is not easy. 10 people on a court, that is 20 legs and 20 arms with 4 eyes watching(maybe 6 in 3 person crew). Good refs are not dramatic and try to let a flow of the game happen while enforcing the rules of the game. We try to blend in and not be remembered. We always want the athletes to decide the game, not a last minute call. That being said, as a ref you have to be willing to ref until the last second and make the big call. I know shit happens, umpires make obvious mistakes, like the one a few weeks ago surrounding the perfect game. Well I heard more discussions out and about regarding the outstanding sportsmanship involved on all sides and it was such a teachable, ahha moment to have discussions with young kids. Way more valuable to me than a perfect game. There are good refs, bad refs and lots of mediocre refs. Some are crooked, some can be taken, some are just average folk like me hoping to keep active and involved. We are human beings with egos, faults, insecurities. That soccer guy will always be remembered as a bad ref, “the one who….”
Anyways, there are my random thoughts. Sometimes I leave a contest(usually basketball) and wonder why the heck I put myself thru such crap, because in a full gym you can only please half the people. But I just keep putting on my stripes and going out onto the court to give the athletes the best game that I can and hope that the adults in the room act respectfully.
It wasn’t the lost US goal that appalled me–it was the constant Slovinia fouling that was ignored over and over again. I’m talking dangerous fouling that could injure players–it was a miracle that it didn’t. I don’t think he–or referees in general–should be given a pass for obvious bias. This guy deserves a reprimand at least or better yet sent to a reeducation camp until he agrees to enforce soccer’s rules of the game.
Licorice Pizza: I'm starting anew here and have now been, twice, to Vax and Snax at Red River. These are Thursday night movies for vaccinated and masked folks, and you can get POPCORN! But I digress...Licorice Pizza was a sweet, coming-of-age in The Valley in the Seventies sort of movie that managed to include waterbeds and Jon Peters and two new stars -- Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman (son of Philip Seymour Hoffman).
If Beale Street Could Talk: Quiet, beautiful, heartfelt, devastating. America wears many masks. This movie strips a few of them away. It shines a light on quite a lot of ugliness. As well, it illuminates dignity and resilience in the face of a system built on the abuse of privilege and power. A perfect movie to see on the eve of what is hopefully Donald Trump's last SOTU.
Shoplifters: A beautifully honest, quiet movie that is at once uplifting and devastating. Universal questions are raised and left open for pondering. What is a family? How do people survive in our world today? And how do we judge their choices?
Green Book: Very enjoyable movie and yet deeply flawed. The white guy comes across as the hero in ways that are typical for the American movie industry, and comfortably misleading in terms of the realities of our culture. Especially in the current socio/political atmosphere, can't we do better than this?
On the Basis of Sex: We applauded, we cried, we felt so glad that RBG was as prescient as she was. And I felt personally glad that her love of opera clearly predates her connection with Scalia. What an inspiring woman -- and a good movie about her early years as a student, professor, and attorney.
The Favourite: Did I say that being a queen was no fun? This definitely seems to have carried forward to Queen Anne's reign. Strong performances again, and more belly laughs than you'd think. And right along with it, grief, emptiness, ambition, and gouty excess.
Mary Queen of Scots: Being a queen was no fun in the 16th century. Excellent, complex performances in this one. I found Elizabeth especially compelling. Very unclear who actually wins out in this one.
Another Year: Loved this one! It's about a couple, and their friends, and their lives – painful in spots, and wonderfully everyday and enriching, to my mind. Great performances – and who knew there was so much wine being drunk in England!?
Tiny Furniture: A young woman (aka Lena Dunham) comes home after graduating from college and tries to find herself – or not. A character study that I found humorous and touching – and sometimes a little disturbing and/or self-indulgent. It's definitely a privilege to have the leisure to "find oneself." After this..."Girls."
Rabbit Hole: Painful/powerful movie about loss and grieving. Hard to watch but well worth the effort, with a strong cast and an especially on the mark performance by Nicole Kidman. I continue to be glad to see that she is clearly outstripping Tom Cruise as an artist. You go girl!
The Kids Are Alright: Very enjoyable movie with great performances and an excellent cast. Two kids whose moms are lesbians decide they want to find out something about their "father" – and everything moves on from that point.
The King's Speech: Warm, funny, inspiring – and apparently a bit of a rewrite of history, to boot! Colin Firth puts out an amazing performance – and was well rewarded for it. Everyone else is great too, and if you're one of the few people left who hasn't seen it, it's definitely worth a look!
Black Swan: This is a disturbing movie that I really loved – and in case you haven't noticed, I do have a tendency to like disturbing movies. What's real and what isn't? You be the judge. Also, be on the lookout for Winona Ryder – you'll never recognize her!
Blue Valentine: A couple in trouble – how they started and how they got to where they are. A good movie with excellent performances that left me wondering, especially in Michelle Williams' case, whether she was thinking about what's his name (her partner who died suddenly – the guy who starred in Broke Back Mountain – for some reason I can't remember his name – oh yeah, Heath Ledger).
Shutter Island: A dark period piece that has the creepy feel of the 1950s (creepy to me at any rate) and has stayed with me more than I would've thought. A movie with surprises – definitely worth a look.
Cyrus: I don't remember this one so well, but have a vague recollection of walking out of the theater feeling not so enthralled. I believe it's supposed to be funny – but as you can tell it didn't really make an impression.
I Am Love: Really beautiful, sumptuous movie that made me hungry, just watching it. A keeper!
The Girl Who Played with Fire: The second in the three part series involving the girl with the dragon tattoo, this movie was much harder to watch than the first, as Salander's triumph isn't quite so clear at the end. Painful, painful, painful.
Scott Pilgrim Versus the World: I loved this comic book take on young love. Went to the movie on a whim and came away very happy to have seen it! Quite a few laugh out loud moments – and touching, as well.
Going the Distance: A very lightweight romcom that kinda left me feeling like I had just spent an hour and a half reading People magazine. In other words, pretty much a waste of time.
Never Let Me Go: Wow! This was an amazing, stark, and moving movie about kids who are basically raised to become organ donors. Very much worth seeing.
The Town: Ben Affleck's movie about bank robbers. It's okay. Not great, but okay. It does make me curious about Charlestown – will have to go there one day.
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger: A Woody Allen movie that I honestly don't remember very well. It's pretty much about adults behaving badly – something that Woody knows a little something about.
The Social Network: The movie about Facebook. I found it very interesting and well done, and was especially fascinated/disturbed by the window on the incredible privilege and elitism still thriving at undergrad Harvard.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest: Number three in the Dragon trilogy. I found this, in many ways, the weakest of the three movies – although that's not to say that it was weak. Perhaps my enjoyment was affected by the fact that I hadn't read the book. Anyway, it's a great trilogy and I was sorry to see it come to an end.
Fair Game: The movie about the Valerie Plame affair. One of the things that I found most interesting was how it uncovered my own biases, as she was clearly a very serious and talented agent, but because of her blonde haired beauty, I pretty much assumed that she was a lightweight in real life. I appreciated, also, the depiction of her husband as a bit of a media hound, which was how he seemed to me at the time. And of course, there are the despicable characters of the Bush administration. Glad they were on display in all their glory!
City Island: This was a fine, if predictable, movie about a family in which everyone has a secret and is telling lies. I mostly loved it because it gave me a glimpse of where my friend CB lives!
Winter's Bone: Wow! Unrelenting, stark, and ultimately uplifting – at least to my mind. This is a painful movie about life when you're the daughter of someone who runs a meth lab. Winter's Bone is a perfect title. J-Law is amazing!
Please Give: Quirky, sweet, slice-of-life movie. I loved the low-key character development and good humor of it all. Enjoyable, with a great cast and few false notes.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo: Tho' parts of the book were missing, this was an excellent rendition of an excellent book. Not for the faint of heart, tho'! Lisbeth Salander is an Emma Peel for the 21st Century (watch for more from Noomi Rapace - I will be)!
Me and Orson Welles: Or was it Orson Welles and me? (If Orson had anything to do with the title, I'm guessing the latter.) I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, even as it reminded me of why the world of the theatre holds absolutely no appeal for yours truly! Nice to see Claire Danes back ... still have to finish watching Temple Grandin, too!
Crazy Heart: I left this movie thinking ... "Eh?" but it has stayed with me. Jeff Bridges does give a wonderful performance. The amount of smoking and drinking was nauseating - as I guess it was supposed to be - all in an understated, Jeff Bridges sort of a way.
A Single Man: One of the best movies of the year in my book. Haunting, beautifully acted and filmed ... marred only by an unnecessarily heavy-handed ending, IMHO. That was the only flaw in an otherwise brilliant bit of artistry. Colin Firth was perfect, and this was an amazing writing/directing debut for Tom Ford! See it!!!
Young Victoria: I am eternally grateful to have not been born the heir to a throne. Life was confusing enough! This was an enjoyable, tear-jerker of a movie that left me wanting to know more about the details. Perhaps a bio for Bookeaters?
Precious: Wow, wow, wow. Two weeks in a row - another amazing movie at Red River. This is a challenging and important movie ... about life in America ... every single day ... everywhere.
The Messenger: Wow, wow, wow. This is one of the best movies I have seen in quite some time. Its focus is on two men who notifiy NOK (next of kin) when a soldier dies. It is a raw, wrenching, unflinching and uplifting journey - not to be missed. Seriously
Damned United: This was a study in soccer, ambition, and friendship. For soccer buffs who actually know the players (I'm a late-comer to the game) the movie would be that much better. I loved it, though - and recommend it highly.
A Serious Man: The Book of Job envisioned by the Coen brothers evoked the early sixties and suburbia with humor, pathos ... and a slightly nauseating quality that tells me they pretty much hit the nail on the head. As one of the goyim, I am sure there were hundreds of nuances that were lost on me ... but I loved it (nausea aside) nonetheless!
Cold Souls: The premise of this movie is deeply strange, yet it is presented in an entirely believable way. It's by turns very moving and then hilarious (in ways that, in retrospect, are hard to capture/explain). The ending leaves a puzzled feeling - but that's not really bothersome. In many ways, puzzled is the appropriate way to walk out of the theater after "Cold Souls." Check it out!
Adam: Nicely done! Not a movie that will stay with you for a long time, but I liked it. The father (Peter Gallagher) seemed a tad overdone -and unnecessarily so. Unmemorable soundtrack - but since I mention it, does that make it memorable? Now I'm starting to feel like Steven Wright - not necessarily a bad thing!
Taking Woodstock: Even going in with low expectations, this offering from Ang Lee just wasn't good. Vilma was a high point in an otherwise shoddy effort. Harsh, eh? And watch out, world - it's only 6:30 AM!
Julie and Julia: I was not as bothered by Julie as some reviewers were - maybe because I liked seeing a blogger hit the big time. Meryl Streep was amazing as Julia .. and this is definitely not a movie to see on an empty stomach! Never have I enjoyed watching people eat as much as I did watching this flick!
500 Days of Summer: I think I wasn't supposed to, but I loved it. Engaging characters and script, great soundtrack. Not as quirky and lovable as "Away We Go" - but not far behind, either.
Whatever Works: People either like or hate this latest offering from Woody Allen. I must admit that it's a little weird to see this May-December relationship on-screen, feeling so creeped out by Woody's real-life choices. But I'd say he pulls it off. There are some really great lines throughout the movie, and while not entirely believable, I didn't mind being along for the ride. A pleasant diversion for sure.
Goodbye, Solo: Interesting movie that basically contrasts life energy and death energy, IMHO. Solo is the epitome of resilience - love him! Meanwhile William seems bent on being miserable, for reasons that the movie leaves mysterious. I didn't find him very a likable or compelling character - but Solo makes up for it.
Moon: I hesitate to write this one up, as I was tired when I saw it - and missed portions. But form my bleary vantage point, this seemed an intriguing movie set on the moon and exploring themes of identity, isolation, etc. It was not my usual fare - and I wasn't up to snuff - but at least had the wherewithall to be able tell that it was quality work!
Cheri: I liked this a lot better than Easy Virtue - maybe because I went into it having already seen EV and had my expectations lowered. Michelle Pfeiffer and Kathy Bates are fun to watch as always - and I liked Rupert Friend in the title role. It all got a little too serious at the end - a tone-shift that didn't quite fit with the bulk of the movie. Still - a pleasant diversion on a rainy July evening!
Away We Go: This was an excellent movie in every regard. Great dialogue and plot line, endearing cast/characters, heartwarming/funny story that avoids tipping over into overly-sweet territory ... and great soundtrack, to boot! See it, if you haven't already.
Easy Virtue: Not my cup of tea - but I suspect it would have helped, going in, to know that this was a movie based on a Noel Coward play. The characters felt stilted and unbelievable to me, as it was - and I couldn't muster much concern for what became of them. All things considered, I'd rather have been in Philadelphia!
Sugar: Sugar is a baseball flick that is sweetly and realistically done - and definitely like no Hollywood film on the subject. The characters are real and the life is hard - and the film depicts it all in a matter-of-fact way that brings the realities home more surely than something more "dramatic" ever could. Two thumbs up on this one!
Sunshine Cleaning: Director Christine Jeffs has a winner in this tale about the hard times and resiliency of the Lorkowski family. Amy Adams, Emily Blunt and Alan Arkin shine in this movie about a bio-hazard clean-up company. Yes, that's correct. And the movie had the potential to cross the line into sappiness several times but demurred. For that I am eternally thankful. (Okay, eternally may be a little over the top.) Darn good flick, though - check it out.
Milk: Sean Penn deserves an Oscar for his amazing portrayal of Harvey Milk. It actually didn't even feel like a portrayal - more a channeling. Such a loss - that yet another creative and energetic and good leader, was senselessly murdered all those years ago. Fear, hatred and guns - why don't we remove at least the last ingredient in the tragic mix?
Doubt: Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman are amazing, and Viola Davis is a heartbreaking revelation in this battle royale. I was left with less doubt at the end than some of my compatriots ... but that took nothing away from the experience. Meryl Streep deserves an Oscar, IMHO ... and I definitely want her on my side, always!
Slumdog Millionaire: Just a great movie, start to finish. Magical,epic, and a nail-biter (even though you know what's going to happen ... pretty much. The dancing at the end did my heart good - and having M.I.A. in the soundtrack didn't hurt, either!
The Secret Life of Bees: Or was it The Secret Lives of Bees? Anyway, whatever - I want Queen Latifah to be my mother!!! (What was Bill Clinton thinking, throwing her under the bus all those years ago?) The movie was entertaining but not a home run by any means. Too predictable ... but Alicia Keys was wonderfully cranky-verging-on-scary and the Queen was queenly and the honey looked delicious and it was nice hearing India Arie in the soundtrack!
Happy Go Lucky: I think I was supposed to like this more than I did. Perhaps it suffered by being seen pretty much on the heels of Rachel. I found Poppy to be a sometimes intriguing and sometimes annoying character. The relentless joking and "upbeatness" felt distancing and unnecessary. I didn't hate this movie by any means - but something was missing for me.
Rachel Getting Married: Jonathan Demme and an amazing script and cast just blew me away with this effort. The characters are fascinating and complicated and most every interaction in the film left me engaged and wanting to know more! Debra Winger was stupendous - although it's been so long since I've seen her that I kept trying to find the bull-riding Urban Cowboy persona within the steely, distant mother of this wedding movie. (She's not there.) Margot at the Wedding was very good - but Rachel puts her in her place. I highly recommend this to everyone!
Religulous: Bill Maher skewers the rampant "illogic" of religion in this free-wheeling film. His wit is right on target and as barbed as you'd expect. I found myself squirming every once in awhile. I don't mind you picking on the Pope, Bill ... but same as with Michael Moore ... sometimes when you set up "common folks" to look like fools, I cringe. Still, Religulous is worth a look for sure. The best point Bill makes? That conservatives of a religulous bent are about finding answers - while liberals are about asking questions. I can go with that!
Roman de gare: This was an intriguing, surprising, suspenseful, funny, quirky movie that I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters and plot lines are deftly developed. You should definitely check it out if you get the chance!
Young at Heart: YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS MOVIE! It's a documentary about a choral group of octogenarians in Northampton, MA. Very inspiring ... definitely something to check out!
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day: Enjoyable, light fare with a stellar performance by my favorite police chief, Frances McDormand!
The Visitor: Now this was an excellent movie ... from start to finish. It was similar to Smart People in that it had an academic as the main character. However, all similarities ended pretty much right there. In this warm, funny, and wrenching movie, the characters are well and subtly developed, the plot is (unfortunately) believable ... and there are no false notes. I would urge you to see it - you won't be sorry!
Smart People: Looks like we're getting back on track with our Tuesday night movie schedule ... for the time being. Smart People was enjoyable but left me unenthralled. (It probably didn't help that we ran into a totally enthralled movie-goer on the way in who was seeing it for the second time. High expectations may have killed this one for me.) Overall, I found the characters exaggerated and mildly unlikeable ... the dialogue stilted and self-conscious, perhaps just the way smart people talk. But then the lessons about loosening up and being less self-absorbed weren't exactly ground-breaking. Overall, it wasn't a wasted evening ... but not a movie I'll be putting at the top of my list, either.
4 luni, 3 saptamani si 2 zile (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days): Winner of the Palm D'Or at Cannes, this film by Romania's Cristian Mungiu certainly deserves the accolades it receives. It's a realistic and emotionally unflinching story of a woman who helps her friend obtain an illegal abortion in 1987 Romania. The story is harrowing, the acting wonderful, and the cinematography amazing. This film makes Juno look like Disney pablum!
Taxi to the Dark Side: This was a harrowing and eye-opening look at what our country has become under the leadership of Bush/Cheney after 9/11. The "road taken" has definitely been a trip to the dark side. Disgusting and important to see ... as we make our way back toward the light!
Michael Clayton: What an excellent movie! Engaging, engrossing, well-acted. Tilda Swinton certainly deserved an award for her protrayal of what I have to think must be the secret, inner life of Condi Rice.
Persepolis: This animated memoir is an engaging, heartbreaking, uplifting, realistic look at life in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Go see it! It humanizes what our current regime so consistently tries to dehumanize. An important movie, Persepolis is based on the book by Marjane Satrapi.
Margot at the Wedding: Dark, funny, tough to watch and very well acted.
I'm Not There: Bob Dylan's not my favorite, but this was a fascinating movie to watch (albeit long) and since he wasn't there, I couldn't very well feel annoyed by him. Cate Blanchette was just amazing - and I loved the surreal, Fellini-esque feel of the Richard Gere parts.
Atonement: Lush, compelling, painful - I especially loved Vanessa Redgrave's starkly powerful 5 minutes - and the Fellini-esque (can you tell I love Fellini?) flavor of the scenes of the evacuating troops on the beach - complete with ferris wheels - somehow depicting the disorienting horror of war in ways that blood and gore never could. Great movie!
Juno: Well, I went to see it. I totally agree with my friends who found the clinic scene extremely misleading, off-base, and gratuitously negative in its depiction of the women's health movement and its workers. In an otherwise nice movie, this was a thoughtless lapse ... and I was sad to see so many women in Juno's age group in the theater (one of them actually pregnant) ... who'll be coming away with a false impression that could so seriously affect their lives!
The Savages: Wow, what a good movie! Philip Seymour Hoffman has had an amazing run this year between this, "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," and that other movie with Tom Hanks ... the name of which is escaping me at the moment ... Charlie Somebody's War. Anyway - he and Laura Linney are just wonderful as siblings dealing with their aging/ailing father. Painful and real ... and set in gritty, wintry Buffalo ... in perfect contrast to Sun City. (The latter looks like a setting that would do David Lynch proud.) Check it out if you haven't seen it!
JordanCornblog 
I appreciate that refereeing is tough but one would hope in a World Cup game, referees with proved reliability were the standard. The ref from Mali had had plenty of complaints in the African Cup, the only other major tournament he participated in. He did a lousy game of controlling this game and never once stopped play and cautioned players to knock it off. In almost every other WC game, refs make it clear when players are crossing a line, whether they speak the same language or not. This was a huge blow for the USA; now new fans to the game will say not only do they not understand offsides but that refs are arbitrary and capricious. Sad.
All three US goals were things of beauty. I do not buy the logic that because you went down 0-2, you shouldn’t be allowed to win. That’s bollocks.
FIFA needs to do better.
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touche Boltgirl…When someone complains to me, I always mention that the reffing course (in what ever course) happens every year and we would welcome them with open arms to get certified and come on out and join us. I particularly love it when a student/athlete graduates, goes to college, them comes back to ref..Whole lot different on the other side of the whistle. Makes me smile.
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Yep, yep, yep. It’s a thankless job, and, as Paula pointed out, you’re pretty much guaranteed to piss off half the people on/around the field every time you blow your whistle. Soccer is particularly brutal for refs–a space larger than a football field with 22 players on it and three sets of eyes–although the guys who do rugby sevens probably have it worse. That said, the US-Slovenia ref completely biffed that game. Not just the disallowed goal, but really the entire game; he was in over his head and it showed.
Gutted as I was by that call, I’m also forever indebted to the man. From now on, every time a player tells me the call I just made is the worst one s/he’s ever seen, I can honestly reply no, actually, it isn’t.
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Hey there Paula –
Thanks for your beautiful comment … I have printed it out to add to the island fare … 😉
I’ve never been one to yell at the refs … but I have gotten a whole different take on the subject, watching you ref. It can be BRUTAL! I appreciate that people put themselves out … and generally tend to see the calls as a part of the game.
I totally agree with you about the whole perfect game episode … although I still harbor the hope that at some point 5 or 10 years down the road, the last call will be overturned. But I’m totally okay with the lessons learned … and maybe overturning the call – even that far in the future – would undermine the meaning of the lessons.
Stay cool today!
PS Did you send your comment via your Droid? 😉
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I have been pondering your “Gods, Referees and Umpires” blog and how to contribute to the conversation. I read it yesterday before heading off to ref some AAU basketball games. Teenage girls..Anyways, twice during my 4 games I blew my whistle, stopped the game.In the first instance,I walked over and calmly spoke to an assistant coach who was constantly chirping in my ear about “moving screens”, while I let it go at first, then the parents started in as well. I asked him to please keep his comments to himself, that I will listen to the head coach but not to him. He asked about moving screens and I politely educated him. He did come up to me after the game and told me he always held me in high regard as a ref and he apologized and thanked me for not giving him a “T”. The second time I stopped the game, a parent was keeping the book at the table with the timer and was a verbal garbage pale from the toss. I blew the whistle and went to the table to remind him that he was part of the official crew when he sat at the table and if I heard any other commentary he would be asked to leave the gym. He had big attitude but was quiet. Both cases I could have “T’d” them up and got some tempers stoked, but chose not to. These are experiences I have every time I get on a field hockey field or basketball court. Its other adults that “teach” our young athletes and are usually the root cause of problems I encounter. Reffing is not easy. 10 people on a court, that is 20 legs and 20 arms with 4 eyes watching(maybe 6 in 3 person crew). Good refs are not dramatic and try to let a flow of the game happen while enforcing the rules of the game. We try to blend in and not be remembered. We always want the athletes to decide the game, not a last minute call. That being said, as a ref you have to be willing to ref until the last second and make the big call. I know shit happens, umpires make obvious mistakes, like the one a few weeks ago surrounding the perfect game. Well I heard more discussions out and about regarding the outstanding sportsmanship involved on all sides and it was such a teachable, ahha moment to have discussions with young kids. Way more valuable to me than a perfect game. There are good refs, bad refs and lots of mediocre refs. Some are crooked, some can be taken, some are just average folk like me hoping to keep active and involved. We are human beings with egos, faults, insecurities. That soccer guy will always be remembered as a bad ref, “the one who….”
Anyways, there are my random thoughts. Sometimes I leave a contest(usually basketball) and wonder why the heck I put myself thru such crap, because in a full gym you can only please half the people. But I just keep putting on my stripes and going out onto the court to give the athletes the best game that I can and hope that the adults in the room act respectfully.
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I have not seen the game (yet) … but … reeducation camp sounds seriously scary? Dick Cheney won’t be there, will he?
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It wasn’t the lost US goal that appalled me–it was the constant Slovinia fouling that was ignored over and over again. I’m talking dangerous fouling that could injure players–it was a miracle that it didn’t. I don’t think he–or referees in general–should be given a pass for obvious bias. This guy deserves a reprimand at least or better yet sent to a reeducation camp until he agrees to enforce soccer’s rules of the game.
So there!
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