acting up?

[SMEngmann]

I won't ever criticize a fellow official in front of fans simply because it makes that guy's job considerably harder and gives fans some ammunition. I know other officials though, who will make comments, and that annoys me. However, there is nothing that I hate seeing at a game more than an official who doesn't make an effort when calling a game. Judgement calls and positioning, those things I won't touch, but when I see a guy who's lazy out there and not giving the game his best effort it gets me really mad. By laziness I mean not knowing the basic rules of the game, the simplest mechanics and simply not making any effort to hustle. Officials like this make ALL of us look bad and hurt the general perception of officiating. I think if this is the case, it is the lone exception where we can criticize our fellow officials. By giving other officials our support, they agree by default to work their games to the best of their ability and to be competent at the most basic level.