I’M BLIND, I’M DEAF, I WANT TO BE AN MLS REF!

By: Robert | July 14th, 2008

I’m so tired of complaining about the refs that I’ve created this blog specifically to address the issue. At first I was going to go off on a rant but honestly this issue is more persistent and goes deeper than something as trivial as GOLTV’s stupid decision to cut away from a live match for an irrelevant interview.

Most of us seem to share the belief that the officiating in the MLS is some of the most amateur in the professional football world. I know I saw A LOT of dodgy calls when I was Mexico but I have personally never seen the degree of inconsistent, seemingly biased, and outright bullshit calls anywhere in the world I’ve watched the sport, than I’ve witnessed in the MLS. The referee’s job is to officiate the game, not decide it. There have been numerous instances in the MLS this season where piss-poor calls have potentially altered the course of the match. For me Saturday’s night call against Edu was the final straw. There are a hundred variables that could have occurred if the ref (or even the linesman) had made the right call, but we’ll never know because the wrong call was made and the rest is history.

Its not just Toronto fans that think the officiating sucks. Real Salt Lake head coach Jason Kreis has been suspended and fined twice for comments against the referees, while Kansas City defender and team captain, Jimmy Conrad wrote an open letter to the referees to show his frustration.

The MLS states the referee’s qualifications but this description only seems to highlight the lack of professionalism that we’ve witnessed.

Regardless of who you support, here’s what I want to know. Are the refs blind and deaf, biased, or just plain incompetent. Does anyone think that the refereeing in the MLS has been fair overall? Are there certain refs you feel are constantly at the centre of controversy? What do you think the solution is?

Leave a comment, let us know what you think. If we make our voices heard there’s always a chance someone in the MLS will eventually listen.

For the love of the game… Cheers!!

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Category: Daily Dose - Questions, Open Threads, Toronto FC

Tags: Daily Dose - Questions, Open Threads, Toronto FC

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• GaryJambo |  July 15th, 2008 at 4:38 am

  
  
  

  Rob, I was suggesting the other day that we set up a site just to track and comment in detail on referee performances in TFC matches, because they are of such a general low quality that perhaps we need to find a way to shame MLS (and CONCACAF) into raising the standards of refereeing over here.

  Certainly this is not a unique problem to MLS. Football fans, and sports fans, the world over gripe about officiating. The Scottish Premier League had a section of their site called “Whistleblower” that was dedicated to their referees commenting on “controversial” calls in SPL matches they had worked. It was recently taken down. I think the hope had been that it would mitigate some of the anger about refereeing, and it didn’t seem to be performing that function.

  Having said that, I think we are even further behind the 8-ball in MLS, and I think that is made clear by TFC’s brief stint near the top of the standings earlier this season when we were being assigned the better MLS officials like Kevin Stott, and more recently when we been back to suffering the likes of the Kitchener U-13 ref, Mr. Petrescu, and the others we have had of late.

  I appreciate that the officials have a difficult job. Whatever is being done in the way of training, recruitment and compensation, needs to be done faster. The league’s profile and standard of play has been significantly elevated in the last few years, mostly due to the recruitment of more central and south american players and the arrival of Mr. Spice. The quality of refereeing desperately needs to keep pace, as the credibility of the league is suffering with the fans and observers, in my opinion.

  Thanks for the chance to vent, talk to you soon.

  Posted from United States

  

• CCFC |  July 15th, 2008 at 7:34 am

  
  
  

  It seems like before every game I say the following: “Well at least this ref can’t be as bad as last weeks.” Then I seem to say this after the game every week: “Fuck, I was wrong again” The refs in this league are a joke. I used to think my sunday league officials were bad, but the were a damn site better than the quality (or lack of)that I see in the MLS.

  Posted from Canada

  

• Robert |  July 17th, 2008 at 2:08 pm

  
  
  

  I agree with you Gary. Let’s get something set-up to monitor the ref’s performance… Maybe we can build a case to get some kind of accountability from the MLS. They owe it to the teams, the supporters, and the fans, to provide refs that can show consistent professionalism.

  Posted from United States

  

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