Really now, is it that hard to be a good sport?  There’s plenty of blame to go around.  Let’s start in reverse with the horrible officiating in Game 5 of the Celtics/Magic Eastern Conference finals.  NBA Ref Eddie F. Rush gave Kendrick Perkins his second technical foul of the game on a ridiculous call, resulting in an automatic ejection.  It changed the complexion of the game just before halftime and threatened to turn the series upside down.  With Perk reaching the maximum number of technicals allowed in postseason play (7), he was facing a game suspension.  Fortunately the league came to its senses and rescinded one of the technicals, which means Perk won’t have to sit a game out.

Perk clearly has a chronic complaining problem, but his reaction to what was an awful call was somewhat understandable.  What’s inexcusable was Eddie Rush’s rush to justice.  It’s the playoffs for goodness sake!  You have to let a lot of little stuff go.

What’s everyone talking about the next day?  The officiating.  When sportstalk radio is focusing on officiating, clearly we have trouble.

Doc Rivers not having it from Eddie F. Rush/NBA & Getty Images

A couple of hours before that there was Umpire Joe West who called two balks on White Sox Pitcher Mark Buehrle.  West quickly tossed Manager Ozzie Guillen out for arguing the first one, and Buehrle after the pitcher threw his glove down in disgust after the second.  Between a dozen or so f-bombs, Ozzie provided profound wisdom.  Paraphrasing Ozzie here, “Nobody comes to a f*&$%’n game to watch a f*#&!’n manager or umpire.  They come to watch the players.  Joe West thinks people come to a f*#&%’n game to watch him umpire.”

Ozzie’s right even if his choice of adjectives isn’t.

Ozzie Guillen & Joe West/Courtesy AP

And on Tuesday during the Red Sox and Rays contest Carl Crawford was tossed after arguing with Umpire Bob Davidson.  Crawford clearly went too far by nudging close enough that the bill of his helmet bopped Davidson’s nose.  Contact is an automatic ejection.  Then Rays’ Manager Joe Maddon got tossed too.  Davidson had to throw them out, but his willingness to shout profanities back within inches of Madden’s face is unprofessional umpiring at worst and sophomoric at best.

Courtesy: Getty Images

There is a gulf of resentment between players and umpires and it’s growing wider by the day.  The  jealously over money and attention is as bad as anything you’d find in a sorority house.  With that kind of drama simmering below the surface, one only needs a nudge to spark the explosion.  Players should know better and have respect for authority.  At the same time those authority figures ought to bigger about it when players/managers & coaches try to make them look small.  Let me steal a line from WWE Superstar The Rock,  ”Know your role and shut your mouth.”

That’s part of being a Good Sport, which by the way is the title of my blog.