Do you ever get famous officials in American sport? If so who are/were they? For example for us the international soccer referee,the Italian Pierluigi Collina is as well-known worldwide as any soccer star; you can even buy 'gold' mementos of him as you can the stars' (and at only $150 equivalent!).Universally accepted as the world's best, he was already famous before refereeing in the World Cup Final ( seen by 38 billion TV viewers). Even cricket has a star umpire, Dickie Bird, now retired, who was as well known outside as inside cricket; he inadvertently started a fashion for a distinctive white cap that he always wore , an unexpected boon to the makers.
Or are your officials quietly anonymous? +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 11-09-03, 02:13 AM Jelp01 Nowadays, most officials are pretty much anonymous unless they blow a call in a crucial situation. For instance, most St. Louis Cardinals baseball fans know very well who umpire Don Denkinger is. And not for good reason, either. Big Grin.
In major league baseball, the umpires seemed to be more noticeable than they are now. Bill Klem was perhaps the most famous umpire......he was an active umpire for over 35 years, from 1905 to 1941. He was as famous as most players. And others in that era were too. But nowadays the media hypes the players, not the officals.
11-09-03, 02:39 AM DorianGreyed In the 50s, and, I think, the 60s, Mendy Rudolph was a well known NBA ref, who was known for both verbally and physically describing the fouls he called. It sounded something like "HePushedHimWhenHeWasInTheAirShooting AndFouledHimBasketGood2Shots!" Accompanied by a lot of arm waving. Boxing has had its share of famous refs, too. Judge Mills Lane and Richard Steele (both Marines, Koz), Arthur Mercante (and, to a lesser extent, his son. Arthur Mercante, Jr), Frank Draculich, Late and Lamented Mitch Halpern, and Art Donovan Sr, whose son* is better known as a NFL Hall of Famer and sometime guest (very funny!) on Letterman.
* Donovan Jr once played a game with a broken leg, because, as he said, "They might not have paid me!"
11-09-03, 03:05 AM DorianGreyed Ruby Goldstein is another boxing ref that was known better than some fighters. He was the Third Man in the ring when Sugar Ray robinsom tried to win the Lightheavyweight title from joey maxim in Yankee Stadium. The ringside temperature was over 110, and Ruby passed out in the 12th round, I think. Robinson was winning the fight until he, too, succumbed to the heat in the 14th, I think.
11-09-03, 04:34 AM BobLaz Without question, MLB's Ron Luciano was a legend...In a sport where umpires were TRULY dumped on through the years, Luciano injected some SPUNK into the profession with his entertaining antics and refreshing way of calling a game...And he wouldn't back down from these rich, idiotic players who gave him a hard time...He's gone now--may he rest in peace.. Cool
Bob
11-09-03, 05:15 AM DorianGreyed Let's not forget Leslie Nielsen in Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad as the Home Plate umpire. (He seemed to have taken a cue from Mendy Rudolph.)
(Correction to my post about Ruby GoldsteinSmile The fighter's name was Sugar Ray Robinson.
11-09-03, 06:04 AM Jelp01 I did think of Mendy Rudolph also. And let's not forget Riley Pitkin, made famous for officiating Harlem Globetrotter games and for always giving Meadowlark Lemon a hard time (or was it the other way around??? Smile)
As for the NFL, I can't name too many.......but Jerry Markbreit, Jim Tunney, and Norm Schacter may have been among the most famous.
11-09-03, 12:05 PM FredPuli Thanks for these. Bob,Referee Collina sounds like your man Luciano . One big reason why Collina is so admired is that he treats all players equally and nor will crowds baying at him intimidate him into giving 'home team decisions'. The pros know they can't con him and what is more even the biggest star playing at home will be sent off the field for pretending to have been fouled ( the stars are always play-acting, falling in agony as though kicked, to get the opponent penalized)). In soccer the dismissal is permanent; no 'sin bin' time.The stars rely on their big name and the home crowd to get away with this cheating but Collina is not impressed; most referees just ignore it but don't give the penalty but Collina sends the man off for his dishonesty.That's a brave thing to do if he's the big star of some national team in a World Cup ( wars have started for less !)
This message has been edited. Last edited by: DorianGreyed,
I meant to post this possibly apocryphal story about Bill Klem.
Working behind the plate one game, he called a third strike on a player, who looked at Klem, but said nothing. As the batter walked away, he mumbled something and threw his bat in the air. Klem immediately said, "Son, if that bat comes down, you're out of here." _____________ Annother well-known, at least to ball players and sports wrtters, was umpire Cal Hubbard. When Hubbard spoke, everyone listened. Hubbard started umping as a second career, and made the Majors in 1936. His first career was being a star NFL defensive lineman. He was 6'4" and about 250 lbs playing weight. Hubbard remains the only man to be in the College Football Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1969, he was voted the greatest tackle of the NFL's first fifty years.
A quote from Hubbard about ejecting players - "When it's time to go, they go."
Posts: 17183 | Location: Lincoln Place, Granite City, IL, USA | Registered: 06-03-02
AnswerPool.com 
