Meet the guys who make the calls

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"HEY, REF, YOU SUCK!"

Adam Hendren figures if he had a dollar for every time he heard those words, he wouldn’t have to referee hockey for a living.

"I could easily retire," the 26-year-old says, jokingly.

But it’s too early for Hendren to retire. He hasn’t reached his goal of making the National Hockey League.

And just because Mark Perlman worked the Super Bowl as a line judge in 2006, he’s not resting on that accomplishment. He would like to come back to the National Football League’s showcase event, only this time as a referee.

Joe Burleson tried to reach the top, but he fell somewhere in the middle. A baseball umpire for 27 years, Burleson remains in the sport as one of college baseball’s top arbiters after he was unable to reach the major leagues.

The trio have a number of things in common: All three live in Las Vegas. All have a passion for their respective sports. All have made personal sacrifices in an attempt to reach the top of their profession. And despite their varied levels of success, none would change a thing.

"I’ve always loved football," says Perlman, 52, who lives in Rhodes Ranch and is preparing for his seventh year as an NFL official.

"I played in high school and in college. Officiating was a way for me to stay involved in the game."

Hendren, 26, went to Western High School, played for the then-Las Vegas Gamblers, a junior traveling hockey team, and recently completed his first season as a referee in the ECHL.

He says he enjoys officiating more than playing.

"I was an OK player, but I couldn’t play in the ECHL. But I thought I might be able to referee in the ECHL," he explains.

Burleson, 50, came close to making the major leagues: He worked American League spring training games in the early 1990s.

He says being on the field and part of the action gets in your blood.

"You’ve got the best seat in the house," he says. "That’s hard to resist."

All three began by working for free in youth leagues. As they realized they had an aptitude for officiating, they decided to pursue their dreams of making it to the top.

Perlman, who is married with children ages 21, 18 and 13, taught physical education at a grade school while working his way up through the football officiating ranks.

Now retired, he works clinics and officiates NFL games, a combination that allows him to spend more time with his family.

"It’s not as bad with football because it’s only one game a week," Perlman says of being away from home.

Burleson opened a pest-control business after his major league dream ended in 1994.

Hendren, who is single, is trying to climb the ladder and make it to the NHL. Working in the ECHL, he’s only a couple of steps away and, at his age, time is still on his side.

"When you’re a kid, you dream about winning a Stanley Cup," Hendren says. "My dream is to be on the ice the night the Stanley Cup is decided."

Being an official is not easy.

In addition to separation from family and friends, confrontations with angry players and coaches, and verbal abuse from fans, most officials struggle to scratch out a living when they begin. Umpires working the minor leagues will earn only $1,800 a month. As a first-year official in the ECHL, Hendren made around $26,000 this season.

But the payoff can be lucrative for those who persevere. A first-year NBA referee will make $90,000, while a veteran can earn as much as $225,000. A Major League Baseball umpire starts out at $84,000, with the top ones earning $300,000.

An NFL official earns between $25,000 and $75,000, while National Hockey League referees start at $115,000, with 15-year veterans earning $225,000.

In the Mountain West Conference, football officials earn $750 a game, while men’s basketball officials are paid $775 per game.

For his work in the ring during the May 5 WBC super welterweight title fight between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the MGM Grand Garden, Las Vegan Kenny Bayless was paid $8,150, which is near the top of the WBC’s pay scale.

On the road, officials hang out with each other, going out for quiet dinners with their colleagues, taking in a movie on occasion and preparing for their game.

For Burleson, the anxiety of travel is eased through golf.

"It’s a way to get away from the game," said Burleson, who estimates himself to be a 15-handicap. "It’s a good release for me. If it’s raining, I’ll go take in a movie. I’m not one who sits around his hotel room all day."

Burleson has his own room on the road but stays at the same hotel as his crewmates. They’ll go out for lunch together, travel to the ballpark together in a cab or a rental car, then go out for a bite to eat after the game.

The life of a sports official can be lonely, and it takes an understanding spouse.

"I couldn’t have done this without my wife Cheri’s support," Perlman says. "She has been behind me the entire time."

Marc Ratner, who spent 40 years as an official and assigns officials for local high school sports contests through the Southern Nevada Officials Association, says an official’s life isn’t for everybody.

"You have to put up with a lot, no question," Ratner explains. "But at the same time, it can be a very rewarding experience, especially if you can move up and make it to the top."