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View Full Version : Has Toronto become MLS "lab rats" for inexperienced officials?



billyfly
05-14-2013, 01:33 PM
http://www.torontofc.ca/news/2013/05/no-parity-referee-assignments

According to club president and general manager Kevin Payne, Reds have become the “lab rats” of MLS as the league – in order to curb years of criticism about poor officiating – tries to blood a new crop of young referees in a hurry. Payne has the numbers to back his claim.

billyfly
05-14-2013, 01:34 PM
Does this mean we are asking for Toledo? This could backfire...

ensco
05-14-2013, 01:43 PM
I can't believe there's a Toronto ref conspiracy story out there today that doesn't reference the fact Kelly didn't didn't get called for that elbow, or Lucic didn't get called for boarding.

ag futbol
05-14-2013, 02:27 PM
Does this mean we are asking for Toledo? This could backfire...
Haha, golden!

MLS officiating as a whole has been pretty poor, but that's an interesting find by the people who crunched the numbers.

However, to really be a conspiracy you'd have to look at who is scheduled for each team for the whole season. Otherwise this might be a temporary trend that reverses itself. It may also be a case of MLS wanting better officiating where the eyeballs are and it backfiring when someone actually realized what they are doing.

flatpicker
05-14-2013, 03:45 PM
It may also be a case of MLS wanting better officiating where the eyeballs are and it backfiring when someone actually realized what they are doing.

Possibly. But you'd think there is a way to put the most experienced officials in high profile matches while still maintaining an even dispersion of quality. Seems the league has either neglected to look at the big picture or just thought they could get away with it. It'll be interesting to see if there is any response.

Suds
05-14-2013, 03:58 PM
Or, maybe MLS does not think TFC games are high profile games because we've been a basement dweller for 7 seasons.

NYRB v LA means lots of exposure and eyeballs in markets MLS needs to develop and be strong. They want their top performers handling games NY and LA are playing.

I'd be interested in seeing the expanded assignments of refs throughout the league. Does the MLS make a conscious decision to put experienced refs in, for example, a Seattle v Portland game? Houston v Dallas? Then use lower profile games to hone younger refs? It may not just be a TFC thing. Could be a league wide program - even if unofficial.

habstfc
05-14-2013, 07:53 PM
I think the numbers back up payne's point and makes it impossible for the league to have any sort of meaningful response. This league is and always will be third rate as long as shit like this continues. I don't know how many eyeballs are watching the red bulls when their stadium is only 2/3 full on their best nights. They can't possibly be talking about people watching on tv when they are nowhere near sellimg out their games. I don't see how the referee and the assistant could both have missed such a blatant elbow. What payne says really makes you wonder about how bush league mls is run.

Manager87
05-15-2013, 12:45 AM
05/18/2013
Toronto FC vs. Columbus Crew
BMO Field (5:00pm ET)
REFEREE: JOSE CARLOS RIVERO
ASST 1: Chris Strickland
ASST 2: Marco Arruda
4TH: Hilario Grajeda

Abou Sky
05-15-2013, 01:16 AM
05/18/2013
Toronto FC vs. Columbus Crew
BMO Field (5:00pm ET)
REFEREE: JOSE CARLOS RIVERO
ASST 1: Chris Strickland
ASST 2: Marco Arruda
4TH: Hilario Grajeda

For more information :

refrefs.com/referee/jd6o

Looking back at the two TFC games he officiated I don't remember them as glaringly bad.

I am sure he will have heard about Payne's comments and likely it will put a bug in his ear and even though it won't be conscious, I think we may get some slack this weekend.

Voodooman
05-15-2013, 06:19 AM
Wow interesting read and stats that were brought up