santa sangria
RefChat Addict
Very strange experience a few weeks ago. This was the first adult match I’ve refereed that was streamed with commentary. The match was very dull. Commentator missed the first five mins - and was associated and partisan to one side. Very few fouls but every decision the commentator laid into me. He had a grainy remote one camera view, could not see the offences and the commentary was basically “nooo, WTF is the ref seeing.”
Watching it back was disturbing TBH as the guy was just soooo wrong and unpleasant. Luckily it’s probably watched by approx. three people, one of them me. Made me think just how insane it must be to handle the commentary, socials and meejah for the top flight officials - insane pressure - unimaginable.
Of course, there’s a twist. Two weeks later a coach of the same club starts talking to me about problems with a commentator, other referees mentioning similar. Turns out the following match the same guy has gone too far with bad language insulting the referees, authorities acted, and he’s unlikely to be back on the mic soon.
Next time, I’ll watch with the sound off!
Watching it back was disturbing TBH as the guy was just soooo wrong and unpleasant. Luckily it’s probably watched by approx. three people, one of them me. Made me think just how insane it must be to handle the commentary, socials and meejah for the top flight officials - insane pressure - unimaginable.
Of course, there’s a twist. Two weeks later a coach of the same club starts talking to me about problems with a commentator, other referees mentioning similar. Turns out the following match the same guy has gone too far with bad language insulting the referees, authorities acted, and he’s unlikely to be back on the mic soon.
Next time, I’ll watch with the sound off!