Sunday, October 25, 2009

This week, I'm fed up with umpires, football officials and, probably, anybody who enforces or interprets the rules in any sport.

How can veteran baseball umpires be so negligent? How can football officials not see what we see on TV?

Let's start with baseball's men in blue, who have no TV replay recourse. A player is at third, there's a fly ball to the outfield, the man on third tags up. What can be easier than getting into position to see the ball caught and, a split second later, watch the base runner tag up?

Worse: How can an umpire, a few feet from the action, stand watching a fly ball land a foot inside the foul line and call it a foul ball?

Of course, those errors and several more in the Major League playoffs have a ton of critics calling for instant replay. And, of course, it's the right move. Baseball belongs in the 21st Century with the rest of us and with several other sports that use TV to enhance decisions.

Of course, Florida might not have defeated Arkansas last Saturday if it were not for an officiating crew that has since been suspended. The crew called a ghost personal foul on an Arkansas player as the Gators were moving toward the winning field goal.

There have been other calls in football that TV "proves" were wrong, but at least the pro and college game makes an effort at getting it right.

Baseball's answer is for Commissioner Bud Selig to deny the need for TV assistance, then decide that only "veteran" umpires will work the World Series, therefore, removing the policy that an umpire who has never worked the Series gets a chance.

I'm hoping there are no problems with the Minnesota-Pittsburgh NFL game today.

We're hosting six people this week from Dayton and Pittsburgh. The first question that Vinnie Barbarino had was whether Key West, where he had never visited, understood that football on TV was a necessity of life and particularly the game of his choice involving his Steelers. Before I saw the TV schedule, I assured him and his wife, Michela, that if it weren't we could always go down the street to the Greatest Sports Bar of All Time.

Once I announced the game would be on home TV, our son, John, and daughter-in-law, Jessi, both fantastic cooks, offered to prepare a game spread like I wouldn't believe. I know they will. I've eaten at their table many times and they never disappoint.

Our granddaughter, Chelsea, and her friend, Janelle, can be on cleanup duty.

It should be a great day. But, please, let's not have officials deciding the outcome.

And Brett Favre fans, please stay away.

Sports Editor Ralph Morrow's Armchair Comment appears exclusively each Sunday in The Citizen. He can be reached at 305-292-7777, Ext. 264, at Rmorrow@keysnews.com and by Fax at 305-295-8016.