Referee Appreciation Thread

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Pinball Wizard

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Nov 22, 2017
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It’s funny. I was talking to Ned the janitor today and he was quite upset at the state of refereeing in the NHL (National Hockey League). This is when I had to step in and teach him a thing or two about the job that they have. First of all, he said that they get more calls wrong than right. Little does he know, I ran a detailed analysis that showed that referees in the National Hockey League get roughly 97% of calls correctly. The final 3%? Likely my own error. These guys bleed hockey from the minute they are born. They go through intense rigorous training both on the ice and off for several years. They know more than me and they certainly know more than folks on an internet message board.

Ned then told me that it doesn’t matter how much knowledge they have, they still make errors. I was rattled to the core. I had to take a step back and ask him to repeat himself. Does he not realize how difficult it is to officiate a game going at light speed? Not only that, but these guys keep up with the best athletes on the planet. They are in unbelievable shape both mentally and physically. This is a thankless job that requires both mental and physical strength that no one on an internet message board could even comprehend.

I could see Ned’s demeanor immediately shift. He was starting to come along. Once I told him about an NHL referee that I personally know, he was fully convinced. I will not say who it is, but I know of a referee who often tells me stories about the ins and outs of the NHL (National Hockey League). This is a man that has a side job to support his family and put food on the table. It is more common than not to have a side job when you are reffing in the NHL. They are blue collar workers who do whatever it takes to grind it out. They put their lives on the line every night when they are refereeing due to the severe risks of having their neck sliced open by a stray skate. They usually have terrific families and are fantastic fathers to their children as well. They do WHATEVER it takes. A referee will LITERALLY give you his shirt off his back. This referee that I personally know has asked me to keep this private so I will not go into any more detail.

As mentioned, by the end Ned came around. You see, he is a janitor so he may not have a full grasp of reality when it comes to these things. His IQ is far lower than the average worker at my office so I thought I’d take him aside to kindly explain life to him. Not everyone can be like myself and have a private yacht with a Masters degree and enough money for my great grandchildren to retire. So once in awhile I like to share my wealth of knowledge and be a proactive and honorable member of society. I highly doubt that internet message board forum posters are any further along than Ned so I thought I’d pass this anecdote along to you as well. I hope you can take something away from it even if you can’t fully grasp the content due to IQ or any cognitive limitations you may have.

HWAA_-_PHI__2015__large.jpg


Gosh Bless NHL Referees :handclap: :handclap: :handclap:
 
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cactusjack

Registered User
Apr 3, 2015
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I'd like to know where the 97% comes from. One thing I was thinking last night, was the preseason games. Some were unwatchable with 15-20 minor penalties mostly for slashing. There is probably 3 times more slashing in the playoffs this far. How do you explain that? 3 times more slashes, 3 times less penalties?
 

Rodgerwilco

Entertainment boards w/ some Hockey mixed in.
Feb 6, 2014
7,232
6,514
Man, I was hoping this would be a legitimate referee appreciation thread. The referees catch WAY more shit than they deserve, from players, coaches, AND fans. The referees do a truly thankless job.
 
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