We're rolling toward March Madness. And whether you're sitting in front of your TV or in front of the court, it means a lot of screaming, cheering and booing will take place. And it's safe to say that occasionally, some of that booing will be directed at the officials making the calls.
When the referees are being paid to make those calls, I'm willing to say it's part of their job to shrug off the opposing crowd's vibe. As long as the spectators settle down and watch the game when it resumes, and as long as there's nothing other than loud disagreement with a call (and let's hope those disagreements are largely free of profanity), it's a part of the ups and downs of the sports experience.
But there are some forums in which disagreeing with the ref really isn't handled appropriately.
Recently, I was playing in a rec-level tournament where everyone was expected to ref one match. It was part of the deal. And that would have been fine, had the players (who were adults) acted like adults.
But no. I saw players scream into the faces of individuals who were refereeing and try to push them into reversing their calls. I saw them try to poll spectators sitting near the action to find out if they agreed with the ref's take on various plays. (To their credit, the spectators refused to be drawn into the disagreement).
A few days later, I asked a fellow sportswriter if that kind of behavior was typical. He said yes, and told me about the time a high school girl had volunteered as a ref at a soccer game between two children's rec-level teams - a game in a summer program that provided nothing more than an opportunity for kids to stay active and have fun. Not that you could prove that by the behavior of the parents of the losing team, who took out their anger on the teenaged ref.
" physically threatening her. She was scared to death. "
He also told me volunteer refs get so much abuse that one of the local organizations has trouble finding people to officiate at high school games. I'm not surprised, given what I saw the previous week.
I'm sure someone will argue that a referee is a referee, and that putting up with disagreements is part of the job. And to a certain extent, that's true. But there's a big difference between a pro who works at the national level and a volunteer who does something out of a sense of responsibility to the sport and to others. And there's a definite difference between a crowd shouting in disbelief at a call in a stadium and a person who stomps over and personally ridicules and physically intimidates another.
When did it become okay to yell at volunteers and belittle them? And when did we forget about the importance of accepting a call you don't agree with and going on with the game? A show of strength isn't about getting in someone's face when you're angry; it's about refocusing on the game and giving it your best in spite of your anger.
While I hear almost daily about the importance of stopping bullying in schools, it seems as though some adults have never looked in the mirror.
