Murray Wood: Who's hot... and who's not
Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look back at the week's news and decides who's hot... and who's not. This week's list ...
There seems to be a mixed review of minor hockey parents.
Are they rude, screaming lunatics, or well-reasoned, encouraging, respectful humans?
Some said the former, others said the latter on the Green Zone.
At issue is the treatment of officials in hockey, a job that is getting harder to fill these days as getting yelled at by men and women 30 years older than you doesn’t seem like a job many kids want.
Montreal has watched other sports around North America use a green armband on umpires or ref jerseys to identify a young, learning official.
It’s sort of like a learning driver sticker on a bumper. So the Saskatchewan Hockey Association is watching to see if there is less hostility toward young officials in Montreal because of this green armband.
Anything is good. Attitudes toward refs need to change and it’s not just the parents but of course coaches and players as well.
There were those who suggested bigger fines, year-long bans or, heck, put armbands on parents who break the code of conduct rules.
Or we should just chill out and let kids learn and make mistakes without screaming at them.
After all, it’s just a game, people. Games are supposed to be fun.
