The referee’s conundrum…
Tuesday, July 15th, 2014I’ve watched it unfold in the World Cup. I’ve seen it in most pro sports—football, basketball, and hockey. I’ve seen it in most collegiate sports. The referee’s conundrum in an intense game or match is deciding how close to call the fouls and how much to let the players play. While I don’t usually do sports op-eds in this blog because players, coaches, fans, and even referees can become very emotional in the “fog of war,” a recent incident in the Brazil-Colombia World Cup match merits a comment.
Some people are up in arms against the Colombian who, by accident, broke the vertebrae of a Brazilian player, the star striker. I saw the event, knew it was an accident, and also knew that in most games the Colombian would receive a yellow card, even if it was an accident. That would be calling the fouls close. I won’t side with Brazilian fans who want the Colombian player banned. Their own players were guilty of egregious fouls that weren’t called up to that point too. The referee let that game get out of control.