[JLMatthew]

Here's my two cents...I do both Basketball and base ball, basketball is my primary.

"Rita put it nicely, stating that umpires are observers, and referees are "tattlers".

No one likes a rat, I guess"

kylejt and rita have it on the money. In baseball there is a call on every play...ball/strike, fair/foul, safe/out, etc. Someone may disagree with that call but the umpire is usually right then the game moves on. In theory, you could have a basketball game without a single call if none of the players committ fouls, throw the ball out of bounds, etc. If a coach argued every ball/strike call that was wrong he might comment on ten calls the whole game (if the PU is having a bad day : )). If a ref consistently has a good no call that a coach thinks is a foul, he's going to bicker all game. If a fan doesn't understand traveling he's going to complain every time he incorrectly thinks there's a travel.

Basketball judgements are "if" decisions, baseball judgements are "either/or" decisions. The very nature of the calls/no calls themselves lend to argument in basketball, but not necessarily in baseball. In a typical at-bat you will have about 4-6 calls to make, on a typical possesion, if you include no calls on contact, and include fan bias, you have many more decisions than that to make that are debateable in the fan/coaches mind. My blabber is now complete. Hope this makes sense. Peace.