I have been a sports official for over 40 years. A very, very low percentage of that time did I not either enjoy or need the money.
Old Hats on the Forum won't admit to the fact that they need, want, desire and require the money. Or the fact that it clouds their judgments.
So we see posts where R is actually "Out" but called "Safe". Why? Because that's what the people who control their pay saw.
I don't find completely objectionable these compromises that a sport official might truly need to keep his nose clean and his job status upright, to keep his assignments, to keep his money inflow.
What I find
completely objectionable is this facade, this ridiculous dishonesty about the money, and its influence on all of us.
Until we can have honest discussions about the influence of the money, how it influences us, our officiating preferences....then what we have is nothing more than conversations among participants that refuse to admit to the underlying realities of beng a modern day sports official.
And needing the money.