I have long felt that being an official at the professional level is a tough line of work.  If it's 98 degrees on turf and you are an umpire, you get to stand out in the heat all day.  If a hockey game goes four overtimes, you are skating for seven periods.  It's a tough racket and for the most part, I admire the men and women who do the job.

That said, this recent incident involving Joey Crawford and Tim Duncan is another example of how some officials think they are the show.  Yesterday, during the Cubs-Padres game, Cubs pitcher Wade Miller took exception to a borderline ball four call by umpire Chris Guccione.  Miller walked halfway to home plate asking where the pitch was. Rather than turn his back,  Guccione, ripped off his mask and stepped forward engaging Miler and no doubt making him even more upset.  Cubs manager Lou Piniella went to the mound and calmed Miller down,  but  when Guccione came to the mound to break up the confab, he was still yapping at Miller.

Officials need to just do their job and let the players do theirs.  They control the game and certainly, if a player mouths off or shows disrespect, they should be tossed or t'ed up.  But Tim Duncan laughing is not a reason to toss him out of the game.  It is a reason to anger David Stern. 

Joey Crawford clearly crossed the line between being part of the game and being the game.  And now, he may have paid for it with his job.

Speaking of officials, our friends at AA have a nice little tribute to a multi-time winner of the Stevie Wonder award, Bruce Froemming.  The story of how he robbed Milt Pappas of a no-hitter is legend (I actually watched that game and to this day agree with Pappas.)  I met Pappas a couple of years ago and his blood pressure still rises when he is reminded of that game, which took place 35 years ago.

Lightning Round

• In the chase for Lord Stanley's Cup, the Sens have backed the Pens into a corner.  Not even Superkid can save them.  The Rangers slashed the Thrash and probably will sweep Atlanta which will most likely sweep coach Bob Hartley out the door.  Roberto Luongo is the real deal in the playoffs and the Canucks are a game away from dumping the Stars. The Ducks hope for a sweep was shot down by the Wild and Calgary showed a lot of jump and a lot of heart beating Detroit.  Tonight, a crucial game four between San Jose and Nashville.
• The Rangers embarrassed the White Sox 8-1 yesterday.  To add insult to injury, Sammy Sosa hit a double and three run homer for Texas despite being booed loudly by Sox fans.  Speaking of injuries, Scott Podsednik hurts himself in a workout and is put on the DL.  Ozzie still refuses to start Brian Anderson.  That is becoming an interesting little soap opera.
• Felix Pie gets called up by the Cubs and has a decent day, but the Cubs lose in 14 innings.
• The Washington Nationals may not win many games, but last night they won a lot of respect.
• South Alabama is set to hire Ronnie Arrow as their new head coach.  Arrow will be in his second go round at USA.  His career highlight is beating Wimp Sanderson and Alabama in the NCAA tournament.  He's still better than USA's athletic director Joe Gottfried who may have been the worst college basketball coach I've ever seen this side of Ron Jirsa.
• St. Louis, in a strange move, fired their head basketball coach Brad Soderberg.  Soderberg, you may recall, finished the season for Dick Bennett at Wisconsin a few years ago, only to be denied the promotion in favor of Bo Ryan.  Soderberg had a winning record at St. Louis, but because they play in the A-10, it's hard to make the Big Dance unless you win the conference tournament.  The tough part about this for Soderberg is that it comes at a time when most of the coaching jobs are taken and he may have to sit out a year.  The guy is a good coach.
• I guarantee you have not heard the last of Pokey Chatman.  And it could get ugly.
• Speaking of ugly, Houston Nutt has written an open letter asking people to back off him, his family and his friend the TV reporter, Donna Bragg who he wrongfully was alleged to have had an affair with.  It turns out his phone records requested under the Freedom of Act were requested by the mother of Mitch Mustain, the star recruit of a year ago that quit the team in January.  In the final analysis, to try to bring down Nutt because her boy didn't get enough PT and because Nutt fired his high school coach after being on his staff for only a year is the thing Steven King books are made of.  Houston Nutt is a good guy and a good coach.  Leave him be, you spoiled little pussy.
• This Garcia kid must be a great quarterback or Darth Visor wouldn't keep letting him up off the mat.
• If the Sonics leave Seattle as their owner is threatening, where exactly would they go?  I can't think of a viable US market that wants or needs an NBA team, let alone can support one and build one an arena.  Oklahoma City is not a viable US market, by the way.
  
• Jerry West is leaving the Memphis Grizzlies.  Jerry West is with the Memphis Grizzlies?
• Your first quarter funding leaders are Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney.  Danny Ainge is one of Romney's backers, which is another reason not to vote for Romney.  Jerry Jones is backing John McCain and Dr. Frasier Crane and Happy Gillmore are on board with Rudy Giuliani.  Hillary Clinton has only one major supporter, a guy named Lou C. Fur.
• How far would you grovel to get yourself out of dutch with angry gay people?  Isiah Washington will do an Indy film playing the part of an abused priest.  TV stars usually don't do indy films, but obviously this gives Washington a chance to further make amends for offending homosexuals by calling one what most testosterone driven males call them.
• Welcome to the new millennium, where the louder you squeak, the more grease you get.
• I am actually starting to like John Kerry.  First, he saves baseball for cable customers.  Now, he supports Don Imus saying the punishment didn't fit the crime.  He must not be running in 2008 because obviously if I agree with him, there's no way he could get elected.
• Ever wonder why no one delivers bottled milk to your door?  Here's why.
• How much influence does the media have in helping pick the President?  Lots.
• Country act Big & Rich canceled a concert at a casino when the owners would not allow a radio winner and cancer patient to attend the concert because she was under age.  The fault here is with the radio station that made the arrangements because you have to check these things out ahead of time.  Surely, they could have arranged for the girl to meet the group somewhere else, but she'd have to miss the concert, which would would not be very fun.  Somebody should have done the legwork on this.
  
• Tank of gas, forty dollars.  Lobster Dinner, fifty dollars.  Being able to afford both, priceless.