This Is What You Get

What is going on with referees this year? Every sport seems to be having a problem with referees and officials screwing up what appear to be very obvious calls. Each week it seems that we have a new instance of 'the worst call ever.' Whether it's SEC officials appearing to look the other way for Florida and Alabama, MLB umpires missing foul balls despite being 10 feet away with a clear view or Dick Bavetta still being allowed to have a job, we've got issues across the sports landscape. And now, of course, it has begun to spread world-wide. By this time I'm sure you've seen the footage of the Ireland/France World Cup qualifier during which French player Thierry Henry had an obvious handball that lead to the goal which eliminated Ireland from World Cup qualifying. [sidebar: I love that Henry's post-game comments came down, essentially, to saying, "Yep, I cheated. Not my problem if they didn't call it." I can only hope he was twirling a thin moustache and holding a brown paper bags with baguettes hanging out of one end, just to enforce the full French stereotype douchey-ness of it all.]

Now, apparently because it's soccer and the World Cup, I'm supposed to be more offended. After all, this is a world event so I should have world-sized indignation. In reality, what I'm feeling is more a sense of "I told you so." This is what happens to sport organizations that shun technology. These games are shown on 14 networks, with 8,500 cameras and in a picture so clear that you can see the pores on the players faces. [second sidebar: you TV camera guys can zoom out a little.] If you choose not to be smart enough to have replay in your game then you reap what you sow. I'm not saying that every little thing should be reviewed, but how about we just have the option to take a second look at goals? I mean, there are only like 3 every game and how many of those could possibly need review? Think of the rule as an insurance policy.

I know what you soccerheads are saying: "But Tom, we made it this far without replay. That's the way it has always been. It's tradition. Also, it's football, not soccer, you asshole." Fine, I'll concede the point that I'm an asshole for refusing to call it anything but soccer. But, back in the day we used to think cigarettes were healthy and pictures were the devil's work. The point is we've got better stuff now. It's kind of stupid to ignore progress. Seriously, if the NBA will take 5 minutes and allow officials to call the TV truck for more angles on a last second shot during a pretty meaningless early-season Nuggets/Bulls game, then you would think that FIFA would want to get the frickin' World Cup right.

In the short term there has been a call to replay the entire game, but of course FIFA is saying that won't happen. That would admit that there is something wrong with their sport and no league official would ever do that, I don't care where in the world they live. I guess all Ireland can hope for is that in 23 years Henry is a bitter, fat and drug-addicted bad coach.