'Eight Stupidest Things Sports Fans Love to Say'

If the ump is consistent, the players can adjust.
That's the point.

 

Oh, please, get over yourself.

I'm saying that people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

For every dumb fanboi statement, I can provide an example from the media, print or electronic.

 

High school basketball parents are THE WORST at this.

 

The professional sports message boards always have great trade ideas. And they're not at all slanted heavily toward the team they root for.

"Why don't we send John Q. Shittyplayer and Jack Cantfuckinghit to the Cardinals for Albert Pujols and a prospect? Think about it--we need a 1B and the Cardinals have Holliday to anchor the lineup already."

 

Yes, but such consistency isn't an attribute, as it is often made out to be in umpiring.

The players could adjust if the first-base ump called players who were out by a step safe every time. But the umpire would still be wrong, and a shitty ump.

The strike zone is somewhat clearly defined in that the ball has to go over the plate at some point to be considered a strike. Umpires who consistently call strikes on pitches that do not go over the plate at any point are consistently making the wrong call, and are bad balls and strikes umpires.

 

So . . . both, then.

 

I'm not saying it makes the person a good umpire.
I'm saying what you are mistaking for praise is simply understanding the situation could be worse.

 

"It's easier to score a 3 on a Par 5 than on a Par 4."

 

"Hey, ref, he pulled his trunks!"

 

I can live with that.

Because some thing worse could always be Eric Gregg or Joe West (who is actually a good ump, just an insufferable egomaniac).

 

Friend of mine knew he was never going to be a big league ump when he was at a Pony League game once, and a dad/assistant coach, who already had a bad rep, had been ragging on him most of the game.

Late in a game Joe calls pitch one a ball, then pitch two he calls a strike when the dad's kid is at the plate. Dad gives the standard "Come on Joe, that pitch was the same spot as the last one."
So Joe turns and yells back "You know what, you're right." Turned to scorekeeper and yelled "Make the count 0-2. Playball."

Dad was dumbfounded. Joe never umped again, but the opposing team got a big kick out of it.