Convenient Scapegoats: Why We Love Blaming Referees For Losses

And why they are a part of theater of sports that we hate to acknowledge

Sports fans don’t often agree about many things. There are conspiracy theories, debates over greatness, and ranking of teams that lead to some of the most heated arguments you will see in person or online. Sports bring out a certain level of passion in us that those that are not invested will never understand. They are poetry, storytelling, excitement, and agony all rolled into one chaotic ball of emotion. Because of this passion there are few things that fans seem to universally agree on, but like every rule there is an exception.

The exception is that fans of every sport and every team do not like referees. If a team loses, it is likely that before a fan blames a player or a coach, they will mention how their team was wronged by a call that an official did or did not make “cost them the game”. There have been many people that have questioned the intelligence and integrity of referees as being slanted, biased, and overall unfair. It is very much a part of fandom, the tribalism of following a team that makes you feel like everyone wants you and your team to lose. But allow me to make an alternative argument for the officials that we love to hate and criticize so much: they are as much a part of the game as crowd noise, opposing players, and…