T
topdon
Guest
Now I am a listener of 3AW's Sports Today programme with Healy and Hookes, and make it my business to keep up to date with the latest football news and events. I have become increasingly incensed with some of the comments made by commentators, coaches, and officials of the game or various radio and television programmes.
Take this recent controversy over 'contact with umpires'. We keep hearing conflicting arguments from 'play on' to 'banning for life'. It came to a head for me last night on Talking Footy. They highlighted various incidents over the weekend where players had made contact with umpires. Now there were a couple, on involving Scott Lucas, when a single (non-threatening) hand was placed on an umpire. Robert Walls then says that this is unacceptable. When are these 'commentators' of the game going to apply the common sense that they have been preaching to the umpires? I agree that if a player 'intentionally' makes contact with an umpire, they should be dealt with accordingly.
When are the umpires going to be held accountable for their actions? By their incorrect positioning, or running into players themselves?
Another gripe is the way the fabric of football taken away in place of influences from other sports (ie basketball). Slowly but surely, the things that make 'our' game unique are being threatened. This idea of throwing the ball up around the ground (except the centre bounce) is one of these. The bounce is what makes our game what is is...importing a basketball 'throw-up' is not the answer. They also say that it will further prevent umpire/player collisions. What a load of tripe. This is another way of covering the perceived weaknesses in the umpiring department. This goes back to what I was saying before, umpires are not being made accountable for their actions, nor their skills (for what they are paid). They say that the need to perfect these skills is keeping a lot of potential umpires away, but then again, umpiring isn't the most 'respectful' occupation in football. Couldn't that be part of the problem? This sort of negative publicity isn't going to help their cause. Maybe it might me a different story if they actually kept their collective mouths shut.
I could be here forever, but I am going to save you the torment. The sad reality is, umpires are starting to become bigger than the game itself. I look forward to the day when the focus switches back to the 'players' who make this game a 'great' game, and not the umpires, whose sole purpose is to officiate it.
Adrian
Take this recent controversy over 'contact with umpires'. We keep hearing conflicting arguments from 'play on' to 'banning for life'. It came to a head for me last night on Talking Footy. They highlighted various incidents over the weekend where players had made contact with umpires. Now there were a couple, on involving Scott Lucas, when a single (non-threatening) hand was placed on an umpire. Robert Walls then says that this is unacceptable. When are these 'commentators' of the game going to apply the common sense that they have been preaching to the umpires? I agree that if a player 'intentionally' makes contact with an umpire, they should be dealt with accordingly.
When are the umpires going to be held accountable for their actions? By their incorrect positioning, or running into players themselves?
Another gripe is the way the fabric of football taken away in place of influences from other sports (ie basketball). Slowly but surely, the things that make 'our' game unique are being threatened. This idea of throwing the ball up around the ground (except the centre bounce) is one of these. The bounce is what makes our game what is is...importing a basketball 'throw-up' is not the answer. They also say that it will further prevent umpire/player collisions. What a load of tripe. This is another way of covering the perceived weaknesses in the umpiring department. This goes back to what I was saying before, umpires are not being made accountable for their actions, nor their skills (for what they are paid). They say that the need to perfect these skills is keeping a lot of potential umpires away, but then again, umpiring isn't the most 'respectful' occupation in football. Couldn't that be part of the problem? This sort of negative publicity isn't going to help their cause. Maybe it might me a different story if they actually kept their collective mouths shut.
I could be here forever, but I am going to save you the torment. The sad reality is, umpires are starting to become bigger than the game itself. I look forward to the day when the focus switches back to the 'players' who make this game a 'great' game, and not the umpires, whose sole purpose is to officiate it.
Adrian
