FANS OBSERVED A MOMENT OF SILENCE for the referee's mother, who died that morning before a game hosted by Ecuadoran club Aucas in the 1960s. The ref was praised in a speech for carrying out his duty. He bowed. Long applause followed.
The poet Jorge Enrique Adoum, who relayed the story to Eduardo Galeano, was shocked. Never had he been in a stadium where the referee wasn't greeted with shouts of ''Son of a bitch!''
It takes a long, wide search to find an example of such a show of respect toward a referee. Usually refereeing news is about the mistakes, abuse and criticism. Recent examples:
Paris St. German president Laurent Perpere calls French officiating ''a mafia system. And these people are deciding life or death for clubs.''
The president of Italian club Como creates a computer game in which players beat refs with hammers.
Refs miss two terrible fouls in MLS – Dema Kovalenko breaking Ronnie O'Brien's leg and John Wolyniec elbowing Chad McCarty in the face. MLS resorts to videotape to punish them.
Scientists prove that German Bundesliga refs are four times as likely to award penalty kicks to home teams and twice as likely to red-card the visiting team's players. The refs aren't biased, the researchers say, but influenced by crowd noise. They suggest video replays for crucial calls.
Russian referee Valentin Ivanov is suspended by FIFA for correcting a call after checking the sideline TV monitor while the players brawl.
Youth leagues complain of a ref shortage because their teenage whistlers can't stand the screaming and cussing from parents and coaches.
Prompted by abuse at sporting events, including youth soccer, the Oregon Senate passes a law threatening six months in jail for players, fans or coaches who don't leave a sporting event after being ejected by the referee.
What's it all mean?
Expect the law and video cameras to play an ever increasing role in sports at all levels.
Oh, about that game in Ecuador. Aucas scored after 15 minutes. The referee disallowed it for offside and the crowd erupted with chants of, ''Orphan of a bitch!''
by Soccer America Executive Editor Mike Woitalla