Hypothetical situation: a Ukranian and a Brazilian are jarring at each other, then the Ukrainian shoves the Brazilian in the face. You are the referee, what do you do?
Well, according to the Andre Rocha precedent, the Ukranian gets a big fat red.
If you’re Kevin Stott, you give a yellow card to both players. That’s right, Mr. Stott. Show ‘em who’s boss. Clearly whatever the Brailian dude was saying combined with that minimal contact justifies the smack in the face.
Then when that Brazilian does an average elbow-to-face foul on a jump ball halfway through the first half. Again, what does the referee in you decide to do?
90% of referees would think: Well its still the first half, don’t give a yellow.
9% of referees would think: Well its still in the first half and he’s already on a yellow, don’t give a second yellow.
1% of referees would think: Well its still in the first half and I did give him that bone-headed first yellow, don’t give him a second yellow.
Mr. Stott (and only Mr. Stott): Confidently stride over there and show him a 2nd yellow and then red. After all, Max Bretos just called him the best referee in MLS.
Interesting Wikipedia page on stotting featuring one of my least favorite biologists:
Richard Dawkins, in his book The Selfish Gene, refers to stotting and explains it as the animal’s attempt at advertising its health. Since mammalian predators tend to hunt old or unhealthy animals, stotting informs the predator that the animal is actually very healthy and strong and the predator might do well to try to hunt the other animals in the herd.
I therefore extend stotting from the biology domain to the soccer domain. Stotting informs the soccer player that the referee is actually in charge and the soccer player do well to try to not expect games called intelligently.
Don’t take this post to mean we actually deserve a post-season berth. We don’t. I just hate Kevin Stott. Nathan and others — feel free to pile on.
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