by Jack Gleason, American Thinker:

In any contest between two or more parties, an impartial referee is often necessary to ensure that the rules are followed fairly.

This includes sports and competitions of all kinds, debates, and yes, even spelling bees in elementary school. Without impartial judges, there is no confidence that the victories were legitimate.

This is why it is such a scandal whenever it is alleged that a referee in a hotly-contested college football championship has made a questionable game-changing call, or when a judge is found to have ties to the defendant that seemingly slants his ruling.