White Maggots

[bloodhound]

It is a tried and true part of the Australian culture to quetion authority day to day and to abuse umpires at the footy.
Over the last couple of years the umpires have been trying to bring themselves more and more into the game with the support of the authority loving AFL.
Remembering that the first game of Australian football was played with out any rules, I say that there are now far too many rules in Australian football, and I'll be buggard if I will give up my unwritten right to abuse an umpire at the footy.
What a boring game it would be if we all followed the politically correct crap the AFL tries to push . No rough play, no questioning Authority. "Come on now everyone just cheer nicley for your team and pay exhorbitant prices for food and drink, and don't make any trouble."
Well screw that. It's sounds more like the KGB than the AFL.

If I wanted moral instruction I would go to a church or enrole in a philosophy course. Footy is WAR. When it ceases to be war it is boring.

there are plenty of umpires so I don't buy the argument that we have to treat em nice to keep them. we could easily do with only two per game anyways.

[vagary]

are you talking about top grade afl or all games right down to kids games?

[Charlie]

Bloodhound... you're thinking only of the AFL.

What about the other 5,000 or more matches a week?

That's a hell of a lot of umpires that we need to find, who are willing to put up with the abuse that you think it's your right to dispense. This is where there is a chronic shortage of people willing to umpire. Neither would I when umpires get water balloons full of urine thrown at them.

I'll yell and scream when they do something blatantly wrong, but I don't see it as an essential part of enjoying footy. I yell at the AFL umpires because they're getting payed a very nice amount, and I expect them to get it right. I'd never dream of doing it at a junior game. At one kid's game, a parent broke a teenage ump's jaw. That's totally unacceptable.

[motorace_182]

there are plenty of umpires so I don't buy the argument that we have to treat em nice to keep them

There may be plenty but dont you want quality not quantity. If you reckon umpiring is so dam easy then put on some whites and get out there and do it yourself. AS a former soccer official i know what its like to have psycho parents screaming for your blood (and thats under 13's) the last thing they need is someone having a go at them in general. Go boo an ump at a game if you want providing you dont riun the footy experience for someone else.

[robbieando]

I did umpiring for 1 years and never went back, why? Because the abuse was out of control. I head beer cans thrown at me, push around by parents as I was leaving the field. My change rooms attacked while I was in them. This is the tip of the iceberg and goes on each week. What we don't see.

Now that is normal but what my brother went though was worse. He was punched 2 hrs after his game (he was waiting around for me to finish my game) by the club president of the club. Now after I finish my match I come off the field to see my brother crying. I ask what happened he told me and then I found the president, threw him against the wall and gave him what for. I never umpired again.

The next year my brother went back and I went with him to each game to look after him and trust me I gave these parents a gob full each week when they insulted my brother.

Its out of control and frankly what the AFL is doing is right and timely at that

[bloodhound]

Well I don't advocate baloons full of urine. But if someone commits assult, we have laws for that.

[Cheer Cheer]

I am in total support of what the afl is trying to do with the umpires.
There is a big problem at the moment with not enough interest in umpiring because of the abuse people hand out to them, everyone is human and umpires will get things wrong from time to time but it all evens out in the end, and we need this recognition of umpires at the moment to try and create an interest in people signing up to be umpires and keep the future afl umpires coming - because without no umpires there is no afl.

[motorace_182]

There is nothng worse than a parent on the sideline being thrown the whistle because that just creates tonnes of problems. The fact that the parent may be cheating/dumb etc.

The more qualified umps the better

[Charlie]

Originally posted by bloodhound
Well I don't advocate baloons full of urine. But if someone commits assult, we have laws for that.

Sure, we've got laws for it... but why would you want to put yourself in that position in the first place?

[bloodhound]

In a society, just because there maybe criminals it does not mean that the rest of the citizens should have to live in a politically correct crowd controlled police state!

[desredandwhite]

Well, it's always the idiotic few who spoil it for everyone, isn't it?

FWIW, I think umpies get the raw end of the deal a lot. If there's a bad decision, there's nothing wrong with letting them know about it, but there's a line you just CAN'T cross.

[bloodhound]

It may be the idiotic few who ruin it for the very afraid moral majority, but the truley strong and passionate supporters of our greate game must reserve their god given right (thats right god plays Aussi Rules) to abuse those disgusting little men who constantly interfere with the holly ritual of flesh and blood vs flesh and blood , that takes place each winter week in the constant and consuming persuite for the possesion of, and domination over the leather.
The AFL are destroying the ritual in increments. They probabley don't even relise it.
"lord forgive them for they know not what they do."

[motorace_182]

Well mate if that's what you are looking for you may as well follow league or boxing or union or another sport that reqiures no skill just pummelling the opposition. Sure you need some rough stuff, some mongrel but to be fair to the skillful the rules have to be eforced. They are there to do a job so let them do it

[Charlie]

Yeah... certainly seems like you are looking for something like professional wrestling... not football. Footy is all about skill and bravery, and while I have no problem with a bit of harmless agression, when adrenaline is pumping and stuff, you are talking about absolute garbage that has no place on the footy field.



By the way, you have absolutely no right whatsoever to abuse those "disgusting little men." You have a right to abuse decisions... but you seem to think that the PEOPLE out there are simply whipping boys for the little men in the stands who don't have the guts to go out there and do it themselves, to feel as if they are clever/tough. I only ever abuse the decisions... don't let it get personal.

[Bear]

It's the Year of the Official - they are a VITAL part of all levels of many sports.

Show some respect and pull your head in!