Latest news with #referees
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
WNBA player DiJonai Carrington lashes out at refs after they called security on her during argument
Dallas Wings player DiJonai Carrington spoke out against referees for calling security on her in a social media post Friday. During a heated altercation with officials during the Wings' loss to the Chicago Sky Thursday, security guards approached as Carrington became increasingly demonstrative. One security guard even got between Carrington and an official. The official backed away from Carrington while pulling the security guard by his shirt in front of Carrington for protection. Carrington responded to the incident in a post on X Friday, suggesting the summoning of security was a "microaggression." "Security… when I'm literally having a civil conversation is insane. Mind you, he called the "sEcUrItY" over there…" Carrington wrote over a clip of the incident with a misspelled "microaggression" hashtag. Fox News Digital has reached out to the WNBA and the Sky for comment. Former Dallas Wings player Cheryl Swoopes also spoke out against the referee who summoned security in a post on X. "If this man was scared (of what, I don't know) and needed security, he should NEVER be able to ref again! This can't be real!" Swoopes wrote. Carrington became a controversial figure in the WNBA last season. As a member of Connecticut Sun in 2024, Carrington gave Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark a black eye after poking her during a game in the first round of the playoffs in September. Carrington laughed with teammate Marina Mabrey after the incident. Carrington has said she didn't intentionally poke Clark in the eye and that she wasn't laughing about the incident. However, she appeared to make light of the controversy over Clark's black eye in an Instagram Live video in October. In the video, Carrington and her girlfriend, NaLyssa Smith, who plays for the Indiana Fever with Clark, were in their kitchen when Smith poked Carrington in the eye. "Ow, you poked me in the eye," Carrington said. Smith apologized, and the two laughed. "Did you do it on purpose?" Carrington asked. During the "Unrivaled" league season in January, Carrington wore a shirt that said, "The F--- Donald Trump Tour" while walking into Wayfair Arena in Miami, Florida. Then, during a press conference after another game that month, Carrington declared it was time for WNBA players to "take action" in response to President Donald Trump's policies. "We see that some of the policies are already going into action, and, of course, that means that as the WNBA and being at the forefront of a lot of these movements, it's time for us to also take action," Carrington said. "It definitely needs to happen as women, women's rights being taken away. Like, now, LGBTQ rights being taken away now. They haven't happened yet, but definitely in the works." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
UFC star Dan Hooker vows more backyard scraps after backlash
Dan Hooker stressed professional referees and medical staff were in attendance. Photo: youtube Kiwi mixed martial arts fighter Dan Hooker has vowed to stage more backyard fights in future. The UFC lightweight last weekend hosted 32 men at his Auckland home for a 'one-minute scrap' tournament with a $50,000 cash prize. He's just released the full video of the event on Youtube, showcasing 30 fights in less than an hour. The event has drawn heavy criticism from both the public and boxing pundits, as well as attracting police attention. Speaking on the Ariel Helwani Show, Hooker questioned the backlash. "There's a few lefties having a sulk, but once everyone watches the full 45 minutes and sees the respect for the fighters, since when did putting gloves on in the backyard and having a punch up illegal?" he said. "Since when is that a crime?" Hooker stressed that professional referees and medical staff were present. "It's being run by some of the most experienced combat sports people in the country. Once they watch the whole thing, they will just be, like, 'Oh, it doesn't matter, it's not that big of a deal'." Dan Hooker claims the only major injury was to a fighter's arm, while others were put through concussion protocols. Photo: youtube "I knew that everyone would think it was crazy, I knew there would be people who would have issues with it. I wanted it at my house, so i could control it. "I had some amazing people step up to the plate and make it all run smoothly." Hooker said the only major injury was to a fighter's arm. "There were a couple bumps, a couple scrapes, obviously a few of the boys were run through concussion protocol." With a three-second knockdown rule and two knockdowns ending the bout, Hooker believed his event was actually safer than boxing. "These boys are a lot less banged up." All fighters were given a $1000 cash bonus and, combined with the grand prize, a total of $82,000 was awarded. The bouts were fought under a three-second knowdown rule or two knockdowns ending the contest. Photo: youtube Hooker said this was funded through clicks. "People on the internet want wild new content clips and that pays for the $50,000 for the winner." While he initially planned for just a one-off event, Hooker has been driven by the critics to host another. "Now you've challenged me. I was going to leave it, but now there are people trying to stop me - now I am honourbound and forced to pursue it. "I'm just a man with an iphone and a dream. I didn't know it would go that good, so we'll do another one definitely this year." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
What is PGMOL's appointments policy?
Former referee Chris Foy explained it can be tricky for officials to be allotted a fixture based on current Villa have complained to referees' body PGMOL about Thomas Bramall after he made a "big mistake" in their 2-0 defeat at Manchester United on Sunday that contributed to them missing out on the Champions Game Match Officials Limited told BBC Sport it does not comment on why individual appointments for matches are to the PGMOL appointments policy, all match officials must submit a declaration of interests form before the start of each officials, video assistant referees and assistant video assistant referees are only eligible to officiate games that do not involve a club for which they have a conflict of includes clubs they support, have played competitive matches for at first-team level or clubs from the same town or city, excluding London, where the official policy also states officials cannot be involved in a match that directly involves a club "which has a strong association with a club for which an interest has been declared".It is up to PGMOL's discretion to determine if a club has a strong association with that other chief refereeing officer Howard Webb can also vary the appointments at his discretion.
News.com.au
24-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Ashley Klein's secret meet-up with QLD captain Daly Cherry-Evans raises eyebrows
The NSW Blues are believed to be quietly concerned after details of a catch-up between Queensland Maroons captain Daly Cherry-Evans and Origin 1 referee Ashley Klein came to light. The Sydney Morning Herald reports the pair had an extended conversation inside an empty 4 Pines Park a couple of weeks ago, sharing a laugh following a Manly training session. And while it is not rare for a referee to assist NRL clubs by attending sessions to provide guidance on how rules and enforced and interpreted, the length of the meet-up between the 36-year-old and the top ref is not as common. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. According to SMH, the pair spent around 20 minutes locked in conversation and when asked about what was said Klein revealed they were just talking happy families and speaking about their children. DCE refused to comment on the interaction. But ahead of Origin the pair's chat doesn't sit right with NSW great Benny Elias. 'The mind shudders to think what the hell those two were talking about,' Elias told SMH. 'Although it is that time of year again when Queensland start buttering up the referees.' There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing from either Cherry-Evans or Klein. The experienced and well-respected referee has overseen the past three Origin series and will again be handed the whistle for the upcoming State of Origin series. In recent weeks officials have scaled back using the sin bin for high shots due to absolute mayhem this weekend when rounds of football were ruined for many fans due to the incredible spate of sin bins for what were largely seen as minor offences. And ahead of Game 1, there have been calls from both Origin teams to let the game flow. Joseph Suaalii was infamously sent off just minutes into the series opener last year, after hitting Reece Walsh in the head with his shoulder. Liam Martin and Patrick Carrigan were sin-binned in Game 2, and Jeremiah Nanai and Cameron Murray were both given 10 minutes in the bin in the decider. And Maroons enforcer Moeaki Fotuaika said earlier this week that he hopes there will be fewer sin-bins this series and hopes Klein would 'let a few slide'. 'Hoping, because it's an Origin game, they can sort of let a few slide. If it's a penalty game, obviously the spectators aren't going to enjoy that part,' Fotuaika said on Thursday. 'I'm sure the refs will work around that.'
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Nottingham Forest hero STEVE BAINES on his unique and hilarious double life as player and referee - as he reveals which 'LEG-SNAPPER' challenge escaped notice this season
From Declan Rice 's red card for kicking the ball away to Dean Henderson 's handball escape in the FA Cup final, every TV pundit and armchair viewer has voiced their opinion on a turbulent season for referees. But none has the authority of Steve Baines, the only man to have both played and officiated at a professional level. Baines began at Nottingham Forest alongside European Cup winners and spent 14 years as a dependable defender, playing nearly 500 games and gaining two promotions. His second career as a ref started in the Chesterfield Sunday League for match fees of £10, eventually graduating to the Football League until his retirement in 2003. His record of showing only four red cards in eight years indicated a level of man-management and common sense many would say is lacking today. Baines has watched a series of controversial, and at times unfathomable, incidents with bewilderment, either watching from home or visiting his local team, Chesterfield. With the PGMOL anxious to accelerate more former pros into the middle, Baines is sure his experience of having played the game was advantageous. 'Red and yellow cards are there to aid control which thankfully I didn't need to use too often,' he tells Mail Sport. 'I could manage people and had empathy. There weren't many I couldn't turn around even if they got irate. 'I pulled a few over. Michael Brown at Sheffield United went in on somebody. I called him over and he said 'What are you on about.' I replied: 'Listen pal, you can't kid a kidder. I've done that myself!' 'Alex Rae at Sunderland spent one game ranting and raving, waving his arms around. I told him I was going to rip them off and stick up his arse! He did a double-take and went 'Oh, alright ref!' 'Now they waft cards around like confetti. That's not control - that's about "Look at me!" 'Good referees aren't really noticed, it's about players entertaining the public. 'Yet, at the same time, some still can't recognise a seriously dangerous tackle. James Tarkowski on Alexis Mac Allister in the Merseyside derby was a leg-snapper.' Baines is 70 but in amazing shape due to a fitness regime that includes a hundred squats a day and three-minute planks. It's no surprise to learn that, as a referee, he'd be bare-chested when managers and captains dropped off their team sheets before games. It was part of his personal presentation, showing how serious he was about his conditioning. Those who did came up against someone who'd survived the hard schools of Chesterfield, Bradford, Scunthorpe and Walsall. 'We laugh about it now but when Nobby (Brian) Horton was manager of Port Vale, he complained all game. When he wanted to make a substitution, I told the linesman I'd deal with it. 'I walked over to Nobby and shouted: 'You twat, get back in your box'. He said I couldn't talk to him like that and I replied 'I just fucking have done!' 'Now you'd get in bother but that is how the football industry is. I liken it to the shop floor. 'I was a novelty, being a former player. For my debut, Sky came and asked to mike me up. I said 'No thanks, I want to do more than one game!' Behind the tales is a serious point about today's referees. Baines accepts it's harder than ever because players are prepared to cheat each other, doing anything to win. Last year, the PGMOL started a 'player to match official" programme with the PFA. Those former pros accepted from the 120 applicants are already taking charge of grassroots games, the list including. Chris Birchall (ex-Coventry), Liam Trotter (Bolton), Carl Baker (MK Dons) and Anthony Griffiths (Port Vale). Those who show aptitude could be officiating in the EFL from 2027/28. Baines feels support from the refereeing hierarchy wasn't there in his day with the authorities reluctant to allow former players in. 'In my third season on the list, my assessments were top level, only one official was better than me but I was never offered a Premier League game. 'And we all had to retire at 50, thankfully that rule is gone. 'As I left, another referee from our area, Howard Webb, was starting. He's the top man now. I tried to help him and I think he took on board the way I looked after myself physically and presented myself.' Today's referees at the top can earn £150,000 a year, a far cry from Baines' era when he worked for a Swinton Insurance franchise in Mansfield throughout. Neither did his playing career bring a fortune despite starting out at Forest pre-Brian Clough with John Robertson, Tony Woodcock, Martin O'Neill and Viv Anderson, who all went on to win the European Cup. By then, Baines was at Bradford and jokes: 'They went one way, I went the other! I used to give Tony a lift to training because he didn't have a car.' After reading a newspaper article by 1970s icons Tommy Smith and Ron 'Chopper' Harris about referees, Baines gave it a go. He was good and made the league list in six years, half the average time. Before a game at Rochdale, he reminded the chairman he'd once applied for the manager's job there, but had been passed over for Jimmy Greenhoff. 'I saw refereeing as a challenge. It's like driving. You can pass your tests but it's only by doing it that you really learn. 'I had this ability to manage people. I'd played against a lot of the managers I came up against. I enjoyed it. I had a laugh.' There is a picture to back that up. When Manchester United played Chesterfield in John Duncan's testimonial, Baines was the referee. After Roy Keane let rip at someone else, he couldn't help finding it funny as the United captain continued to scowl. He sees some of that fun has gone. 'It is a massive industry and the players don't help themselves,' adds Baines. When Baines goes to Chesterfield, he hears anecdotally that the man in the middle is getting close to £500 for the game 'I hear pundits talking about buying a penalty, it is just another word for cheating. In that sense, I have sympathy for the officials. 'Then again, when they talk about minimal contact or VAR, it's a nonsense when you have the same people sat there in Stubley Bottom or wherever it is making the decisions. 'Some aren't recognising what is going on. If I saw players go over, it got my goat but I'd laugh at them. 'I got to the point where I'd see how long I could go without blowing my whistle. My record was 26 minutes at Maine Road and that was only because someone scored a goal. 'It was beautiful, all the fans enjoying the game without interruption, singing Blue Moon.' When Baines goes to Chesterfield, he hears anecdotally that the man in the middle is getting close to £500 for the game. He remembers leaving his house at five o'clock in the morning to take charge of Exeter-Torquay on Boxing Day for less than half. 'Geoff Miller, the former England cricketer, is a friend of mine and can't understand why more players haven't become referees. A lot of cricketers are umpires and understand all the sledging and everything else. 'It is highly unlikely that any household name will become a refteee. They are earning too much to start again in the local Saturday and Sunday leagues. 'But for EFL players, things might be changing. It definitely helps to have played the game to referee. I look forward to not being the only one.'
