They also happen at the amateur level, and that fact is most disturbing of all. For more than a dozen years, NASO and the staff of Referee Magazine have tracked physical assaults against officials. The fact of the matter is, the magazine could feature assault news in every monthly issue. If you review the sordid record of assaults against officials, it is not hard to come away believing we have lost civility and that being cordial, respectful and accepting of authority is no longer necessary. In its place stands the braggadocio of confrontation, justified by PR spin.
Sports officials find themselves in a precarious position.
Blame the police, blame the judges and blame the refs. During the week after the Alomar incident, our staff was inundated by media requests for commentary and perspective on what had happened. I personally did more than three hours of radio time on a variety of sports programs. The interview covered 90 minutes, and many, many fans called in to support the stand taken by the Major League umpires, as articulated by their executive director, Richie Phillips. Fans were genuinely outraged over the lack of decisive leadership exhibited by baseball's brass.