AP
I don't know where we find them.
They are an interesting breed - those men and women who uphold the rules in sports across the globe.
Of course, I am talking about referees. Those bold people who, armed with only a whistle, officiate international matches right down to junior football games.
Referees have popped up in a couple of big news stories this week.
But perhaps the most discussed story was the disgrace at ANZ Stadium in Sydney last weekend. The Bulldogs and Rabbitohs NRL match came to an ugly conclusion when Bulldogs player David Klemmer was sent from the field for verbally abusing the referee.
Chief instigator and teammate James Graham was also suspended this week, along with Klemmer, for shouting abuse at referee Gerard Sutton during the heated match.
The four referees were then bottled on their way off the field, and in my opinion made the correct decisions during the match.
It is times like that when you wonder, why do they do it? Why pick up a whistle and even bother taking the field?
Of course, it is not always like that.
I assume referees often enjoy their jobs. But it seems if you watch enough sports, you cannot go long without seeing a referee copping some kind of abuse.
Be it during an NRL match, Super Rugby match, English Premier League match, club match down at your local park, you name it.
And while it is easy to say that abuse needs to stop, there is no easy way to change things.
Yes, increasing bans and penalties to try to protect referees helps. For example, there is a desperate need in international football at the moment for players to be sent off if they touch the referee. Especially after a penalty is given.
But, the main thing that needs to be done is a change of culture. That is a big task.
It comes down to being taught how to handle decisions going against you and learning self-control.
So while our professional athletes set the example, I think it is a job that comes down to parents and coaches who work with young athletes.
In the heat of a close match all you want to do is win. That's why you see people lash out at referees when controversial decisions are made.
But for me, it adds to a player's class if he or she can show a bit of self-control in the face of a controversial decision.
And don't get me wrong, referees can make poor decisions as well. Sometimes a bad call can decide a game. But referees are just trying to uphold the rules, and no one is going to get it right every time.
So I take my hat off to referees - many of whom will be in action today across Rotorua - for the job they do in often trying conditions.