"Come On, Mother Fucker" - Hockey Refs Are Finally Starting To Fight Back
Hockey refs have been getting incessantly shit on for years. Whether it's from players, or coaches, or parents, or fans. Being a hockey ref is one of the most thankless jobs in the world. You're a critical part of the game, and it would be complete anarchy without you there. Yet somehow you are treated like a gigantic sack of shit every time you step foot into an ice rink.
Eventually enough is going to be enough. Everybody has their breaking point, and I'm pretty sure we just witnessed this ref reach his.
I've been trying to figure out what level of hockey we're watching here. All these guys look a little too young for this to be a men's league. But if this were youth hockey, you'd at least hear a bunch of parents and coaches all screaming back at the ref. So I'm not totally sure what we're watching here, but let's just assume the kid is 18.
I feel like you have to fight the ref.
Chances are the players have been barking at him all game. They've probably been bitching about every single call. Chances are this was the ref's 4th or 5th game of the day, and he finally had enough. Guy isn't getting paid nearly enough to deal with getting bitched at all afternoon. He snapped. He couldn't take it anymore. If you're going to go at the ref, now he's finally going to go back at you.
The other thing I'm confused about, though, is why this ref wanted to go to the hallway? Was he planning on being able to take his skates off to fight on foot? I feel like when the situation is that escalated, you can't exactly take the time to untie your skates and wait for the other guy to get his off as well. If you're going to fight, it has to be right away. So why not just go at it on the ice? I get maybe the player has an advantage there since he's probably better on his skates. But the sheer level of unhinged deranged-ness from this ref could have easily overcame those odds.
I guess we'll never know what would have happened. But you can bet your bottom dollar this player will think twice before chewing out a ref again.