The Fort Wayne crowd actually booed when a penalty was called on a visiting player. That's how bad the officiating was in the second period Saturday night. And no, I really don't blame Ken Gallagher (so I didn't break my own rule).
Part of being an official is having a feel for the game, and the current UHL style of calling everything in some ways takes that feel of the game away from the officials. It's sort of like the three strikes rule with federal sentencing. It takes away from allowing the judge to use any common sense. It's the same thing with the UHL rules.
Gallagher is just doing what the league has told him to do which was call everything. All that did was lead to frustration from the players on both teams and the fans. Hint, hint, the league better be concerned about the last of those rather than the first two.
For whatever reason, this style is not working. The inconsistency from night to night is killing the entertainment value of the game. It's another thing for the owners to go on radio and such and complain about it. You are the owners, the board of governors, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM!
In happier news, I got hit by a Scoop guy today in what was an awesome fete. Not really. I had to get to the game late tonight and was standing behind the net after the first period as they went onto the ice. Thankfully, he didnt whip it at me too hard. Good time was had by all.
And then the second period started. Yawn.
Who wants to watch this any more? I don't, and I'm getting paid for it. I can't imagine there are any fans left who do.
The other thing that is happening, I believe, is the players are saying the heck with it. If I'm going to get called for it, I better get my money's worth.
Too bad the fans can't do the same.
Comments
Another nice low-blow from the Komet organization on a former fan favorite that is long gone and can't defend himself. I read that too. It was reported by Justin this morning. I love how they like to spin things to make their decisions look so smart.
Here is the quote from this morning:
I agree Hit.
Noticed a pattern huh Tony;-)
Not that long ago there was so much holding and grabbing going on that the game never got a chance to open up with the speed hockey should have. (Chaulker doing a crotch hook is a classic.)
A year or two ago the league started allowing the two-line pass, and the rules got enforced a bit tighter. (Our boys had trouble with penalties last year, too, and that was our fault, not the referee's.) That opened things up a bit. This year we got rid of the no-touch icing, and that opens up the game too.
The pendulum has swung too far now. The league should concentrate on the injury-causing penalties. (Notice last night not one high stick got called because there wasn't much of that going on.) Keep those kinds of calls tight and injuries will go down, but stop calling the ticky-tack like its a youth hockey game.
Throw out refs all together. Lets just drop the puck and see what happens. Let them play!!!
I sound like the Bad News Bears at the AstroDome there....LET THEM PLAY!!!!!
I didn't wade through all of the comment on here, and maybe someone else made this suggestion:
Just as Brosal doesn't isolate himself from the fans, neither does Mike Franke. I see (saw) him every game walking around the arena glad handing everyone. Which is good, don't get me wrong.
If everyone who posts one here would stop him and say something like, "Mike, I know that the UHL takes its direction from owners like yourself, I want you to know that most of what I observe from the fans is DISATISFACTION with the amount of minor penalties called and the lack of flow in the games. People are going to stop coming because what we have isn't hockey. Can you please have the refs backoff and give us an entertaining game once again?"
If 50 people complaint to him, he's gonna get the message that revenue is going to be affected. If church groups can get the YOU SUCK song banned, can't we do something about a REAL ISSUE?
When the rules were changed to get rid of the offsides pass it got easier for defensemen to get beat at neutral ice. I wonder if this is the source of some of the extra penalites. Has anyone kept track of where the penalties are happening; in the offensive zone, the defensive zone or between the blue lines?
And we thought the officiating was bad in the UHL. Check this story out.
http://www.sportsline.com/nhl/story/9778588
I think Mr Franke is aware of the fan displeasure (heck I can hear it coming through my computer speakers loud and clear so I am sure he hears it there) He sounded very upset when he was interviewed during the broadcast last week. I understand the insurance theory. Many hockey injuries take place because of careless use of the stick. So in theory if you crack down on the hooking and slashing you cut down those injuries. It is clear though that while the theory has merrit the application is flawed.
The only hope I see is if you remember last year in the NHL there were TONS of penalties called the first 1/2 of the season as they cracked down on obstruction/holding etc. Then both the officials relaxed and the players caught on. Of course this relies on the players feeling a comfort level with the officials calling the game the same way from one day to the next.
But Tony, the NHL refs are stating to call everything again. The minuet you put you stick on an opponent your gettign a penalty whether your impeeding a player or not.
I'm conflicted because we need to let players go unimpeeded but at the sme time if they're not be impeeded don't blow the whistle.
off the subject, is B2 working for folks today?
B2? is that a vitamin or something? LOL
LOL It must be since I can't find a clickable link to purchase the game
Some other people were asking as well and I don't think so. I thought you were going to the game Tony???
I was but I have to do some hockey related work tonight
B-2.........Bingo!!!!!!! I have a cluster over here!!!!!
Let me be the first wise-arse.......
THE BEARS!!!!!!
Sorry about that.
I better watch it....The Colts play tonight.....nervous.
So do they still crown the Bears champs anyway? So much for the 1985 bears talk that has been going down. Let the Kyle Orton talk begin, bet the sports talk radio in Chicago is on edge right now.
Go Roughriders!!! They had better beat freaking Calgary! oops sorry...you guys were talking about the No Fun League.
I guess that I will be the voice of dissent against the general trend on this blog. I have long-ago tired of all the clutch and grab and stick work taking speed and skill out of the game. If you bring back speed and skill, the beauty of this game is incredible. So place the blame where it belongs - on the players. You don't have to possess NHL skills to figure out that any stick work draws a penalty. Calls inconsistent? That doesn't hold water in this issue because that is always the case at this level. PH showed little discipline in the 2nd period and the Komets were undisciplined in the 3rd. If the players will get a clue, the game is better for it.
45 penalties?
Rick myself and several others lamented the old clutching,grabbing blatant open ice pull-downs etc. I do think that they are on the extreme making the calls now and a combination of player change along with a down scale of calls will correct the game over time. These early games are as painful as early post lockout NHL hockey.
Aren't you glad the NFL doesn't call holding on every play?
Aren't you glad that the NBA doesn't call the hand-check foul on every play...well...I guess they do...bad example.
45 is way too many. I would say not even half were good calls.
No bears fans here I guess....where are you Super Fan....I know you were crying somewhere right now.
Joey Harrington ??? Lol I told folks around here that a change of scene might help him. He cuold not have been as bad as he looked here.
He looked like garbage today too, just Grossman looked 10x worse.
John Searle tonight...Chase said he is one of the better refs in this league....God help us.
Serale only called 5 penalties in the first period. Wonder what's going on.
My Steelers ae horrible this year. Won't even make the playoffs.
Tony's NHL analogy is where I hope this goes. The NHL became almost unwatchable before the lockout. They opened up the game by calling penalties by the book resulting in all kinds of criticism, but they stuck with it and last season was great and the playoffs were terrific. Can that happen here? Maybe.
Searle lost his whistle in his....um....well.....nevermind. There are still 2 periods left. And I wonder if the Memo went out last night that will help change the calls in this league. We can only hope so.
How is the attendance and ratings on tv though?
This is AA hockey in much smaller towns for the most part. How much of this crap can towns like Port Huron and Flint take? The Fort Wayne Crowd will be around 4500 by Christmas if things don't change fast.