http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/One-Mans-View-Official-Folly-33515
This was both incisive and funny, which are my two favorite qualities in an article. This is just the first half of it that I thought I'd share:
Dear Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission: your referees are not up to snuff.
Spurious commentary and irritating chatter are not in a referee’s job description, but you would not have known it on Sunday. Referee Chip Snider, bursting with all kinds of information, would not shut up during the fights to which he was assigned. Overall, the UFC Live 4 event had a level of refereeing that looked like something from 2005 instead of the evolved officiating we expect today.
A referee has a specific set of responsibilities, and these include verbal warnings to remind fighters of the rules, as well as the occasional reminder to pick up the action during an exceptionally slow fight or to warn of an impending standup. The latter two responsibilities are often where a referee shows how much he or she knows or does not know about MMA -- the ebb and flow of a fight are entirely up to a referee’s discretion in terms of whether that makes palatable action. For the most part, inexperienced refs tend to be excessively involved.
In addition to constantly badgering Tyson Griffin and Manny Gamburyan during their bout, Snider failed to open his mouth during the one opportunity he had to enforce the rules, as he let Charles “do Bronx” Oliveira get away with booming illegal knee on a clearly downed Nik Lentz. It was so blatant, the crowd booed immediately, but Snider apparently missed it, even though he was positioned to call it for the foul that it was.
Referees make mistakes, but when they make mistakes and follow that with the kind of showing Snider had in Griffin-Gamburyan, it becomes obvious the Pennsylvania commission has some work to do in telling refs why they are in the cage. It is not to badger and harass fighters every few seconds, nor offer informal commentary, both of which Snider did incessantly through the three-round bout.
Here are some examples, with my observations, where appropriate:
• In the first round, as the duo are tied up against the cage ...
Snider: Let’s throw some leather!
Me: Are takedowns OK, too?
• At the beginning of the second round ...
Snider: Come on! Let’s do it again.
Me: No kidding. They’re going to fight beyond a round? A genius observation, sir.
• With 4:35 left in the second round ...
Snider: Come on boys. Let’s get it going. Let’s get some action.
• Later in the second round, when Gamburyan lands a punch ...
Snider: There you go. That’s what I want to see. Come on.
Me: Who asked what tactics you want to see?
• With 3:10 left, Gamburyan misses a shot ...
Snider: That a way. Keep doing that. Keep fighting like that.
Me: Are you Gamburyan’s father?
