Go to RefYouSuck.com
Order any REFYOUSUCK.com t-shirt- get another for free! ($3 extra for 2XL)

Use coupon code “freeshirt” to claim yours but hurry- once 50 or sold, the deal is over!

Follow Ref You Suck! on Twitter
Follow Ump You Suck! on twitter

by James Mirtle Globe Sports
This was the sequence in overtime of last night’s game, where a non-call on a hit from behind on Vancouver Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa turned into a questionable hooking call on Nashville Predators captain Shea Weber soon after.

Forty seconds after the penalty, Ryan Kesler tipped in the overtime winner, giving the Canucks a 2-1 series lead.

Nashville fans and players were really upset after the game, with Predators forward David Legwand ripping referee Tim Peel for his call.

“I think it’s a horrible call,” Legwand told Yahoo! Sports, among others. “Obviously they’re going to think it’s a good call, but Kesler’s obviously holding his stick. I don’t know if Timmy Peel had a date or something, but he wanted to get out of here pretty quick, it looked like. It’s a tough way to lose a game.”

He repeated his message more than once, according to the Vancouver Sun.

“That ticky-tack in overtime is kind of tough,” Legwand added. “I don’t know if the ref had to be somewhere tonight. It was a tough call to take; obviously Kesler is holding on to his stick. Webby’s stick shouldn’t be in there in the first place, but Kesler’s holding on his stick and that’s a pretty touchy call for overtime.

“Someone’s got to be held accountable for it. That’s a bad hockey call. In the end, they get the goal and capitalize. Timmy Peel calls that and it’s a bad call. Do something about it. It’s kind of tough to point on one person, but that’s a bad hockey call.”

The officiating has had some low moments in these playoffs so far, with Canucks GM Mike Gillis going after the refs and getting a large, undisclosed fine for his troubles leading up to Game 7 of the first round.

The Buffalo Sabres also weren’t very happy with some of the officiating in their series with the Philadelphia Flyers, including a hit from behind that put Tim Connolly out for the series that resulted in only a minor penalty.

The most players can be fined under the CBA is just $2,500 (U.S.) so you’d expect a whole lot more of this from individuals unless the league goes after the team itself.

Should players be able to call out referees for bad calls? Or is the NHL right to attempt to keep a lid on this?

view original article here

Ducks VS Stars officiating nightmare

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

To pay tribute to what is being called “the worst NHL officiated game all season” Ref You Suck! Will be giving away 50 FREE t-shirts before the Ducks VS Sharks game at the Honda Center on Wednesday, April 7th.

For those of you going to this game, please email refusuck@gmail(dot)com for the secret location. The location will be announced at 5pm on Wednesday. Due to the strange and unusual event that happened last year at the Honda Center, there will be NO PROTEST BEFORE THE GAME. We aren’t trying to get banned again!

If you would like to help us distribute the shirts to the fans, make sure to mention it in your email.

Media inquiries: please contact Brian@refyousuck.com

News Release

WASHINGTON—Jan. 27, 2011— When it comes to the Super Bowl, defense matters. When it comes to planning a Super Bowl XLV party, a good defense against foodborne illness matters even more.

“This year, we’re urging fans to follow the food safety play book at the Super Bowl parties they host,” USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Elisabeth Hagen said. “Large gatherings can increase the chance of becoming ill, but by following these rules all fans can enjoy the game and their food, safely.”

Illegal use of hands

Avoid penalties for “illegal use of hands.” Unclean hands are one of the biggest culprits for spreading bacteria, and finger foods at parties are especially vulnerable. Chefs and guests should wash their hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds before and after handling food. Also, be sure to clean eating surfaces often, and wash serving platters before replenishing them with fresh food.

Offsides

Think of your party fare as two different teams—uncooked versus ready-to-eat foods. Prevent “encroachment” at all costs and keep each team in its own zone. The juices from raw meat can contain harmful bacteria that cross-contaminate other food. Use one cutting board for raw meat and poultry and another one for cutting veggies or foods that will not be cooked. If you use only one cutting board, wash it with hot soapy water after preparing each food item.

Equipment violations and holding

Call a “time out” and use a food thermometer to be sure meat and poultry are safely cooked. Remember that internal temperature, not meat color, indicates doneness. Steaks should be cooked to 145 °F, ground beef should be cooked to 160 °F, and all poultry should be cooked to 165 °F.

“Holding” may be one of the most likely offenses your referee encounters if your party lasts late into the night. Never hold foods for more than two hours at room temperature. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers promptly to block offensive bacteria from multiplying. The same rules apply for cold foods. If cold food has been sitting out for more than two hours, do not eat it. When in doubt, throw it out of the game—and your party.

False start

When it comes to foodborne illness, there is no opportunity for an instant replay. To avoid these infractions, make sure you understand the rules completely. One of the best resources available before kickoff is USDA’s virtual representative, “Ask Karen,” available at AskKaren.gov. Food safety coaches are available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET on the “Ask Karen Chat” and by phone at the USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline, 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854). Recorded messages are available 24 hours a day.

The NFL has assigned Terry McAulay to referee the game. McAulay has not worked a Packers’ game since that Sept. 27 Monday night affair in which penalties not only wiped out a touchdown by the Packers but also took away an interception of Bears quarterback Jay Cutler.

Had their 18-penalty debacle been a more recent occurrence, the Packers might have been more startled by officiating assignment. But no one in the Packers’ locker room was fretting over the fact that McAulay will head the crew.

“We know it was an anomaly,” said Packers left guard Daryn Colledge, who had a holding penalty in that game. “And it was something we did to ourselves. Whether we feel like the refs made a couple of bad calls or not, you could say that on maybe one or two, but 16 of those were on us. They’re false starts; they’re holdings. We did a lot of things wrong, but we learned a lot, and we’ve been a much better team penalty-wise over the last however many weeks.

“I want to go out and prove to those guys that we can play Packer football without, obviously, cheating.”

But it won’t be the exact same officials. During the regular season, the referee works with the same crew. But at this point in the playoffs, the NFL compiles what it believes to be the best officials at each position. Ed Hochuli is scheduled to lead the crew that will call the AFC title game between Pittsburgh and the New York Jets.

“Terry is the referee; he has obviously been selected for this game for good reason,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “We look at that game as an anomaly. I don’t think this game is going to be about anomaly officiating. There are two very good teams that earned the right to be in this game, and this game will be about the football teams.”

read entire article

LOS ANGELES – The Nets spent the better part of last week discussing their toughness, or lack thereof.

The lessons followed an embarrassing loss to Miami, when LeBron James and Co. performed circus-act dunks with a free path to the hoop, prompting coach Avery Johnson to institute a no-layup rule.

Devin Harris took it to heart in Monday night’s 110-96 victory over the Clippers. He also took it a little too far.

The Nets’ point guard stopped an easy bucket by throwing his arms around the neck of Clippers rookie sensation Blake Griffin, who was on a clean breakaway in transition. Griffin fell backward and Harris was handed a Flagrant-2 foul, resulting in an automatic ejection.

He could also face a suspension, depending on a league review. It was not a good way to start a four-game West Coast road trip for the team’s leading scorer and floor general.

“That was a tough call,” Nets coach Avery Johnson said. “Devin wasn’t trying to hurt the guy and he definitely wasn’t trying to commit a flagrant foul.”

The Nets (4-6) responded positively against the hapless Clippers (1-10), who were without two injured starters – Chris Kaman and Baron Davis.

Brook Lopez and Travis Outlaw led the Nets with 24 and 23 points, respectively. The Nets also got an encouraging effort from Kris Humprhies (12 rebounds, 13 points), who solidified his starting power-forward role as the gritty rebounder to complement Lopez’s finesse. Humphries helped hold Griffin to 11 points in 29 minutes.

The Clippers pulled within three in the fourth quarter, but Lopez, Outlaw and Humphries had the response.

The Nets went on a 14-4 run for a 38-27 lead to start the second quarter. On the Nets’ next possession, L.A. center DeAndre Jordan picked up a steal and fed an outlet pass to Griffin, who had an unobstructed path to two points.

Harris, who was trailing the play, reeled in the 2009 first overall pick with an over-the-shoulder tackle, waking up the crowd of 14,516 at the Staples Center. Harris tried to catch Griffin as he fell – a demonstration that there was no malicious intent – but the horse-collaring was enough evidence.

The referees reviewed the replay and confirmed the Flagrant-2 foul. Harris’ ejection shook up the rotation, giving minutes to undrafted rookie Ben Uzoh, but one regular was nailed to the bench: Troy Murphy, who was demoted from starter to third-string power forward.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/2010/11/16/2010-11-16_devin_ejected_but_nets_ko_clips_on_coast.html#ixzz15TYTLHWN

Talk to the hand

In explaining his ejection in the sixth inning of Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Giants, Astros outfielder Carlos Lee said he was bothered at the strike call by home plate umpire Bill Welke, but what got him upset was Welke’s actions right after.

“The thing that got me over the edge was that he started going to me like (motioning his hand in a dismissive manner) ‘Get out of here,’ ” Lee said. “I was walking away and he made like (repeating the motion) ‘Get out of here.’ I’m like … I said something I shouldn’t have said, probably.”

Lee was convinced Welke’s call for the strikeout was incorrect.

“I’m seeing the pitch and the ball good, and we get calls like that,” said Lee, who said he watched the replay at least four times in the clubhouse.

“I don’t argue that much, but I was sure that was not a strike.”

It marked Lee’s first ejection as a member of the Astros.

He became the third Astro to be ejected over the past seven games. Michael Bourn (May and manager Brad Mills (May 9) were the others.
Waiting for a break

All things considered, Roy Oswalt is pleased with the way he has been pitching.

“I feel pretty good,” Oswalt said. “My mechanics weren’t as good as they were the last start.

“But good enough to lose.”

Oswalt allowed two runs on six hits with no walks and seven strikeouts against the Giants. He got a no-decision in his previous start, a 4-3 Astros win over the Padres on May 9.

Manager Brad Mills understands Oswalt being frustrated.

“I’m sure there’s major frustration,” Mills said. “To have the guy pitch like that and continue to struggle; he’s not getting rewarded right now.”

read more here