When I’m on assignment at a game, I don’t just focus on the action between the lines—I also keep an ear out for the goldmine of entertainment happening on the sidelines. And trust me, there’s always something worth hearing. From coaches whispering top-secret plays like it’s the CIA, to the line crew—those guys holding the down markers—offering their unsolicited coaching advice on what should have happened two plays ago.
At one football game, I was on the visiting team’s sideline when I overheard two guys—one holding a camera (press? parent? mystery remains) and another doing stats—venting about all the penalties against their team. Classic stuff. It’s the same script at nearly every game: “We never get the calls!” “The refs are clearly from around here!”
I was already quietly laughing at the conspiracy theories when things escalated. These two geniuses decided to include the actual official standing nearby in their rant. You could see the confusion on his face as he politely explained, “Uh, we’re not from this area at all.”
Naturally, this did nothing to stop the complaints. “Well, every time we’re on the road, it’s the same thing!” they insisted, completely unfazed by logic. That’s when I couldn’t help myself—I let out a laugh that probably got caught on my audio track.
But here’s the kicker. A few minutes later, I had moved to the home sideline to get a different angle. A flag flew. Penalty on the home team. Without missing a beat, a home fan starts griping: “C’mon ref! Call it both ways!”
At that point, I nearly dropped my camera from chuckling. Different sideline, same outrage.
So, the next time you’re at a game and feel the urge to yell about the officials, just remember—fans on the other side are doing the exact same thing. Everyone thinks they’re getting the short end of the whistle.
And in case you’re wondering, yes… the refs were calling it both ways. You just didn’t like the result.
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