Officiating in History
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Tales of big games, big calls and the officials that worked them.
Umpire George Magerkurth Ruled With An Iron Fist
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Umpire George Magerkurth ruled with an iron fist, which he wasn’t above wielding when challenged on a baseball diamond.
Magerkurth worked 2,808 regular-season games and...
Nolan Ryan’s Final Hit Batter: August 4, 1993
In his illustrious 27-year career, Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan hit 158 batters.
“He did not have a reputation as a headhunter,” said retired...
Mayhem in Cleveland: Browns vs. Jaguars Dec. 16, 2001
It started out as a feel-good day that would eventually take a serious turn for the worse. There was no way of telling that...
You Are There: UCLA Streak Snapped
There are only three “streaks” in sports that matter: DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak, Ripken’s 2,632 consecutive game “iron man” streak and UCLA’s 88-game winning...
Behind the Scenes on the Legendary Woodson Interception
On Oct. 25, 1997, Michigan State’s Todd Schultz took the third-and-long snap in Spartan Stadium with a little more than two minutes left in...
“I’ll Never Forget”: Officiating Legends Recall Their Most Memorable Game
It is June 14, 1998, at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The Chicago Bulls are playing the Utah Jazz in Game 6...
The Glory Road Game
Thornton Jenkins had so much more than an NCAA basketball championship game to officiate when Texas Western tipped off against the University of Kentucky...
College Football Officiating at 150
DYK? Referees did not make all rulings in college football games until 1876.
As college football marks its 150th anniversary this season, it is only...
The Ice Bowl: Green Bay vs. Dallas Dec. 31, 1967
The Northland Hotel’s cheerful wakeup message belied what had settled in during the night.
“Good morning,” the answering service chirped. “It is 16 degrees below zero and...
Bronx Brawl – Yankees vs. Orioles – May 19, 1998
Over the years, MLB has seen its share of bench-clearing brawls. Once the benches clear, and the bullpens empty, it is usually a time...
Partner’s Heart Attack on the Court is Never Forgotten
It is Aug. 20, 2002 and the WNBA is becoming firmly entrenched as a professional league, now in the playoffs of its sixth season....
Infamous Bartman Foul Ball – Chicago Cubs vs. Florida Marlins – October 14, 2003
Chicago Cubs fans were left numb by a disastrous 2002 campaign, which saw the club finish fifth in the NL Central Division and 28...
Locked Out
Late on the evening of Sept. 24, 2012, three men enjoy a nightcap at a New York City hotel. On the TV, the Seattle...
The Immaculate Reception: Pittsburgh vs. Oakland Dec. 23, 1972
Fred Swearingen's world had slowed down by 1998 and he was into a peaceful life in Carlsbad, Calif. His serene existence when we interviewed him...
One Second Left: Celtics vs. Suns 1976 NBA Finals
Richie Powers recalls that the biggest call he had to make in his nearly 25-year NBA officiating career came at the Boston Garden on...
Hammerin’ Hank 715
It was perhaps the most sacred of all of baseball’s sacred records, but when Hank Aaron launched long ball number 715, he became baseball’s...
MLB umpire Steve Rippley ejects 17 during one ’84 game
It may happen that an umpire can go through an entire career without a “hat trick.” That’s baseball parlance for ejecting three participants in...
The Pine Tar Incident: Brett v. McClelland – July 24, 1983
As Tim McClelland walked toward his gate at New York’s LaGuardia International Airport the evening of July 24, 1983, the first-year AL umpire had to pass...
The Eras of Our Ways
Ron Luciano, who died in 1995, was one of the classic arbiters and characters of the 1970s in professional sports. An AL umpire for...
A History of Strikes and Lockouts
Over the years, strikes or lockouts have impacted the officials of every major sport.
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abor disputes have been a part of American life since shortly...
Hoosiers – Milan vs. Muncie: 1954 Indiana State Basketball Championship
Milan High School, enrollment 161, defeated the favored Bearcats of Muncie Central, 32-30, to win the 1954 Indiana state basketball championship. Plump’s shot with three seconds...
Webber’s Timeout: Michigan vs. UNC 1993 NCAA Championship
The 1993 NCAA men’s basketball championship game was one of the most famous college hoops game ever. Why? Because the new guard — Michigan’s...
Eight Is Enough: 1985 NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship
You would think after officiating more than 166 minutes of a soccer game, the sweat-soaked officials had put in a full day and would...
The Earthquake Game: 1989 World Series Game 3 San Francisco vs. Oakland
When the 1989 San Francisco quake hit, baseball stopped as a city tended to its wounds. It was the only time in history a World Series was...
