14 Comments Add your own

• 1. makethelogobigger  |  June 25th, 2006 at 6:35 pm

  I missed the game because I was actually watching AAU refs miscall my son’s hoops tourney today.

  Mack, how much of the problem do you think is due to too many different international refs vs. futbol’s system of only one center and two assistants being inadequate to see all the action correctly?

  I don’t want to muck up the game like the NFL and their 63 refs, umpires and line judges, but at least there, they’ll huddle and discuss who saw what on a given play.

  Those checks and balances are missing in futbol. Consequently, I think referees get forced into making rushed calls by players who lobby too hard and loud fans without the buffer of another ref to maintain order.

• 2. Mack Simpson  |  June 25th, 2006 at 7:33 pm

  Really, I think it’s due to FIFA calling the refs together before the tourney and laying down a strict law. The refs, in turn, cranked it up an additional notch for fear of seeming lax to the governing body. The result is a group of card-happy refs and a magnification of what FIFA intended.

  Unfortunately, this has led to more than a few games being determined by the calls on the field instead of the play.

  A shame, really.

• 3. makethelogobigger  |  June 25th, 2006 at 7:47 pm

  And, after just reading about Becks, I see this article.

• 4. Mack Simpson  |  June 25th, 2006 at 7:56 pm

  Can you imagine what would have happened if Australia hadn’t passed on to the 16 and, instead, demanded a replay?

  That would have been fantastic.

• 5. makethelogobigger  |  June 25th, 2006 at 8:00 pm

  Rikki would’ve stroked out for sure.

• 6. Mack Simpson  |  June 25th, 2006 at 8:18 pm

  I took her more for a Rugby rat than a footy fanatic, but what do I know? She’s so mysterious.

• 7. Rikki  |  June 25th, 2006 at 9:56 pm

  I am offended and ummm maligned.
  Australia vs Italy tonight!!!

• 8. Mack Simpson  |  June 25th, 2006 at 10:11 pm

  And I am cheering for the ‘roos to go all the way, especially against the diving Italian momma’s boys.

• 9. Mack Simpson  |  June 26th, 2006 at 11:58 am

  FIFA fucked it yet again in the Italy/Australia match; never should have been a penalty in the box. Whatever instructions FIFA gave the refs is causing havoc and is ruining a perfectly good tourney. They need to re-evaluate, re-educate and pimp slap the members of the governing board who settled on sending the Cup in its current direction. Terrible.

• 10. Mack Simpson  |  June 26th, 2006 at 7:54 pm

  For more of the same, a good article on the subject.

• 11. Rikki  |  June 26th, 2006 at 8:11 pm

  W#$$#$%%#$!@#$#$!@#$!@#%$#$%^%$&@$&*@$&%^*

• 12. Mack Simpson  |  June 26th, 2006 at 8:27 pm

  I’ve run Rikki’s comment, above, through my handy, whiz-bang “Aussie-Speak Translator,” and pulled this result:

  “The bloody Italians are a bunch of wankers and the ref can get right fucked.”

  I can’t vouch for its accuracy, but I’m betting it’s close.

• 13. makethelogobigger  |  June 26th, 2006 at 9:15 pm

  The Aussies were robbed. That’s not the way to win a match. Italy was outplayed the whole game.

• 14. Rikki  |  June 27th, 2006 at 12:42 am

  Close, but i didn’t say it in an English Accent.

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