What's your biggest sports pet peeve?

[Axeman33]

We all have them. Mine is the diving/crying in soccer. I don't watch a lot of soccer but the acting in soccer for a call is embarrassing.

What's yours?

[LawMan]

The one that jumps to mind is:
"Refs should not decide the game"

As in "the game should be called different between periods, regular season v. post-season" etc.
NO! the rule book is the rulebook, A ref who declines to call a clear penalty IS deciding the game by declining to make the call.

This is the biggest problem in late NBA games (final possession) and NHL playoff hockey the players adjust and allow more physical (goonery) play which in turn benefits the more physically defensive teams.
This in turn creates the idea that "that team cannot win in the playoffs" because the refs are not calling the bloody rule book!

If it's a foul in the 1st quarter, its a foul on the final possession.
If its a tripping penalty in the 1st period, its a tripping penalty in overtime.

[CAN-AM Commish]

The post game interviews.
Always the same questions and the same answers.
" one game at a time here boys" etc etc

[RizzeeDizzee]

I stopped watching basketball because of players who couldn't hit free throws, the operative word being FREE!!!!!

[Daydream Nation]

The NHL playoffs first round scheduling. It used to make me so angry when the Blackhawks 1st round games would start at 8:30 local time. Unless it was the weekend, I would always DVR the game and watch them in the morning before work.

Nascar not being proactive with their racetrack scheduling. Either keeping the same racetracks on their schedule even though the cars do not give entertaining racing or starting the race later in the day even though afternoon showers are very common in certain parts of the country at certain times of the year. Nascar will also refuse to move up a race even though it is clear that rain is coming later in the day and they won't get the race in. Happens once or twice a year.

Games in general starting too late in the evening. When games are not going to conclude until well after 10 PM, I don't watch any of it.

Public money going to finance stadiums. I can get behind building some roads or changing the infrastructure to accommodate a new stadium but that's it. Let these billionaire owners pay for their own stadiums.

[Belexus75]

We all have them. Mine is the diving/crying in soccer. I don't watch a lot of soccer but the acting in soccer for a call is embarrassing.

What's yours?

maybe you should watch some more im not saying it does not exist but its been way way better last 10 years or so. Its a big myth about soccer more than actual problem these day..

as for bugs me in sports, were it changes on regular basis really but currently it is Umpires in Baseball. More and more bad calls and more and more of godlike approach...cant say a word to them with out being ejected even if they are completely wrong

[stevegamer]

Moron sports fans. I'm from Philly, so it's an issue.

I've gotten crap for rooting for the HOME team (Philadelphia Union) at an international friendly soccer match from locals. Somebody's 16 year old boy wasn't supposed to hear dam unless it related to rivers, and they were unhappy I wasn't rooting for Real Madrid. We were in a Real Madrid section, thanks to my GF.

The dad & kid didn't speak Spanish at all, so I switched all my cursing to Spanish.

[Feenom]

Big and LEGAL hit in hockey turns into a big macho head game incident. Players need to calm down, it's ok to make big legal hits. Poor Trouba.

[Axeman33]

maybe you should watch some more im not saying it does not exist but its been way way better last 10 years or so. Its a big myth about soccer more than actual problem these day..

as for bugs me in sports, were it changes on regular basis really but currently it is Umpires in Baseball. More and more bad calls and more and more of godlike approach...cant say a word to them with out being ejected even if they are completely wrong

I dont think I have EVER seen a soccer game when someone didn't dive, then roll on the ground like they were shot, to try and get a call. Not once. I admit, I dont watch much soccer because I'd rather watch paint dry, but I do pay attention during the World Cup, when you're supposed to be watching the best of the best play. That being said, the diving is a big reason why I don't watch it too. It's comical and takes away from the sport.

[lobo1969]

I can't stand the royal 'WE' reference used by homer media and fan bases.

"WE are looking good in pre season"- no the team you are cheering for is looking good in the pre season.
"WE should trade for player X"- no, you have nothing to do with any trade input, the team's GM team will make that decision.
"WE won a huge game tonight!"- no, the team won a huge game, you did nothing but sat on your couch and watched TV without breaking a sweat

I understand having team pride and being a devoted fan but you don't belong to the organization (unless you are drawing an actual pay cheque from them somehow). You have virtually zero effect on the team's success or failures even if you spend thousands of $$$ on tickets and merch. You don't get to anoint yourself as part of the royal WE.

[TrailerParkFlyers]

The post game interviews.
Always the same questions and the same answers.
" one game at a time here boys" etc etc

I agree with this one. The part of it that bugs me the most is the reporters/studio hosts who always blame the players for it when the reporters/studio hosts haven't asked an original question in decades.

[PicklePickle]

I love watching basketball, but it seems like the first three quarters just don't matter.

[metaldude26]

We all have them. Mine is the diving/crying in soccer. I don't watch a lot of soccer but the acting in soccer for a call is embarrassing.

What's yours?

I'm annoyed by it in all sports because you're kidding yourself if you don't think it's happening in every game.

Mine is now replay reviews. It exacerbates the above pet peeve because now you get to watch someone's dive endlessly as we parse the tape frame by frame from multiple angles.

Ultimately, replay review hasn't helped:

1. You are dragging out the game. Time is our most precious commodity, let's keep it moving.
2. So few replay reviews are ever conclusive. Everyone finds an angle that supports their biased narrative.
3. It only serves to undermine people's belief in the fairness of the game. By a lot of measures the refs are better and less influenced by the crowds than they have ever been and yet every year polling shows that people think that officiating (in all sports) is worse than it's ever been. You can have an amazing game and at the end all anyone wants to talk about is reffing because everyone's seen some replay 15 times that shows how their team got screwed.
4. You absolutely cannot resist getting sucked in. The curious part of your brain wants to find the truth, the narrative part fills in the truth you want and the lizard part gets you all ramped up by the unfairness of it all. And the hits keep coming as they show clip after clip.
5. Ignorance was bliss.

[Axeman33]

I'm annoyed by it in all sports because you're kidding yourself if you don't think it's happening in every game.

Mine is now replay reviews. It exacerbates the above pet peeve because now you get to watch someone's dive endlessly as we parse the tape frame by frame from multiple angles.

Ultimately, replay review hasn't helped:

1. You are dragging out the game. Time is our most precious commodity, let's keep it moving.
2. So few replay reviews are ever conclusive. Everyone finds an angle that supports their biased narrative.
3. It only serves to undermine people's belief in the fairness of the game. By a lot of measures the refs are better and less influenced by the crowds than they have ever been and yet every year polling shows that people think that officiating (in all sports) is worse than it's ever been. You can have an amazing game and at the end all anyone wants to talk about is reffing because everyone's seen some replay 15 times that shows how their team got screwed.
4. You absolutely cannot resist getting sucked in. The curious part of your brain wants to find the truth, the narrative part fills in the truth you want and the lizard part gets you all ramped up by the unfairness of it all. And the hits keep coming as they show clip after clip.
5. Ignorance was bliss.

I dont see diving/crying/faking in baseball. It rarely happens in football. Basketball yes. Hockey yes, but players will get a penalty for it, and they even get fines for it.

[LawMan]

I'm annoyed by it in all sports because you're kidding yourself if you don't think it's happening in every game.

Mine is now replay reviews. It exacerbates the above pet peeve because now you get to watch someone's dive endlessly as we parse the tape frame by frame from multiple angles.

Ultimately, replay review hasn't helped:

1. You are dragging out the game. Time is our most precious commodity, let's keep it moving.
2. So few replay reviews are ever conclusive. Everyone finds an angle that supports their biased narrative.
3. It only serves to undermine people's belief in the fairness of the game. By a lot of measures the refs are better and less influenced by the crowds than they have ever been and yet every year polling shows that people think that officiating (in all sports) is worse than it's ever been. You can have an amazing game and at the end all anyone wants to talk about is reffing because everyone's seen some replay 15 times that shows how their team got screwed.
4. You absolutely cannot resist getting sucked in. The curious part of your brain wants to find the truth, the narrative part fills in the truth you want and the lizard part gets you all ramped up by the unfairness of it all. And the hits keep coming as they show clip after clip.
5. Ignorance was bliss.

This is a good one and a good point.
Video reviews for all leagues is a case of "damned if you do, damned if you don't".
If a league said "no more reviews, the call stands" then the broadcasts and talking heads would continue to show the reviews and the league would get crushed by fans on the (rare) badly missed calls.
If a league goes "some reviews" then those non-reviewables calls become the issue for objection,
but going total review is may too slow and as rightly pointed out often reviews are either opinion or inconclusive.

The NFL and NHL have it the worst as far as reviews go in my opinion because they have the most subjective rules to review (NFL, pass interference, what is a catch) NHL - goaltender interference and "control" on a potential offside.
MLB is a perfect sport for review because the rules are more objective, a runner is either safe or out, a ball is either a HR or not etc...