I think refs should be held accountable for their calls. Players and coaches are scrutinized and released/fired for poor performances and given raises and contract extensions for their successes.
Maybe the CFL should make official’s crew or individual grades public every week or month.
What do you think would help improve the level of officiating and consistency of calls?
Bedevere: Tell me. What do you do with witches?
V: BUUUURN!!!!! BUUUUUURRRRNN!!!!! You BURN them!!!! BURN!!
Bedevere: And what do you burn apart from witches?
Villager: More Witches!
Other Villager: Wood.
Bedevere: So. Why do witches burn?
(long silence)
(shuffling of feet by the villagers)
Villager: (tentatively) Because they're made of.....wood?
Bedevere: Goooood!
Other Villagers: oh yeah... oh....
Bedevere: So. How do we tell whether she is made of wood?
One Villager: Build a bridge out of 'er!
Bedevere: Aah. But can you not also make bridges out of stone?
Villagers: oh yeah. oh. umm...
Bedevere: Does wood sink in water?
One Villager: No! No, no, it floats!
Other Villager: Throw her into the pond!
Villagers: yaaaaaa!
(when order is restored)
Bedevere: What also floats in water?
Villager: Bread!
Another Villager: Apples!
Another Villager: Uh...very small rocks!
Another Villager: Cider!
Another Villager: Uh...great gravy!
Another Villager: Cherries!
Another Villager: Mud!
Another Villager: Churches! Churches!
Another Villager: Lead! Lead!
King Arthur: A Duck!
Villagers: (in amazement) ooooooh!
Bedevere: exACTly!
Bedevere: (to a villager) So, logically...
Villager: (very slowly, with pauses between each word)
If...she...weighs the same as a duck......she's made of wood.
Bedevere: and therefore...
(pause)
Villager: A Witch!
All Villagers: A WITCH!
(they do consequently weigh her across from a duck on Bedevere's largest
scale, and she does indeed weigh the same as the duck.)
To summarize, I am basically suggesting we burn the Refs at the stake no matter what defence they put up.
IMHO- Suspect officiating has been hurting the Ticats for at least 3 seasons now, a %500 team Cannot drop half its wins because of corrupt calls- Now its going to affect this reborn franchise at the gate., --The CFL could be in trouble again-
I like the idea, but I can't vote for any of these options until I see how the theoretical score card is drawn up, what criteria are used and how the stats are drawn.
For example: does the CFL review each entire game and give percentage accuracies for calls called/calls missed/calls incorrect?
Or do they only rate on the flags that were thrown, what was challenged and changed and what wasn't?
Does it make a difference to the ref's rating if the fans think the calls are horrible but the league upholds them anyway?
Does the grade change better or worse for the refs if the league determines it was a bad call, but one that couldn't be challenged according to the rules? (i.e., the ref doesn't have the discretion to review the call and have a chance to correct it himself)
Those sorts of things need to be worked out first, before we decide when the report cards are given out, and whether its individual or group.
It,s a combination, of Overkill on no yards calls , and Call,s that kill big game changing plays ie. pass inerfearance on a jump ball. - Also NON calls can be huge in effect, ie non call on late and illegal hit on Maas after he hook slid against Calgary in early 2006 season, (when he suffered his shoulder injury ?) it comes down to -The refs should not affect the standings.
if you want to know, they are accountable for thier work. Alot more than anyone of us would ever want at our own jobs.
It really doesn't matter that they are held accountable if nobody believes it. I for one don't. The proof is incompetence repeated ad nauseum. I am not saying there is bias the refs are universally brutal towards every team. For every Ticat complaint you will find 7 more from 7 different teams. Anything less than public disclosure of punishments meted out to the refs just doesn't cut it. The fact is they are largely unqualified and don't have to answer for their mistakes to the people it really matters to, the players.
I know they are internally graded. What I am saying is if someone is bad they should be called out. Sort of like what the NHL is doing with divers-They send a list to post in each dressing room. I guess I am saying we should shame them into picking up their game. It could be posted on the CFL website or released to media.
I know the CFL can’t afford to have full time officials. I am just looking for an answer.
As far as KristjanCFL comments. I don’t think the fans will ever (nor should they) have a say. I think it needs to be a combination of correct vs incorrect calls and game changing calls/non-call. We all realize holding could be called on every play, but when a QB gets outside and makes a long pass because a D-lineman got horse-collared, that is a big deal. No easy answers but with time and $$$ something could be instituted.
You are suggesting that a private entity subject its officials to a weekly grilling by public report card? Not going to happen as long as those officials are part-time workers. They have a hard enough time recruiting people as it is at the amateur level to turn the pro level officiating into a coalwalking fest.
An interesting article on officiating can be found at http://www.cfl.ca/index.php?module=news … &nid=12665 .
Oski Wee Wee,
I think the CFL should offer explanations of questionable calls. I know you can't ask for every call, but for example the spearing call in the last game, what was the refs view of what happened when the replay showed there was no spear and the play was still on. Or even the pass interference in the endzone when again there was questions that the Hamilton player was interfered with first. If a call is wrong and it has an effect on the game outcome, the CFL should stand up and say the were wrong.
I don't believe they should have to explain things to the public. I can't think of any other league that does.
As a former football official (tyke division and highschool), I can personally say that its quite the challenge to ref a game.
Perhaps if more people would want to officiate games at the minor levels, there would be an increased of quality throughout every level of football throughout Canada. Which in turn would eventually have an effect at the Professional level.
Maybe if the officials as a whole ( every sport has the same problem) showed a little bit of humility when they screw up people might actually respect their work. As it is the only result that they can expect is contempt. Many a person would volunteer to officiate if they got rid of the arrogant SOBs that cause every official to hear it from players coaches and fans alike. There is a very good reason game officials get no respect. They don't earn it with their stubborn refusal to admit error.
I heard that officials lose money when their performance is reviewed.
All they need is a show like in The NFL.
The senior official comes on TV after all the games are over and he explains or justifies any questionable or controversial calls that were made.
It holds the Referees very accountable. Plus it gives the fans insight into what the refs are thinking.
I vote to start the Airing of CFL's own weekly TV show called . . . .
The CFL Show
Most everyone is held accountable for their performance at the workplace. It should be NO different for referees.
Who are you, who are so wise in the ways of science?
Again I still think it goes to the rules. They actually force controversy as even the commentators expressed last night. Walby said the ref was correct, but can't anyone see that they're taking excitment and momentum out of the game?
Your poll failed to include the only logical choice.
*The CFL will manage it's private information and not interfere with the fans right to manage their own privacy.
(Next thing you know it, misguided fans will demand long distance phone records of GMs be made public, to analyze their performance as well.)