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Inside the
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December 8, 2008 Former Kansas City Chief All-Pro Tight End Fred Arbanas had an interesting affliction. The MSU grad managed 8 years in the NFL in spite of the fact… that he was blind in one eye! One day against the Oakland Raiders, he caught a pass over the middle and was immediately slammed to the turf and knocked unconscious. When he came to, the Back Judge looked at him and said, “Fred, what on God’s green earth would you ever do if you lost the vision in your good eye?” That’s easy Arbanas deadpanned, “I’d become a referee!” At a Novi HS Winter Sports meeting a couple of years ago, I distinctly remember Athletic Director Curt Ellis focusing on a very topical subject; Sportsmanship. Sportsmanship is not merely confined to respecting your opponent or being gracious in defeat. It also extends to the very important people that preside over each and every contest…Referees, umpires, and all game officials. The reality is, an official will almost never decide the outcome of a game. Is there the occasional bad call? Sure. You are dealing with human beings, and when they are doing their job correctly (which is most of the time) you really don’t notice them. They are like a drummer in a band. They keep the beat, and nobody really pays much attention unless there is a misstep, or a mistake. I’m amazed at how accurate most calls are. In the NFL, even though Instant Replay from six different angles offers an opportunity to revisit the action, in a slow-motion format from an entirely different perspective removed from the heat of battle…88% of the time the call is not reversed, meaning they had it right the first time. The MHSAA goes to great lengths to select, evaluate and set standards that ensure every contest is fairly officiated. The games could not go on without the men and women in the striped uniforms, and many unsportsmanlike incidents emanate from a call that somebody didn’t like. As I said, I don’t believe the Ref can truly decide the outcome of a game. But we can all decide how we react. In fact, if you get on the ref’s bad side from constant complaining, how do you think they might respond on a close-call involving you? Disrespect them and you have nothing to gain, show them some love….hey, you never know. Fred Arbanas deadpan humor that day, was actually a sign of respect. The referee laughed outloud. Game Officials may dress funny, but they’re human too… And they share one thing in common with players and fans… They love sports, and good sportsmanship. (c) 2008 Novi
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