Deep Thoughts on The State of Officiating in Professional Sports - MLB

I dare not wade into the intricacies of the National Football League because I am mostly ignorant of them. But, I offer two Deep Thoughts:

1. If the Major League umpires are storing up some really, really bad call — like a Galarraga-Joyce-esque call — now would be an awesome time for them to make it, because I don’t think anyone would notice; and

2. Based on past comments, I’d guess the union/anti-union sentiment around these parts runs about 75-25% anti-union. And that may be a generous assessment of the size of the pro-union contingent. With that in mind: does anyone in that anti-union majority care to defend Roger Goodell’s hard line against the regular NFL referees this morning? Remember: they’re not on strike. They’re being locked out because the most successful league in professional sports decided that they’d prefer not to negotiate a pension issue that represents almost inconsequential money to the league, relatively speaking.

Yes, I know this isn’t baseball. But my ability to ignore everything that goes on in other sports is only so great. And it’s worth noting that what most of us consider the most egregiously bad call in recent baseball history didn’t even decide the outcome of a single baseball game, let alone over 6% of the outcomes of two teams for an entire season like that doozy last night did.

CARSON CITY, Nev. — The Nevada Senate adjourned Thursday without voting on a financing bill for a proposed $1.5 billion Las Vegas Strip stadium for the Oakland Athletics, extending the special legislative session into the next week amid negotiations over whether to contribute $380 million in public funding to the project.

The measure can still be amended by lawmakers, and if it passes the Senate it would still need approval from the Assembly before going to the desk of Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, who has expressed support for it. Both the state Senate and Assembly are adjourned until Monday.

In a hearing that began Wednesday and stretched into the early morning hours Thursday, lawmakers peppered tourism officials and a representative from a firm partnering with the ball club with questions about the feasibility and benefits of financing such a deal.

Public funds for the stadium would mainly come from $180 million in transferable tax credits and $120 million in county bonds. Backers have pledged that the creation of a special tax district around the proposed stadium would generate enough money to pay off those bonds and interest. The plan would not directly raise taxes.

The A’s would not owe property taxes for the publicly owned stadium. Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, would also contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

A’s representatives and some tourism officials say a deal would further grow Las Vegas’ developing sports scene and act as an economic engine, but a growing chorus of economists and some lawmakers warn that the project would bring minimal benefits for the hefty public price tag.