James, I suspect you and I could talk about this on a rational positive basis.
In this thread, I've seen one official admit he asks off games because of real or imagined heat from coaches, fans, etc., and another condone that behavior by suggesting that officials effectively improve coaches' behavior by not taking those assignments. (And letting lesser officials work those games.)
Again, I say WOW!
Now suppose, just suppose, you ask off a match involving Coach X and his band of hooligan players and parents. So someone else -- quite possibly not as qualified -- gets that match and has to deal with the same issues. And because he's not qualified, he misses a call or two, then gets jumped after the game in the parking lot. If I had ducked that game, and subjected a lesser colleague/peer to verbal abuse OR WORSE, I'd hang my head in shame.
Yes, by all means, geography should be a factor in assignments, although the flipside might be perceived homer-ism. And yes, conflicts of interest SHOULD be identified and avoided ON THE FRONT END.
But in the end, good officials, like elite athletes, step up. They rise to a higher level. Anything less calls into question their ability to work ANY game fairly. And that perception KILLS the good refs more than the bad ones.
