Blow Job

Somewhere, somehow it was determined by the powers that be not to let the owners, managers, coaches and or players intimidate the umpires, referees or simply put, the game officials.

Well the National Hockey League misfiled that memo. (The lining up and shaking hands at the end of each series is such hypocrisy when you think of all the unsportsmanlike acts that were executed for the sake of winning despite the risk of bodily harm. There's no grace in losing just the unfortunate circumstances those -on the short end of the stick- must endure.)

Meanwhile, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Football League prefer the method of bringing up the idea of amending certain rules, for the sake of clarification, as a way of giving those on the outside looking in (which, oh by the way, includes the fans) the impression that they are trying to do something about those instances when the interpretation of the rules gets lost in the translation. But the more it appears something is being done the more confusing it all becomes. Ladies and gentleman, it's all smoke and mirrors!

Those athletes, current and former, who are participating in the sporting event lack the sportsmanship required for those who pay the inflated prices to attend such contests. How often do you think highly of the way a player or team conducted themselves was why the victory was that much sweeter? For me, I'd say more often than not.

But nowadays you have the arbiters of the game (the officials) who are trained and or instructed to never admit they made a mistake as if they knew the difference between being accurate and inaccurate. Sportsmanship also applies to the game officials moreso than the players, coaches and owners. I don't get the feeling there is fairness in following the rules of the game. In major league baseball there is no equity emanating from any of the umpires or from those in-charge. It's something that has been allowed to get out of hand and nobody or no one is held accountable for these unathletic attitudes-in-need of adjustment. (We know that if you're a player, coach or owner and you bad-mouth the official it is you who are assessed a fine.) We never read about an official being fined, why is that?

Last night in a game between the Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants at AT&T park there was a runner on third for the Rockies when the home plate umpire (Gary Darling) interrupted the pitcher's motion by signalling for a time out and then as he signalled "Time Out" he withdrew that request and called the pitcher (Tim Lincecum) for a balk. Preposterous! Manager Bruce Bochy sought an explanation and because Darling was incapable of admitting he made a mistake Bochy got the "heave ho!"

It's all Twilight Zone material, I tell ya! Last night, once again I clicked the channel-changer to the Sci-Fi station and there was Rod Serling, adding his final thoughts on another curious episode. And I quote:

Odd how the real consorts with the shadows.
How the present fuses with the past.
How does it happen? The question is on file in the silent desert and the answer is waiting in the Twilight Zone.

Another game when there were no explanations for what just happened. Oh, we have a good idea of who the culprit of such condemnation was but how much more must we tolerate such behavior? Games whose outcome is determined by some schlep whose purpose for being there can best be described as "a mistake." But what about those people who went to the game to have a good time? What do they get out of this bad sportsmanship displayed by the home plate umpire (whose initials are Gary Darling)?

If some of them decided to never again attend a ball game, could you blame them?
Do sports care about how many fans are turned away by their representatives in stripes or dark blue?

I'm addicted to baseball and am fond of football. Except for the Stanley Cup playoff officiating, I enjoy hockey.
So for me, I'll just file it under: BLOW JOB.

(thanks again, to Rod Serling)

Kevin Marquez