11/05/24
December 29, 2007
Famous Referees: There are not many game-related jobs in sports that are more thankless than being the referee. If you do a good job, no one notices, but if you mess up, you can become famous far beyond your years. It’s kind of like the CIA, except much, much more important.
How can you leave out the NHL legend (and Hall of Famer) Andy Van Hellemond? Or "Fat Pig" Don Koharski?
posted by grum@work at 03:32 PM on December 29, 2007
A list of referees is nothing without Pierluigi Collina. 
Officially the scariest/best referee ever. </obligatory complaint about list post>
posted by Mr Bismarck at 07:07 PM on December 29, 2007
MrBismarck, ummmm, I think that picture is Freddy Krueger.
posted by BoKnows at 07:34 PM on December 29, 2007
Ed Hochuli would rip Freddy Krueger's face off with his bare hands and slap him with it.
posted by GoBirds at 07:46 AM on December 30, 2007
Lists like this make me think I should be making more lists on my blog. Mills Lane, plus six more that were handy. Sheesh. I don't know about Koharski on an all-time list (you could make the case; I'd put Bruce Hood or John d'Amico ahead of him), but Van Hellemond is indispensable, as is Collina. The great Bill Klem. Jerry Markbreit. Ron Luciano. Dick Bavetta. I'm missing entire sports here, but there's a list to be made. This guy clearly was just messing around. Not that that's a bad thing, I'm just saying.
posted by chicobangs at 01:11 PM on December 30, 2007
Dickie Bird? I'm not joking with the name. Possibly the greatest and definitely the most respected cricket umpire ever.
posted by owlhouse at 07:31 PM on January 02, 2008
I don't know about Koharski on an all-time list (you could make the case; I'd put Bruce Hood or John d'Amico ahead of him), but Van Hellemond is indispensable, as is Collina. The great Bill Klem. Jerry Markbreit. Ron Luciano. Dick Bavetta. John D'Amico, while a great linesman, only refereed 19 games in the NHL. While Van Hellemond is a member of the HHofF as a referee, he was forced to resign his position as NHL Director of Officiating after being accused of misconduct. Media reports indicate he was accused of approaching members of his officiating staff for personal loans to pay gambling debts.* *With thanks to wikipedia
posted by tommybiden at 08:49 PM on January 02, 2008
I was assuming the definition of referee for this discussion to have as wide a brush as possible, and D'Amico was the most decisive breaker-up of fights I ever saw. And he did it for decades.
posted by chicobangs at 02:17 PM on January 04, 2008
Phil Luckett is not on the list?