Match officials are ruining the beautiful game

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I’m as disgusted as Arsene Wenger over the two blatantly unfair refereeing decisions against the Arsenal in the game versus Sunderland, yesterday. However, this is not the first time, nor will it be the last, until some sort of technology is introduced into the sport to aid the match officials.

Off-side decisions which are glaringly wrong are being given so often, it’s turning the beautiful game into a farce. The linesmen it seems are competing for attention, as much as the players. The game today is invariably played at a furious pace, and there are some genuine speedster’s in most teams, and Arsenal are masters at the fast flowing game. Their pace unfortunately tends to show up the linesmen’s inability to keep up with the flow of the game.

Surely there is technology already available that can assist the match officials? What about a simple tag in the player’s clothing or boots which transmit a signal that processing software can interpret to show his position on the field at all times relative to opposing players. Such a system could easily be linked to the officials ear-piece to emit a signal when an advancing player strays beyond the last opposing player’s position.

I’m no software or hardware boffin, but this is in no way rocket science. Sure there are problems to be overcome, such as delays to the flow of the game, but match officials blow up such petty transgressions anyways, I’m sure the viewing public can learn to live with it.

It’s time that that dinosaur in charge of FIFA, Septic Bladder gives technology a chance.

It’s certainly better that cheating good teams by making decisions that cost them vital games; because that’s exactly what it is – cheating, albeit from the officials rather than opposing players.

On a brighter note, it seems that the refereeing blunders from yesterday may not cost Arsenal that much after all – Liverpool have done us a monumental favor by downing Manchester United. The title race is on again, but I would have loved to have seen Arsenal on level points terms with United, with a game in hand…

Another middle-finger to the chumps in power

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I’m finally registered and rearing to vote in the local elections on 18 May 2011. It’s been more than 16 years since I’ve been this enthusiastic about voting.

You see this time I’m really looking forward to the pure pleasure of voting AGAINST THE ANC. I have no illusions that my single vote coupled with those of the thinking public, is going to make any difference to the hold on power that the ANC has somehow managed to retain despite its woeful track record, but at least I get to show them the middle-finger in the most diplomatic way possible.

So the big question is, who to vote for?

I’ve been thinking about this carefully; I don’t want to just vote for anyone in opposition to the ANC. That would be tantamount to not voting at all. As usual there is no shortage of choice. There are a total of 164 political Parties registered by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to contest the vote. That’s a lot, but is there any quality there?

Having eliminated the ANC by default, I have had a cursory look at the other parties on the IEC’s website. Some stand out for curiosity value, others give me the chills for what they represent, and at least one has the cutest name for a Party – Keep It Straight and Simple (KISS).

There is an astonishing number of political Parties riding on the religious ticket, mostly Christianity. One wonders why they all couldn’t get together and form a united Christian front. But I suppose it is merely an extension of the fractured nature of the Christian community at large – too many disparate denominations competing to sell the same discredited ideology. I did notice at least one Party with Muslim leanings, but I’d be dumbfounded if they have more that a smattering of support.

There is one called the God’s People’s Party (GPP). But let’s not even go there!

The large number of political Parties with religious affiliations/leanings is rather disconcerting. It’s been a long, bloody and painful journey on which the world finally ousted religion from politics, and here in South Africa they’re all clamoring to get back in again. Has Church [and other religions] attendance dropped so low, that they need their old platform to proselytize from again, and indeed, potential new sources of revenue generation?

Another Party that I eliminated as a matter of course, is the Congress of the People (COPE). The ugly public spat between its leaders for control of the Party, discredit them immediately; it’s blatantly obvious they’re more interested in the power, prestige, influence and trappings of wealth that political office can bring (especially in South Africa with its largely naive political mentality). To go with COPE, there’s the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP). This is a Party of has-been’s that is slowly but surely falling apart, very publicly. Enough said!

Another which looks enticing is the Abolition of Income Tax and Usury Party (AITUP). Off course, we all know what a pipe dream that is.

All in all a large choice, but unfortunately very little with any decent track record of “for the people.” Politicians, unfortunately by and large cannot be trusted. But we do need someone who have at least a modicum of decency and trustworthiness. Someone who understands that they govern for my benefit, not their own. To my mind the only Party that have demonstrated a willingness to serve the people with a semblance of honesty and integrity is the Democratic Alliance (DA).

I have therefore selected the DA to receive my vote of confidence. If and when the DA decide to betray my trust, I will be showing them the middle-finger too.