“This Isn’t a Reality Show”: Former Referee Dave Jackson Slams Sidney Crosby Fans for Going After the Referee

The recent game misconduct that Sidney Crosby received has left the NHL community in an uproar. The Pittsburgh Penguins center got the misconduct charge after he followed the referee on the ice, asking explanation for an earlier timeout that he had received. This is the first misconduct for Sidney Crosby in his 18 years of playing in the NHL.

Needless to say, Crosby fans have absolutely shunned the decision. Many have come forward on various platforms, including Twitter, to protest. While Crosby fans are totally against the referee, some have come forwards to defend him as well.

Dave Jackson teaches Sidney Crosby fans a lesson on Twitter

Some screenshots surfaced on Facebook, which showcased a Twitter war between Dave Jackson and Sidney Crosby fans. The brunt of the anger of all Crosby fans has fallen on the referee that assigned him the misconduct. Dave Jackson, a former referee himself, spoke out to defend the referee’s decision.

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One fan tweeted, “One of the faces of the league and one of the best players ever cant say what he wants in the worry of getting fined. While refs can call anything and get away with it everytime. Make it make sense…” Jackson’s reply was, “I’ve got no idea what Sid said on the ice. Refs need to file a detailed report on any incident. Refs don’t get away with doing whatever they want. There’s internal reviews the same as you probably get on your job. I don’t think your boss makes them public?”

When a fan asked for the reveal of the report that the referee made, Dave Jackson explained why that was not feasible, “Unless you’ve done the job, you have no idea what things get said in the heat of the moment. No one [players, coaches and refs] deserves to have the public consume what they uttered in frustration. This isn’t a reality show.” Not only this, but Jackson also shed some light on the accountability of players as well as referees.

Accountability v. Privacy on the ice

While knowing exactly what happened on the ice is tempting, it is no secret that words get sensationalized easily. Words, when taken out of context, can cause quite a scandal. Therefore, when one fan questioned the accountability of referees by saying, “So hold players accountable but not refs? I know if I did something wrong in my job or lost it in frustration I’d be accountable,” Jackson replied by saying, “…that’s not what I said. I’ve never once said that referees should not be held accountable. I said the public doesn’t need to know exactly what each individual said to each other on the ice. These are often heated conversations.”

The adrenaline and the tension that comes with hockey lead to some heated exchanges between the players, refs, or coaches. While it is tempting to outrightly reject the ref’s decision, it might do some good to reflect on it. Ultimately, no one knows what happened with Crosby and the ref at that moment. The answers by Jackson, however, might force some people to rethink their stance.

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Do you think there is any merit in the arguments that Dave Jackson has made?