Sports Daily: How Should Umpires Treat Players Edition

Umpires have to take a lot of flack from players but that has died down a little with the implementation of instant replay in Major League Baseball.

As facilitators of the rules, an umpire's job is to judge and enforce the rules of the game as correctly as possible -- but sometimes their human emotions come out and a line is crossed.

Umpire Paul Nauert is under fire -- and could be fired? -- for touching Torii Hunter's face while trying to separate him from potentially attacking the Baltimore Orioles after getting beaned. It's simple to expect an umpire to turn the other cheek, especially when they have the power to eject a player with the swing of the arm -- but emotions make that job way more complicated. Now inject some personal and potentially physical threats into the mix and umpires are suddenly in chest-to-chest showdowns with players and managers. Is it time that professional sports added body guards to their staff so that officials can focus on their real job?

Sound Off: Should officials of professional sports be allowed to break-up physical altercations among players?

• Amazing quote on playing a game seven on the road. [Twitter]
• NHL fines Henrik Lundqvist $5,000 for squirting water at Sidney Crosby.
• A guy does a back-flip off the backboard -- and dunks. [YouTube]
• A 101-year-old woman throws a Mother's Day first-pitch you won't forget.
• A rugby player is denied a hat-trick -- by his teammate. [Animated Gif]