I was going to pre-emptively post that some dipshit would make this argument. Congratulations on being that dipshit.
So Cruz is allowed to slander the referee and threaten his livelihood without consequence, but the referee isn't allowed to defend himself? What sort ridiculous, backwards logic is that?
If Peterson had come out and said 'I wasn't drunk' it would just legitimize the accusation. By mocking Cruz, he was able to defend himself without giving the accusation credibility. Perfect response.
What we need from refs and judges is transparency. And that means also letting them defend themselves from attack.