How to improve officiating

[Yeofoot]

I've hear some good ideas tossed around. My favorite suggestion that I've read is to have the Umpire be a full time ref. All these guys ref almost as a hobby. But I think there'd be more precision and consistency if reffing is all they did.

I know I've had weekends where I wasn't the most pleasant because a bad day at work. Maybe all the crew at the Nebraska-Michigan game just got passed over for a promotion the preceding day.

What legitimate suggestions do you guys and gal have?

CFL, I totally expect an anecdotal breakdown of TCU games, you always have some totally outside of the box ideas, that are very intriguing.

Larry, feel free to rant, you deserve it.

Riche, see other thread, lol. (I randomly put the e at the end of your name, because you spell my name yeofoote so often)

[Eric]

I say "other" for my answer. I say that the refs should issue replays whenever it is in the slightest bit of dispute. A lot of refs are ego-maniacs like the one who was refereeing the Superbowl. Turned over a small percentage of challenges. His stats are way below average, so he's got some ego about making the right calls. So, that said, this would only work if they got rid of their egos.

[Howdy]

I knew of one ref. in the big8.
His regular job was with the IRS
His name was Frank Gaines.
I do not know if he still doing it as he would be about 65 years old now.
He had the position right behind the middle line backer
One year he done the spring game an got in the mix of a play and end up with a broken leg.

[Spence]

I think they should grade the refs based on how well the do their job and if they grade below a certain level they are gone.

In the case of replay, I think Mountainmans version where either the refs on the field or the replay official can stop play. That way if the guy on the field make a call that he isn't sure of then he has a chance for the guy upstairs to fix it.

[Spence]

Put it in the coaches hands. Spoken like a true coach.

[bama_girl]

i say review their screw ups at the end of the season and dock their pay accordingly

[Spence]

..And give it to me.

[bama_girl]

heehee!

[Spence]

I don't care if it adds time to games, I want the calls to be right. So I would like someone in the box looking over every play to make sure things are called correctly. I think any of the refs (on-field or in the box) should be able to say they are reviewing a play. I don't know if the coaches should be able to stop the game or not. I am sick of hearing "Well the reason it wasn't reviewed is because the equipment was down." That is a bullcrap excuse. Funny how the equipment started working after Lloyd Carr called those 2 timeouts. I don't believe that for 1 second. If that were the case, wouldn't they just say so?- and not the next day or the next week. I mean right then.

I agree. They use TV angles anyway, why couldn't they just turn on a TV.

[Larry]

Thanks yeofoot. ---

Over the past 20 years, we have had 2 "football referees" (that I know of) as 'lawn care customers' (one was NFL , the other was Big 12). They both lived in the Des Moines area, and they both have one thing in common: They are both now divorced and they lost their homes!

We still "service both these lawns, but the "wives" are now the customers.

I support two things:

1) Screening applicants more carefully, as many consider officiating as merely a "second income".

2) Apply some sort of "checks & balances" as none exists.

Note: One of my guys works on weekends as a baseball umpire. I trust him completely for one reason: "he truly cares" i.e.
He believes in fair play.
He is unbiased.
He has never receives "payoffs" as high school games are seldom watched by "the Vegas organizations".

One thing's for sure: There is a huge hole in the aspect of judging college sports. I just hope something will be done about it.

I just don't see a solution coming very soon because "corruption" exists in college football....whether you beleive it or not cuz "sports betting" will never go away.

[Spence]

I just don't see a solution coming very soon because "corruption" exists in college football....whether you beleive it or not cuz "sports betting" will never go away.

I'm sure there is corruption in all sports, but I don't think it is as widespread as you think.

Iowa got hosed in the bowl game, but I believe it had more to do with bad officials then it had to do with dirty officials.

If they were going to fix a game or two, why wouldn't it be one with a lot more money on it? Like Penn State-Florida St., Ohio State-Notre Dame, or the Texas, USC championship. These games had tens of millions on them.

Sometimes a bad call is just a bad call.

[Larry]

My junk mail is full of betting site invitations like sportsbet.com, etc. They bet on EVERYTHING. Today it was in regards to car racing.

IOWA may not have been number one last year in football, but "their following" (Hawkeye fans sold out the Outback Bowl faster than any other in history) is recognized Nationwide (this easily explains the fact that the IOWA Hawkeyes played in a January Bowl in 2006.

So --- to tell me that "money was not an issue" does not make sense to me.

Also: I received much "junk mail" regarding college football betting. Seems the Hawkeyes were on EVERY LIST.

Nuf said? Cuz I ain't makin' this sh$t up.

[Larry]

Spence - I think you are afraid that the officiating will become "fair" by the time your LUCKEYES have to play AT IOWA in 2006!

Excuses, excuses, excuses...I see them already, and it's only February!

Note to admin: please ad the term "LUCKEYES" to your dictionary.

Thanks, Larry. (LOL to Spence)

[Spence]

I am not saying that Iowa is of no interest to people who bet on sports. I have made a bet or two on Iowa in my life.

What I am saying is that the people who take bets don't care who wins or loses. They try and get equal money on both sides. They make their money on the juice. (juice is a form of commission)

If someone were going to fix a game, it would be someone who were going to be placing a bet. If the same guy would have a usual amount of "luck" he would be investigated by the legal version and hurt by the illegal version. The guys who handle bets only "win" big when there is a tie. Ex. when a team is getting 3 points and that team wins by 3 points.

Sports betting is almost a no lose proposition for the people who handle the bets, they don't need to fix the games.