People seem to be getting more and more entitled and pigheaded, but also mediums for sports consumption and interaction saturate our lives (or at least have the potential to saturate our lives if we seek them out). Facebook, Twitter, Insta, fan forums, general messaging facilities like Facebook chat/texting, increased broadcast (so many sports are being broadcast either on TV or on the internet because a broadcast no longer requires ridiculously expensive equipment). It's easier than ever to interact with other fans and have a circle jerk, whinging about this, that or the other.

People are becoming more precious and generally soft

...and everyone has access to 4,000 instant replays from as many angles, while the ref generally has to make do with what his/her instincts tell them. Virtually every spectator has a better view of a game than a ref, believe me. I get closer to the action than most (too darn close at times) and for a large percentage of the game I'm not even sure where the ball is, never mind who is doing what and to whom and when.

True, good point Gordon. The development of broadcast technologies applies to camera angles and replay too.

You're the snapper for Taipans home games, right?

Yep, and I still get the job done, even though I get trodden underfoot by everyone from the ushers to the mascot to the centres who are traveling at 500kph :) Torrey Craig was lethal - and he was on our side! :)

I definitely didn't appreciate Torrey and how athletic he was in the two years he was with us. And that's saying something, because I was getting on Fearne for not showing him enough love. Watched his top 10 dunks for the Taipans vid on YouTube and man he carved up.

I'm actually familiar with your work and you do a good job, Gordon. Dedicated to your craft and it shows

I am ashamed to say that there are many Sixers' fans that are so entrenched in the us vs the world attitude that almost every loss we were robbed.

There are many many examples.

One classic one was a few years ago when Gary Ervin kneed Goulding in the man parts.

Whilst many understandably rejoiced in the act, many went on to suggest Goulding faked it or somehow smashed's his man parts onto Ervin's knee (I don't even want to visualise that).

Ervin got suspended and this forum went off.

Game 3 of GF against the Wildcats. Redhage goaded Rhys Carter into an unsportsmanlike foul when the Cats were on a roll.

Sixers' fans howled for blood, all the time forgetting that that essentially a 2 point play (as the Cats turned the ball over in the extra possession) was miniscule compared to the 34 point loss.

I for one take the loss on the Chin and get revenge in the next game.

http://www.gordong.com

Gordon is well respected in Cairns

Anon227 - www.gordong.com

*snap*

:)

Refs have copped as long as I can remember. Not sure you've been avidly watching sport if you think otherwise. They do cop it a little more now though due to replays, but also because of so many rule changes to "improve" the game only to really just confuse the coaches, players and refs alike.

What Ricey said.

As others posted earlier in the thread, people's whinges are now read by a wider audience, because of social media. It used to be just your mates at the pub/clubrooms/tea room at work on Monday, who got to feed off each other's irrational rants. Now the group is a large as whatever online groups you belong too - thousands. So it seems louder and more strident but it's ever been thus.

We also see things done by players that we didn't 20+ years ago, because there are more cameras, from more angles and with more replays. Players in pro sports have always gotten away with flouting rules because refs and umpires usually can't see everything. But now the many eyes of the cameras do see it and it fuels irrational criticism of refs who have only two eyes to watch the entire field of play.

Of course, the fans most vocal in their criticism of refs don't even have two eyes. Just the one.

The only sports I watch closely are footy and bball.

No doubt in my mind that the refs have a bigger impact in basketball.

The AFL keeps changing the rules every year, which often leads to initial confusion. And interpretations can change regularly.

But you don't get the same level of home cooking as you do in the NBL (that North vs West Coast prelim in Perth a few years ago notwithstanding). And even if you did, it has a more devastating effect in basketball when players get fouled out unfairly.

And the flow on effect is bigger in basketball too, because once the refs have set a certain tone for the game, the players are more forcefully compelled by the circumstances to immediately alter the way they're playing.

It's a serious fault with the NBL. You could say basketball in general, but I don't see the same inconsistencies, crowd influence and occasional incompetence in the NBA.