Who would want to be an official in modern sport? For a very brief moment after retiring as a rugby player I contemplated donning the whistle and refereeing.
On the plus side, this would help me to maintain fitness, give back to rugby, and possibly pursue career opportunities and perks if I was any good at it.
Unfortunately, I could only think of all the negatives. Being a referee is a bit like being a politician. It is inevitable that some people will hate you, that you are targeted for abuse, and that no matter how deliberate the decision-making process may be, the final decision is not always the right or preferred one.
Recently, officials in a variety of sports have been abused and threatened by players, coaches, spectators and fans.
Serena Williams and Roger Federer felt vindicated in verbally expressing their dissatisfaction with decisions made by officials during the Wimbledon tournament, and the referee in the Cameron versus Tua fight was criticised for letting Tua rain down on the Mountain Warrior with his fists for a little too long in the second round.
Referees in the rugby codes in particular have been the target of abuse and the recent case involving Hawkes Bay referee Bruce Dockary and his family highlights this.
Some Hawkes Bay fans and spectators made it their personal mission to throw eggs at Dockary's house and abuse his children on Facebook after his split-second decision that Magpies prop Sona Taumalolo was forced into touch was later proven wrong by television replays.
Is this abuse of sports officials a recent phenomenon? No. Regrettably officials have had to endure physical and verbal abuse and intimidation since sport became more institutionalised, and in some sports it is part of the tactical and theatrical element of the sport spectacle (think of baseball and basketball).
Let's face it, being able to take a bit of criticism and abuse is part and parcel of taking on the job of an official.
It isn't for the faint-hearted or sensitive souls out there. You have to be thick-skinned and tolerant to be a match official.
Just as players consent to possibly being injured by other players, match officials consent to having to defend and stand by their decisions during a game if they are confronted by players and coaches.
When the abuse moves from verbal to physical, technical to personal and extends to other family members and outside of the sporting context, however, things are starting to get out of hand.
Referees and umpires have been verbally threatened, physically intimidated, tackled, head-butted, punched and kicked. Who would want to volunteer for or make a career out of that?
In America, the abuse is becoming so much of an issue that the National Association of Sports Officials ran courses on how to avoid being beaten up by irate parents in 2002. In Australia, the Australia Sports Commission ran a "fair go" campaign for officials.
Is there a problem with sports rage toward officials in New Zealand? I'd say yes.
In modern society, we are encouraged to question every decision, be critical, be aggressive and adopt a culture of confrontation and sports officials are no longer untouchable.
Some thought that introducing technology would make the whistleblower's job easier. Dockary probably wishes he could have abdicated responsibility to the TMO in the Canterbury versus Magpies game, but in this economic recession TMOs were not considered necessary until the semis and finals.
I hope the NZRU is going to pay for the egg stains to be removed from his house and possibly for him and his family to be placed in the officials' protection programme.
Let's give the referees and umpires a break. Sport is popular and exciting because of the element of uncertainty in outcome, selection options and decisions made in the heat of the moment without the luxury of slow motion or hindsight.
Yes, the stakes are higher and our expectations as a society with regards to perfectionism and accuracy are greater but despite all the technological advances in the world, we still need the imperfect, subjective, and human element of match officials in order for sport to take place.
At sport events, let's keep our eyes on the action, our lips sealed and the eggs in the carton.
