Hey 32...I've been here...just not as much.
I can elaborate on the Hernandez catch.
Hernandez made a super leap and just snagged a picada on the
tip of his forehand, and he seemed to control it, but the crowd
did not think so, just because it was game point...lol. Maybe
hoping to get the vaguest of all calls, juggling, or a change
of motion.
Either a fan blew a whistle, or there was actually a whistle
blown by the front court judge. I really think the front court
judge blew a whistle. Hernandez, after catching the pelota, mid
air, lands, and just stands still for a second, thinking there
is a whistle blown, but the refs stood motionless. He then returns
the pelota, still on the forehand, half pace, because he's just
standing still. Neither the frontcourter nor the backcourter
were even expecting a return, and neither were prepared to even
move, and Hernandez scored to win the game.
Ricardo, head judge, decides to let the point count as a score,
and Solozabal and Hernandez win, followed by a HUGE, LONG boo
from the crowd.
Frankly, in this case, the head judge, Ricardo, who became
notorious for such crappy calls, should have stepped in, and demanded
a replay of the point. I've seen it happen before, years ago,
when Beltran thought he heard a whistle and stopped play after
catching the pelota. The point was, indeed, replayed.
I always felt Ricardo made such poor calls just to piss off fans.
If a whistle was blown, incorrectly by the front court judge,
OR someone in the crowd made a sound like a whistle, then that
is what the head judge should do: STEP IN AND CONTROL THE SITUATION.
In that case, a replay, indeed rare in this sport, except for
interference, should have been proper. Jai alai judges are deemed
to be perfect, because calls are not allowed to be questioned
by players, or really, even by fans!
By the way, Ricardo was terrible that whole weekend...one of
like 4 bad, bad calls he made, not to mention he was terrible
all the times he judged at Orlando or Ocala. He was finally removed
(thank goodness) from refereeing the games this past season at
Orlando.
I remember back in the glory days of jai alai, one of my favorite
players, Charola, was often known for berating judges when they
made bad calls against him or his teammate. I really wish players
would give the judges more grief. Jai alai is the only sport
I can think of where calls are not allowed to be questioned.
We need more of that!!!
