What's lost in a post-Donaghy sports world
Here's a book title you won't be seeing soon: The Joy of Being a Referee.
These are not salad days for those who blow whistles, drop flags or wear chest protectors. Same for those policing other sports, even those sitting in tall chairs and getting suntans at tennis matches.
It isn't just the Tim Donaghy saga.
Yes, he poisoned the pool and got us all thinking about the fragile line we walk by trusting the people in charge of our games. And yes, what he did, and his subsequent finger-pointing at others in the NBA, has punctured the core of officiating, no matter the sport.
Donaghy's legacy includes new shorthand for officiating malfeasance. We hear "Game 6, Lakers-Kings," and we know the subject. We don't even know if it is true, or Donaghy's wimpy attempt to look better in the face of his own sins by sniveling about how he wasn't the only one.
The problem is, we don't seem to be willing to wait for proof of guilt or innocence these days. Our world moves too fast. We hear it, text-message our assumptions and move quickly to the next arena of instant gratification.
Which may be more the problem, or reason for the current low-status of officiating, than even the despicable Donaghy.
We want it quick and clear. Decisive and over. Something doesn't look right? No matter. We have cameras, computers. Take a look. Get it right. Move along.
It is no longer of interest for us to watch John McEnroe approach the chair umpire after a questionable tennis line call and label the poor guy "The pits of the Earth." That was entertainment. It wasn't nice, it wasn't great sportsmanship, but it sure was McEnroe. And when it was over, the official always won.
Today, nobody argues with anybody in tennis. A camera with nice graphics shows us exactly where the ball bounced, we nod and the game goes on. Even the player who just lost match point accepts it as gospel. Interestingly, if you watch closely and talk to officials on the lines, you will conclude that even the almighty Hawk-Eye is wrong once in awhile.
We care only that it is neat and clean and fits perfectly into our current video game mind-set. Quick, visual and over.
The retaining of the "human element" in sports officiating has long ago lost its appeal. The games, especially on the pro level, aren't so much fun anymore as they are life and death.
