Having once umpired little league baseball, I can understand what game officials go through, albeit on a much smaller scale. I know, I know, it's like comparing a puddle to the Pacific, but no matter what call you make, it's going to upset half the people involved. Some calls, however, are so obviously and excruciatingly horrible and controversial that it still sends the jilted players, coaches and fans to the brink of insanity years later at their mere mention.
Below is a list of 10 of the most egregious offenses committed by umpires, referees and officials in the history of sports. Not all are mentioned here, and every fan may have a different perspective on where these rank (or not at all) depending on regional and team allegiances.
10. When a world record is not really a world record - Doha, Qatar, May 12, 2006
In the track and field world, the fastest 100 meter dash is the most prestigious world record to be owned. American Justin Gatlin had run the race of his life, finishing with a new record of 9.766 seconds, eclipsing Jamaican Asafa Powell’s world record of 9.77. Under IAFF rules, however, Gatlin’s result should have been immediately rounded up to 9.77, and officials changed his time 5 days later. No word on whether Gatlin went back to his former high school math teacher to punch him out for teaching the rounding up the tens’ column rule.
9. Jeffery Maier plays a good right field - New York, NY, October 1996
Trailing the Orioles in Game 1, Derek Jeter steps up to the plate and lofts a fly ball to deep right at Yankee Stadium. Orioles right fielder Tony Tarasco camps under the ball and is about to pull it in when the 12-year old Maier sticks his chubby little paws into baseball history, catching it and pulling it over the wall before Tarasco can snare it. Umpire Rich Garcia refuses to call fan interference and twirls his finger to give Jeter the home run. The Yankees recent dynasty is born, as they go on to win the game, the series and the world title. The Orioles never reach the World Series, despite having one of the finest teams in baseball during the mid to late 1990s.
8. Isn’t that an automatic ejection? - Philadelphia, PA March 28, 1992
Duke vs. Kentucky in the 1992 East Regional final was considered by many as the greatest college basketball game ever played. It ended with Christian Laettner hitting the famous turnaround shot at the buzzer, sending the Blue Devils to the Final Four and their second straight national title. One small, minute little thing, however: It should have been Antonio Lang or Bobby Hurley taking that shot. Laettner should have been long showered up and sitting on the bench by that point. Early in the second half, Laettner, resident Golden Boy of Durham those years, must have found some dog-doo on his shoe. Problem was, he used Kentucky’s Aminu Timberlake as the door mat to wipe it off. The referee overlooked “The Stomp” and let Laettner remain in the game so he could continue his flawless shooting from the floor and bury the Wildcats with The Shot.
7. If that’s not a push-off… Salt Lake City, UT June 14, 1998.
Michael Jordan had a few quick brushstrokes to wisp over on his Picasso of a career. Bryon Russell was just trying to man him up. Who do you think the refs were going to give the benefit of the doubt to? Jordan tossed Russell so far that he ended up in Laramie, the Bulls won their sixth NBA title, and nobody outside of Mormon country wanted it any other way.
6. The “Hand of God” - Mexico City, Mexico, June 22, 1986 .
While most American’s don’t know the rules of soccer, (or ‘futbol’) from a box of shaved butt hair, we do know that - unless you’re a goalie - you’re not allowed to use your hands to play the ball. This didn’t stop Argentinean superstar and coke addict Diego Maradona from using his fist to punch the ball into the net past a stunned England in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. Maradona admitted the meat-hook foul years later. Argentina went on to win the World Cup and the British somehow became known as whiners. Go figure.
5. He’s in the F%!*# Crease! - Buffalo, NY, June 20, 1999
NHL fans had gone through an exasperating few years of reviewed and reversed goals if so much as an opposing pubic hair was in the defending goalie’s crease. When Brett Hull’s entire left leg was in the offending area to score the championship-clinching goal in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, the refs and replay officials suddenly develop Ray Charles Syndrome and let the goal stand, giving the Stars the cup in triple overtime and Buffalo another colossal sports failure.
4. 5th and Goal - Columbia, MO October 6, 1990
Colorado was battling the upset-minded Mizzou Tigers and had a first and goal on the Mizzou one yard line with under a minute remaining. On first down, QB Charles Johnson spiked the ball to stop the clock. On second down, Eric Bienemy was stopped short of the goal line. On third down, Bienemy was stopped again. On fourth down, Johnson spiked theball again. Apparently, amidst the confusion and the crush of fans on the goal line, the official forgot to turn the down marker over between Bienemy’s runs, giving Colorado the extra crack at the end zone. Johnson scored on the next play, giving Colorado a 33-31 victory. The referees let the play stand and Colorado coach Bill McCartney refused to forfeit the game. A similar incident happened at a Cornell-Dartmouth game in 1940, in which Cornell scored on the final play of the game with the benefit of an extra play. After the snafu was discovered, Cornell forfeited the game. The Buffs went on to split the National Championship with Georgia Tech, despite having a 10-1-1 record to Tech’s 11-0-1 mark.
3. Whaddaya MEAN he’s safe? - Kansas City, MO, October 26, 1985
In Game 6 of the 1985 World Series, the Royals were down to their last at-bat, trailing 1-0 in the game and 3-2 in the series to the Cardinals. With one out in the ninth, George Orta slapped a weak grounder towards first. Jack Clark fielded the ball, flipped it to pitcher Todd Worrell to beat the runner for the second out of the inning. Everyone in the stadium saw it that way. Everyone except first base umpire Don Denkinger. He called Orta safe, and the Royals used the extra out to rally for a 2-1 victory. The Cardinals, obviously distraught at the blown call, spotted the Royals the first 11 runs of Game 7 and lost the series.
2. The Immaculate Reception - Pittsburgh, PA Dec. 23, 1972
The Steelers were playing their first ever playoff game in 39 years in the city of Pittsburgh. The hated Oakland Raiders had just gone up 7-6 late in the fourth quarter on a TD run by rookie quarterback Ken Stabler. What happened next lives on in NFL history, or infamy for those favoring silver and black. On the last play of the game, Terry Bradshaw threw it up for grabs. The ball, Raiders safety Jack Tatum and Pittsburgh back Frenchy Fuqua all seemingly collided at the same time. Out of nowhere, Franco Harris caught it the moment before it hit the ground and raced into the end zone, giving the Steelers a 13-7 win and the NFL its greatest play of all time. Problem was, it was flat out bogus. NFL rules at the time stated that the ball could not touch two offensive players on the same play. If Fuqua had touched the ball, the play would have been ruled dead once Harris touched the ball. Tatum swears to this day that it nicked Fuqua. Fuqua, a flashy, gregarious player who once kept goldfish in his platform shoes, has since morphed into Helen Keller and refused to divulge the truth, once saying “I want to keep it Immaculate.” It was also rumored that pissed-off and portly Raiders coach John Madden confronted referee Fred Swearingen, who, in the midst of the anarchy on the field, ran to the dugout of Three Rivers Stadium and picked up the phone. Some believe he called upstairs to the supervisor of officials for help (because he didn‘t see the play). Madden claims that the ref called Pittsburgh Police and asked how much security they could give them to safely get out of the stadium when he reversed the call. The cop on the other end told him not enough, therefore forcing the refs to let the play stand.
1. Try, Try and Try Again - Munich, Germany, September 9, 1972.
Any sports fan has to admit that game officials are ultimately human. These athletes and the objects they put in motion are moving so fast that not every call can be made 100% accurately . But what happened in Munich in 1972 was outright fraud. Cold War foes the U.S and U.S.S.R were battling fiercely for the men’s basketball gold medal. With the U.S leading 50-49 with three seconds left, the Soviets in-bounded the ball, but the referees stopped the game. The Russian’s contended they had called a timeout, which the officials never originally acknowledged. The teams were sent back onto the floor, where the Soviets in-bounded again, failing to score. The celebrating Americans were called back to the floor for the third time when the officials failed to put the three seconds back on the clock. Finally getting it right, the Soviets score and win the game 51-50. The Americans filed an official protest to a five man panel and lost by a 3-2 vote. According to an espn.com story, three judges on the panel were from communist bloc countries. The silver medals the U.S. “won” never touched an American neck and still remain in a Swiss bank vault, never to be claimed. In fact, one player went as far to put in his will that the medal can never be sought after by any surviving family member - ever.
So there you have it. Let me know if you need the number o####ood Psychologist. Some that didn't quite make the list (but will still not be forgotten) are umpire Eric Gregg's wider-than-his-fat-#### strike zone during Game 5 of the 1995 NLCS between the Marlins and Braves, the figure skating flap of the 2002 Winter Olympics between Canada and Russia, anything called by Phil Luckett in 1998 (Jets-Seahawks, Dolphins-Broncos and the Steelers-Lions coin flip faux paus), and any orgnanized boxing match.
Pirates' manager Jim Tracy is a positive guy. In fact, he brought all of that California sunshine all the way to Pittsburgh. I'm not talking about his relentlessly upbeat demeanor. I mean he literally brought nice to weather to our city. It's been sunny in the high 60s since opening day.
It's just that when the Bucs take the field, it rains almost every day. No, it pours. The first thing I said out loud after the Bucs looked semi-interested in competing against Roy Oswalt in Houston was that I should be expecting the "stay positive, fellas" article in my local rag the next day. True to form, there it was.
That's all I have to say. The Pirates get Chris Carpenter tonight. The Pirates get 5-16 tonight.
Ok, I'm going to talk about something else: LenDale White! Kidding. Wake me when the draft starts.
So, in the biggest subject change in blogging history....
A hobby of mine is plucking dumb quotes out of the paper and off of the internet and I found a doozy from Indiana Pacers' coach Rick Carlisle after the Pace took the series opener from the Nets in the NBA Playoffs. He was describing point guard Anthony Johnson, who played well against the Nets and hit the game-winning free throws.
"There are guys on your roster you know are going to be ready to play and take care of themselves and be professional, knowledgeable, they like the game. He is one of those guys who fits that description," Carlisle told the Associated Press.
They like the game? They like the game? Well, I'm glad. Good for Anthony Johnson. I would hope that the pre-draft interview included something like "Hey, Anthony, do you actually like this game we're going to pay you handsomely to play? Oh yeah? Really, you sure? Good. Just checkin'.
He likes the game so much, he's trying to play for every NBA team, with six under his belt so far. I don't mean to make fun of Johnson,.He's taken over as the Pacers' starting PG and is finally finding some success in his ninth year. In fact, I believe he was on the College of Charleston team I picked that upset Maryland in the first round in the 1997 NCAA tourney. So he's cool in my book.
It's these coaches spewing these cliches that make me want to take up vomiting and watching opera at the same time (now there's a "World Series Of" sport if I ever saw one). It makes me actually appreciate a guy like Albert Belle, who never said a word to the media before, during or after a game. Or when he had the kid sneaking into the office to steal his corked bat. I think it was a line in the Simpsons that said, "Tis better to remain quiet and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt." (or something like that, I don't feel like busting out the DVD to check). Pro sports leagues actually fine guys for not talking to the media. I'm proposing we take up a collection to pay these guys not to talk. We'll call it the "RJ doesn't want to vomit anymore or have to watch opera fund" No checks, please.
