Whistlemania! -- Are we fixing something that isn't broken?

[net presence]

Re: Whistlemania! -- Are we fixing something that isn't broken?

Comparing pay rates for officials in various sports are irrelevant to what's happening right now, and serve only to sidetrack the discussion. Various sports and their leagues are going to pay their officials whatever their agreed amount is, usually based upon a union agreement. If college hockey had greater revenues, college hockey officials could demand greater payment. College basketball is swimming in cash, so college basketball refs earn a lot more money. The necessary physical skills required to do the job have nothing to do with how much an official should earn.

First, I agree that it’s difficult to compare official’s fees between sports, especially given the very different economics of each involved. And, I also acknowledge that challenge directly a couple of sentences down from where you chose to finish quoting me. However, I (and assume most others) will disagree strongly with your assertion that the pay an individual receives for a specific position shouldn’t be or isn’t tied to the physical demands that position requires or, risk of injury it may present. Especially when compared to similar career fields where the demands and risk are measurably lower. For instance, people who work on the pipelines in northern Alaska make more than those that work basically the same job in more temperate climates. Why? Greater physical demand and risk of injury due to conditions of course. Based on what I’ve laid out as the reasons why hockey officials clearly deserve better pay, wouldn’t they deserve it if the economics were equal?

[St. Clown]

Re: Whistlemania! -- Are we fixing something that isn't broken?

First, I agree that it’s difficult to compare official’s fees between sports, especially given the very different economics of each involved. And, I also acknowledge that challenge directly a couple of sentences down from where you chose to finish quoting me. However, I (and assume most others) will disagree strongly with your assertion that the pay an individual receives for a specific position shouldn’t be or isn’t tied to the physical demands that position requires or, risk of injury it may present. Especially when compared to similar career fields where the demands and risk are measurably lower. For instance, people who work on the pipelines in northern Alaska make more than those that work basically the same job in more temperate climates. Why? Greater physical demand and risk of injury due to conditions of course. Based on what I’ve laid out as the reasons why hockey officials clearly deserve better pay, wouldn’t they deserve it if the economics were equal?

I stopped my quote of you where I did because that's where I stopped reading. It was easy to see that your argument had gone off the rails into La-La-Land of magical suppositions that will always turn favorable to the argument you want to make. It's the old saying, "if ifs and buts were candies and nuts..."

The economics of the real world do apply, and they're not forgiving to hockey. Besides, all else being equal, refs would be paid more based upon how well they performed their jobs, not which sport or league they officiate and the amount of revenue they generate.

Also, run a COLA comparison between Alaska and other areas, and you're likely to see a near wash in pay discrepancies.

[bravohankins]

Re: Whistlemania! -- Are we fixing something that isn't broken?

I think one of the big issues is that fact that not all of the leagues are calling it the same either. If they are going to do this then the officials should all be directly governed by the NCAA and just be NCAA officials.

Take one of the one of the biggest teams that has been negatively affected by the crackdown. Bowling Green. The Falcons are winless after being the preseason WCHA pick. The main reason has been the amount of time they have spent in the box and on the PK. Their PK has been poor, no doubt. A big issue on this PK has been poor goaltending, your goalie has to be your best penalty killer, but BG's goalie issues are for another discussion......

Getting back to my main point BG has played in games with Refs from the WCHA, B1G and NCHC.

WCHA refs have called an average of 32 penalty minutes per game
NCHC refs 49
B1G refs 43

I've watched all the games. The standards of what was and was not a penalty varied wildly from night to night and league to league. As the poster above stated, the players have no idea what is and is not a penalty on a nightly basis as the enforcement is so different between the leagues. Can't tell you how many times I've seen things not called a penalty in the 1st period but then it is in the 3rd period.

5 on 3's, 4 on 3's, 3 on 3's......its just crazy.

If this is what college hockey is going to look like going forward then I guess I may just have to take some time off from watching it because IMHO this sucks and they are making the games unwatchable.

[Patman]

Re: Whistlemania! -- Are we fixing something that isn't broken?

Seeing what play looks like having adjusted for this I think there some questionable marginal calls I think the game looks better with it taken into account. It lets the skill players do their thing.

I was shocked at first and I'm usually in favor of more whistles but seeing how they have to play in adjustment to think I think it's a good thing

[manurespreader]

Re: Whistlemania! -- Are we fixing something that isn't broken?

ok so I'm a forward standing still on the face-off and holding my stick still on the ice. My opposite number as the puck is dropped rushes out and into where my stick is, I have the choice of dropping my stick or holding it tight. If I hold it tight, am I impeding him and thus going to the box?.
I never moved one iota.
Second question, lets say it's a similar situation except I am moving parallel to him, only this time he grabs my stick as he skates past. Am i impeding him now, because this happens a lot. Seems like I get the choice of dropping my stick or going to the box.
I almost never see players penalized for holding the stick.