Tuesday 4 January 2011

Morning Scepticism: Umpire

In sport, the referee or umpire is there as an impartial observer, one who can objectively as possible look at what goes on and apply the rules. But they aren't exactly ideal observers. They have their own pressures, their own biases, their own failings of the senses, and can make mistakes. In other words, they're human. But the game is meant to be played to a certain set of rules and the trappings of being human is not what an outcome should turn on. That we have technology now that can assist in playing to a certain rules is not destroying the purity of the game but trying to make the umpire's role as objective as possible. After all, people don't watch sport for the umpiring.

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