Darrell L. Bock's Blog Bock's Blog Meditating on World Cup Officiating: Reflection on Repentance
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Please excuse the digression from our normally more serious fare on this blog. However, a nice illustration and parable of human behavior is unfolding before the globe's collective eye.
I am enjoying the World Cup as many around the world are. This is one of our few truly global events. It might not belong in a theological blog, except for how FIFA officials are reacting to being exposed in their handling (or non-handling) of officials who have consistently missed important calls. The most consistent thing about this World Cup has been the inability of officials to get key calls right. In theology, when we are wrong, the term that applies is repentance. The sad thing is that FIFA's refusal to face the music or see the reality on the pitch undercuts the credibility and authenticity of the game. It is sad to have calls that are so blatantly wrong not only not discussed by any officials, but also see that no creative effort is being made to correct the situation for the future. Instead FIFA acts like the three monkeys (See, hear and speak no evil). They pull showing replays at the stadium as if a solution is to pretend it never happened (and the events are well recorded for the billions who watch). What we have here before the entire world is an example of how not to lead or how to deal with facing correction.
A satire on officiating I saw suggested that monkeys will be selected to officiate in the future in the hope they can do better than the human element FIFA wants so religiously to protect in the name of the sanctity of the game. The greatest disgrace may be to the players who work hard to get to this moment only to have the possibility that a poor and correctable call undercuts their years of dedication. So let's hope that FIFA can repent and serve well the game they oversee. This great event deserves better than what the governing body of soccer is giving to it in this regard. And let's appreciate the lesson that is in this. To repent is better than to dig in or pretend nothing is that wrong.
World Cup Officiating
Agreed. We've seen may be some the worst officiating of games ever. USA, England, Chile...and list can go on, have seen many wrong calls being made in their games. I do feel sometimes that FIFA should use some of the modern technologies currently used in other sports to take care of those 'mistakes' but I'm also afraid that it may affect the dynamic of the game...Soccer/Fooball/Futbol may end up being just another sport like the others out there and stop being the passion it is today. I guess my point is that even though there are tons of ethical issues in the way the refs sometimes apply their judgment (or mis-judgment!), at this point I only care that PARAGUAY my team, as well as the other three South-American teams are on quarter finals! Enjoy your time in Germany Dr. Bock!
Contrast
2 Thoughts. I too have thought about this in contradistinction to how MLB's Jim Joyce reacted when he missed the final call of a perfect game within the past month. It was classy how it was handled by the ump and players alike. My second thought was that even though there have been a number of blown calls from refs in this World Cup or that MLB game changed the long term outcome of any of the teams involved. For instance Mexico, USA, etc. still made it to the round of 16. Even if the officiating blew another call against Mexico in the round of 16 game they would have still been clearly beaten. So far, FIFA has gotten lucky in that regard.
The Game
It's true that it is only a game, but there is nothing more important in life than truth. These men dedicate a significant part of their lives to their sport, and for the truth of the events on the field to not be regarded with respect is disgraceful and undermining to the integrity of the sport. I would rather lose in truth, than win in untruth or with a question mark in a heart beat. It is as scandalous as doping in my view, and it does cause some people to lose interest because the integrity of the competition is not there. Passion at the expense of truth and integrity leads to emptyness...in the game and particularly in life. Also, kids deserve a better example from adults.
My opinion
Well I see this as not facing the truth or reality in our own eyes. Yes the World Cup is fun to watch and entertaining for most of us, but at the same time people can over act with the decisions the refs call or anything they think opposite of us. I mean if you have a family and all of a sudden your parents or parent start going wild in front of the Tv because they made a bad call they thought was not. I mean we as adults need to set an example to our children or anyone around us. Now there can be ways to fix these problems that the FIFA can use, for example, to review what they see to make sure that that's the decision they should make for sure. Sometime the FIFA can also have favorites towards a team and they just call random fouls that aren't true, well this causes turmoil. We as a nation need to face the truth, realize it and accept whether we agree or not. If they want the best for everyone to watch they should really see the truth and expand to it so they know what's hundred percent right. We need to face TRUTH and REALITY! In life we can't live behind the truth or hide behind it because it will come back to you and then why have truth if we can't face it or admit it . It would be easier for everyone to watch the World Cup and enjoy it with fair plays .
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