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Sports

NHL Ref Takes Time to Drop a Couple "Fuck You"s on Mic Before Making a Call

You would think that'd be grounds for firing—or a dismissal—but it just means the ref is doing his job well. That player probably deserved a couple of F bombs.

Ref with the live mic yelling "f--ck you! f--ck you!" Ah yes, this is the stuff I live for. pic.twitter.com/ExMC4XLx0F
— AOL KEYWORD: Mike (@mikeFAIL) January 27, 2017

You are caged in an ice box with 12 gigantic, toothless men with sharp blades on their feet and a taste for blood. For whom fighting has always been a part of the rules. You are not wearing any armor, and instead have a funny-looking shirt that draws attention. Moreover, yours is the judgment upon which these men's livelihoods depend, and they're not happy when you're wrong. You are a hockey referee.

It takes a lot of cubes to be an NHL ref. You can't really tread lightly around the roughneck players—you gotta be able to dish back. The only problem is that you're also there to be a liaison of standards between the ice and the kids watching at home. So it's best to check your mic, and create a clear separation between the shit you talk on the ice and the penalties you call out.

During Thursday night's game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Nashville Predators, veteran ref Frederick L'Ecuyer was calling out the Blue Jackets' Ryan Murray for an interference penalty. Unfortunately, he turned on his mic too early and let off a couple "fuck you"s before transitioning calmly, almost sweetly, into his ruling. You might think that'd be grounds for dismissal, or a suspension, but it just means the ref is doing his job. Let's face it, some toothless, blood-thirsty player probably deserved a couple of F-bombs.