Replacement Refs in Defunctville...For Now

We're as obsolete as the replacement refs in the NBA. We are currently looking for writers to help keep this ship afloat, but we're not the Titanic...or maybe we are. I'll never let go.

If you're looking for something worthwhile about referees and/or umpires, here's some food for thought. Baseball chose not to vote on instant replay. I knew I shouldn't have listened to Jalen Rose.

NFL Referees in Training: Don't Back-Pedal on DeSean Jackson

Every now and then we at TRR will give you training tips on how to become a professional referee. You'd be amazed how many every day situations, or the simplest of tips, can be instrumental training opportunities for you to gain that extra edge to one day become a professional (or a replacement when they go on strike).

DeSean Jackson is fast; way too fast for referees to be side-pedaling or back-pedaling when he's running down field.

Let this be a lesson to all of you aspiring referees out there to never look like this on a play:

Don't confuse DeSean Jackson's "cause referees to fall over" speed with Gus Johnson's interpretation of Chris Johnson's speed, "gettin' away from the cops" fast.

[Gunaxin]

Game 5 World Series Umpire Locations

This could be for all the marbles, but the Yankees winning a World Series in the first season of their new stadium is kind of lame if it's not actually won in the new stadium, right?

Dana DeMuth will crouch behind a World Series dish for the fourth time in his 24 year career. He was the homeplate ump in the 80th MLB All-Star Game this year and was an umpire when Bonds hit no. 755. I'm sure he'll do everything in his power to add another accolade to his pretty looking resume.

HP Dana DeMuth
1B Joe West
2B Gerry Davis
3B Jeff Nelson
LF Brian Gorman
RF Mike Everitt

Ryan Howard Didn't Touch Home Plate and I Think Mike Everitt Knew That

Replays confirmed that Ryan Howard never touched homeplate when sliding past Jorge Posada in the bottom of the 4th inning. His hand reached past home and his right leg lifted and sailed over it, but nothing concrete ever actually grazed the dish. By rule, he should have been called out when he walked back to the dugout for straying outside the base line.

What's the worst part about this call?

I think Mike Everitt knew what the right call was there. Everitt did not make a call after Howard slid past home. He also looked very uneasy when he did slackly raise the "safe" arms as Posada picked up the loose ball and threw it down to second.

I'm clearly speculating, but normally an umpire makes his call immediately, and on a play like this, upon realization that the ball is or is not in the glove depending on the call. In this instance, he waits so long afterward to make the safe call, it makes me wonder if he was waiting to see if Posada would try to tag Howard out. I'm thinking if he does try to tag Howard, he makes the right call. When Posada made no attempt to tag Howard, and threw it to 2nd base, Everitt unemphatically raised his arms to indicate that Howard was "safe," because he probably didn't want to pull out the "out of the base line" crap and create an uproar of controversy, no matter how right it would have been. It probably would have led to a lot more scrutiny than it would by calling him safe, like he did.

It should be noted that not a single representative of the Yankees on the field argued the call.

Umpires Issue Warnings in 1st Inning A-Rod HBP

Mike Everitt, homeplate umpire for Game 4 of the World Series, issued warnings to both dugouts tonight when A-Rod was plunked. It was the third time in four games A-Rod has been beaned.

Savvy move by the 13-year vet to keep things from escalating in such an important game. If nothing else, it might help take the attention off of his shady strike zone.

Memo to MLB Umpires: Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right

What's another couple blemishes on the MLB Umpiring crew's postseason record?

The biggest came in the 7th when the Yankees hit a soft liner to first and short hopped into Ryan Howard's mitt. Brian Gorman (and homeplate umpire Jeff Nelson is in a good position to see that ball) said it never hit the ground and it was a line-out. Johnny Damon's out. 2 outs.

Howard then threw it down to second, which is an admission that he didn't catch it, and the 2B umpire, Mike Everitt called the Yankee straggler standing safely on second base out.

Instead of having two men on with one out because Howard made an errant throw to second, the Phillies were bailed out of the inning.

The next inning, Chase Utley hit a grounder to second and the Yankees turned a crisp double play. Only it wasn't a double play because, you see that picture above? Yeah, Utley's foot is on the bag as that picture was snapped. I don't know how big of a deal that call was considering there would have been a measly runner on first with two outs, and the greatest closer of all time still on the hill.

Doesn't make it right, though.

If a person had this many boo-boos on their resume, they'd never get a job. Unfortunately, we'll see these umpires back for Game 3 and all the other knuckleheads who missed calls during the postseason, back next year.

And this blog will live on.

Game 2 World Series Umpire Locations

There were rumors that Cliff Lee was going to umpire from every location, but those were squashed like a Zach Braff death rumor.

Jeff Nelson will do approximately 350 squats tonight in what will be his second game behind home plate during the World Series (see 2005 for his other).

According to his Wiki page, which is serving as the official source for everything Umpires here at TRR, Nelson was named Top Prospect at the Joe Brinkman Umpiring School in 1989.

First the umpires get a call right last night and now we're raving about this guy? Wow, Selig really did bring out the big guns for this series.

HP Jeff Nelson

1B Brian Gorman

2B Mike Everitt

3B Dana DeMuth

LF Joe West

RF Gerry Davis

May we see many more of Minka Kelly tonight and the umpires see the right calls.

Umps Correctly Double-Check Double Play

Umps tried so hard to botch a call in the World Series, but then they remembered the implications of their jackassery.

They correctly called a double play against the Yankees in the 5th inning after they pow wowed it over.

Vendetta over Bavetta?

A copy of former NBA referee, Tim Donaghy's book was given to the staff of Deadspin and it apparently delves into all that is "fraud" about the NBA referees:

In the book, Donaghy alleges, among other things, that referee Dick Bavetta spoke unabashedly about his role as the NBA's "go-to guy." Donaghy cites Game 6 of the notorious 2002 Western Conference finals, between the Lakers and the Kings — a game that NBA conspiracy theorists still talk about as if it were basketball's grassy knoll. Donaghy, who was not assigned to the game, reports that Bavetta "openly talked about the fact that the league wanted a Game 7."

As the book was ready to publish, the NBA threw its fancy lawyer letterheads at the publishing co. and they ran for the hills. Donaghy is considering self publishing, but there's one little problem. He's currently in a detention center near Tampa.

I'm guilty of buying into the "conspiracy theories" in the past, so this wouldn't surprise me if Donaghy is shedding truthful light on a major issue in the NBA. And maybe, just maybe, this would be a great thing for this now here, TRR. After all, we'd have oodles more to talk about.

I'll keep you posted, as Deadspin claims they'll be putting excerpts up soon.

Need Replacement Bloggers

I can't officiate and blog every piss poor call in all the leagues. It's draining and I don't do enough cardio to be able to keep up.

If there are any zebra friendly folks out there who know how to write (preferably better than I) and love to make fun of the hopelessness of officials in the major sports, then hit me up with an email ASAFHFP. ReplacementRefs@gmail.com

Whistles will be handed out on the first day of the job.

Real live refs back in action; Replacement refs watch on TNT (if they can afford cable)

In case you didn't notice, the real refs were back in action for the opening night of the NBA season.

How did they do?

193 total fouls called over four games. 220 free throws attempted. ZERO technical fouls (and Rasheed Wallace played tonight).

How does it compare to the replacement refs?

Let's just say the numbers don't match up and 'Sheed would have been ejected when his fresh 'fro looked at a replacement ref the wrong way.

They were sensitive, untrained scabs who weren't getting along with the players or the coaches. I'm talking about the replacement refs...

Stern's happy to have his boys back and, surprisingly, the NBA as a whole is happy to have them back too. Even if they're still hack jobs.

NFL refs might be equipped with dome pieces, but why?

If I saw an NFL referee wearing a helmet, I would think to myself, "what the hell is he wearing a helmet for?" That's the same question I had when I first saw John Olerud wearing a helmet while he played first base.

Well, get used to it because it's looking like a distinct possibility for 2010:

After watching players collide with umpires far too often in this and in recent seasons, the NFL's Competition Committee will address the safety of its officials after this season, two NFL sources said.

Ultimately, umpires could be equipped with helmets like the players they try to officiate, or they could be shifted to different areas of the field further away from danger.

If the league opted for helmets for its umpires, they could be like the ones players wear or even an ear-flap baseball helmet.

But why? Helmets are not going to protect stationary referees getting absolutely train wrecked by padded NFL players running into them at full speed.

Logic.

Let's just pad them up to the max and give them the one bar kicker helmets. I want to degrade them as much as we possibly can.

2009 World Series Umpires

Oh, we're going to have fun with Country Joe West.

2009 WORLD SERIES UMPIRES

Game One	Umpire	Previous Postseason Assignments
HP	Gerry Davis	9 DS (1996, 99, 02-04, 06-09); 7 LCS (1990, 92, 95, 98, 00-01, 05); 3 WS (1996, 99, 04)
1B	Jeff Nelson	5 DS (2000-01, 05, 08-09); 2 LCS (2002, 04); 1 WS (2005)
2B	Brian Gorman	8 DS (1997, 99-01, 03-04, 06, 09); 3 LCS (2002, 07-08); 1 WS (2004)
3B	Mike Everitt	6 DS (2001, 04-07, 09); 3 LCS (2002-03, 08); 1 WS (07)
LF	Dana DeMuth	6 DS (1996-97, 99, 01, 08-09); 5 LCS (1991, 95, 00, 02, 07); 3 WS (1993, 98, 01)
RF	Joe West	Joe West 5 DS (1995, 02, 05, 08-09); 7 LCS (1981, 86, 88, 93, 96, 03-04); 3 WS (1992, 97, 05)

Let's try this again -- ALCS Game 6 Umpire Locations

Dale Scott will be wiping the dish with his ump-brush tonight. Hopefully, for the sake of this blog, he'll continue his bungling in Game 6. Thus far, he has failed umping at 2B, missed a tougher call while doing his duty at 1B, and it'd only be fitting if he closed his eyes on a few calls while behind homeplate. TRR would only be so lucky.

For the sake of the game, let's hope he got plenty of sleep and ate his healthy dosage of carrots. After all, he did have an extra day of prep!

HP: Dale Scott

1B: Tim McClelland

2B: Laz Diaz

3B: Bill Miller

LF: Jerry Layne

RF: Fieldin Culbreth

NFL Referees in Training: Don't get in Percy Harvin's way

A nice easy lesson on this fine Sunday afternoon:

Don't get in the way of Percy Harvin when he's returning kicks for touchdowns.

See the following shoddy video, but the referee eating mud is as clear as day:

And an X-mo still frame:

It's unfortunate because it led to this scene, and a short delay in the game. Hopefully, he's okay.