Why LASIK Keeps Trolling Refs & Umpires
“Big LASIK” is consistently going viral and getting good publicity from tongue-in-check tweets mocking officials. Expect it to continue.
Another blown call. Another viral tweet (X?). Another LASIK offer.
If you've spent any time on social media during or immediately following a big game recently, you've probably seen it: LASIK providers piling on referees and umpires with snarky posts offering them free vision correction after a missed call.
It’s part joke, part image rehabilitation strategy.
From the perspective of a New Yorker and sports fan… or for anyone who has ever berated an official for being “blind” after missing a call… the social media posts write themselves.
But from the perspective as an ophthalmologist and independent vision correction specialist, this is just another cynical page from the LASIK industry playbook.
Over the past year, LASIK.com’s X Profile has launched an aggressive and HIGHLY visible marketing blitz, turning every major blown call in professional sports into an opportunity to promote LASIK across the country. NFL refs were offered free LASIK after a viral roughing-the-passer controversy. MLB umpires were targeted next – including a missed strike call that triggered a full-page newspaper ad and a cascade of tweets. Throughout the season, LASIK.com has consistently inserted itself into national sports conversations, live-tweeting commentary during primetime games and encouraging fans to nominate officials for corrective surgery.
Some tweets reached over 2 million views, and just about every major media outlets including Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, NBC, CBS, Fox, Yahoo Sports, Vice, and LA Times have amplified the messaging. Fans have also chimed in, nominating referees through hashtags like #BetterCalls. The result? An enormous amount of earned media coverage.
It’s not just a one-off stunt. It’s a full-blown brand image rehabilitation strategy for LASIK surgery, and it’s generating millions of impressions each time.
“Better Vision. Better Calls. Still literally offering all NFL refs free LASIK.”
It’s actually now gone so far that LASIK.com has REPEATEDLY tweeted to admonish people on social media who have harassed or threatened the same officials they’ve mocked themselves.
But This Isn’t About Refs or Officiating
It’s not about sports at all. It’s about fixing LASIK’s reputation.
After years of scrutiny, the industry is hungry for a rebrand. These “viral moments” are no accident. They're part of a calculated pivot to recapture public trust and get LASIK back into the spotlight. If that means hijacking fandom and frustration? So be it.
It’s slick. It’s effective. And it oversimplifies a life-changing decision.
Media Clout-Chasing is Helping LASIK
This viral momentum isn’t happening in a vacuum.
Many media corporations and sports blogs may have behind-the-scenes partnerships or affiliate relationships with LASIK corporations, giving these campaigns an intentional boost. Others (including meme pages to fan-run accounts) just see an opportunity to capitalize on the attention and/or think it’s funny. But either way, the end result is the same: the idea that LASIK is the go-to solution for poor vision gets reinforced over and over again.
And that’s a problem.
Because while LASIK may be marketable, it’s not the safest option. Safer alternatives like Advanced Surface Ablation (ASA) and PRK rarely get the spotlight, even though they’re the better choice for patients valuing safety and long-term outcomes.
A Response to the Backlash
Let’s not ignore the timing.
This referee-bashing campaign isn’t just clever advertising, it’s damage control. In the past couple of years, TikTok influencers, YouTube creators, and online forums have been flooded with stories of LASIK regret: chronic dry eyes and discomfort, blurry night vision, and long-term complications that weren’t properly explained beforehand.
The LASIK industry has noticed and felt the contraction. This campaign – with its entertaining joke-tweets and easy-to-share visuals – is likely the best they can do to shift the narrative back in their favor.
Even the account behind it, LASIK.COM, is designed to shortcut the research process entirely. It sounds like the definitive source. And in a world where many people click before they think, that branding alone is powerful.
But branding isn’t safety, and internet virality definitely doesn’t translate to quality care.
What We Believe
We think surgery shouldn’t be marketed like a meme.
Vision correction is personal. Permanent. And something that should never be rushed into based on a punchline.
That’s why we offer ASA. It’s a no-cut, no-flap procedure with fewer long-term risks and a recovery plan customized for each patient. We can’t promise perfect 20/20 vision every time. But we do promise precision, care, and a commitment to long-term outcomes over short-term trends.
Final Thoughts
If you’re thinking about vision correction, don’t let a viral tweet or halftime ad be your guiding light. There are better ways to see clearly – and better reasons to trust your eyes to someone.