Alarming Signs at EURO 2008 | The Blog of the World's Sport

In this short blog, I'm going not going to be looking at any fancy stats and I'm definitely not gonna use any big words from what is really a very small vocabulary anyway. Rather, I'm just going to get to the point even though my technical communication style throws me off track.

One big thing that is bothering me is the refs. It isn't really the referring that is bothering me, it is just how the refs are calling these games in one particular area of the field. Now, today in the Italy/Holland match the ref let a whole lot of stuff go. Now that doesn't bother me but what does bother me is that all the refs are way too different in these big tourneys. One ref goes to the book quick, one waits, one doesn't call anything, one calls everything. This isn't Lakers/Celtics, I don't want to get into this but I will. FIFA, or UEFA, or whoever is really controlling the ref situation should step up and make these refs call the status quo in every match. Everything doesn't have to be at one extreme but it should be somewhere in the middle. If this can't be stopped these tournaments will end up ruined much like the WC match between Portugal and Holland in 2006.

One other big situation that all the refs are having trouble with is the shirt-pulling and the pushing. While it is a part of football, this is getting bad. Refs need to call penalties and fouls to keep these guys honest and stop them. It will take only a couple of times before all the guys quit. If we can just get it back to an occasional one it would be fine, but UEFA shouldn't allow this mess. These tourneys are too big for one person to decide the game, and everyone (FIFA and UEFA included) should be concerned with it.

Thanks once again for your time. It's been Keeper and I'm out.

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June 9, 2008 08:02 PM ET

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In Italy face! Who's just got there tail kick by Holland. Van Der Ser!

Underdog Champion

Philadelphia , PA

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June 9, 2008 08:06 PM ET

Ruud was offside, the refs screwed up alot of fouls

in the other match the penalty was wrong...

cmon guys

jeevs BS

Schenectady , NY

Total Comments (4139)

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June 10, 2008 12:11 AM ET

cmon jeeves even without the ruud goal holland put up a freaking clinic on the italians and they collapse, as yours truly predicted. the penalty in the croatia game was questionable call but who really cares? the game was a bit of a snoozer anyway and most people are just glad austria didnt get embarrassed.....don't equivocate too much. Italy lost fair and square despite the offsides.