Which would you rather be: NHL, NFL, MLB, or NBA referee/umpire?

[Yavin4]

I would love to be a NBA ref. Has to be the greatest job in the world. You fly first class to different cities every night. Get to see different things going on like museums, libraries, art galleries, etc.. and ref'ing a game is not that strenuous.

[PJMcK]

1. MLB, behind the plate

When I was much younger, I umpired for the local Little League and loved it. When I got to be behind the plate, I got the best seat in the house to watch the game. Additionally, I had the authority to call the pitches and make the rulings. The games were fun and most of the parents appreciated the efforts we made for their kids.

Of course, today my eyes and reactions aren't what they used to be so I'd probably suck in the Big Leagues. Good fantasy, though.

[Yavin4]

3. That was my second choice, but...

that humidity in the summer is killer.

[PJMcK]

4. Aw, come on

Sweating is great!

Not.

[freddyvh]

2. mlb

i'm a fat ass.
less running in baseball then any other sport for officials

[we can do it]

5. MLB first, then NBA

[True Dough]

6. What???

No option for professional wrasslin referee? That looks like so much fun!

[ProfessorGAC]

12. And You Can't Make A Mistake

Perfect officiating position!

[kairos12]

7. MLB

[JonLP24]

8. I reffed intramural junior high basketball and it was one of the most stressful jobs ever

You wouldn't believe the parents. One parent hounded me an entire game who was watching the game behind his son's team basket where the chain link fence is. A lot of my calls were guesses when it came to 50-50 balls out of bounds or fouls driving to the lane. It isn't like TV where you have all these multiple camera angles (The TNT Overtime Action view is very up close and personal you can see trash talk or what players are saying or signaling to each other. It is good for spotting missed calls but for the most part they get the calls right even incredible difficult calls) but the worst of it was the parents. I couldn't take 20,000 people screaming at my calls not to mention grown men & coaches screaming about calls.

In a different game that another crew worked the same parent that was at my game got into a heated exchange with the refs where I guess they gave him warnings (he would ask for fouls every-time his son drove in the lane -- who was a good player for his age btw) and it blew up and told my boss & other refs (we would work like 4 games at a time at outdoor basketball courts) "This is Mesa where white people stick together." I think it was true statement as there are a lot of racists east of Tempe but it didn't apply to the situation.

I have a lot of sympathy for professional refs.

[hughee99]

9. MLB. I think MLB is the easiest sport for a ref/umpire to get in the correct position to make a

call correctly. Not necessarily easy, but easier than the other three.

[Yavin4]

10. Think of an afternoon game in Atlanta in late July with a 105 degree temp

And you're behind the plate in full gear for 9 nine innings.

[hughee99]

11. It's still more appealing to me than -5 in Green Bay,

Or skating or running up and down the court on a nightly basis. If I could skate better, maybe I'd feel different about the NHL

[ProfessorGAC]

13. Probably NBA Ref

I'd lean toward MLB umpire, except i don't think i could do the behind the plate thing. I'm blind in my left eye from MS and my depth perception is affected at right about the distance a home plate ump would be from the plate.

I think i might make some pitchers and hitters awfully mad.

[H2O Man]

14. A boxing referee.

[StevieM]

15. I always thought the imagery was cool when a boxing referee would stop the fight,

reach into the TKOed guy's mouth to personally pull out the mouthpiece, and then hug him tight (I assume to make sure he doesn't take a single additional punch).

[H2O Man]

16. Right.

Good referees are important. Great ones are rare.

I used to enjoy serving as either a referee or judge in amateur boxing.

[Kingofalldems]

17. MLB umpire. Now with the replays they don't even have to argue

with players or managers. Most are terrible at calling balls and strikes anyway but the league doesn't seem to care.