Regarding David Libby

[BTTB]

From Seattle SportsNet
Monday, January 26, 2009

It's Dave Libbey's world, we just live in it

Dave Libbey has no soul. I'm convinced of this. Don't ask me why I'm convinced, I have no reasoning, but if you know who Dave Libbey is, there's a good chance you might just agree with me.

For those of you who don't know Libbey, he's a college basketball referee that makes his home on the West Coast. Libbey has been an official since the early-1980's, and over the years has worked his way up to a certain level of prominence in the world of NCAA hoops.

If you're a hardcore Pac-10 basketball fan, you know Dave Libbey, and you subsequently hate Dave Libbey. Amongst his peers, Libbey may be viewed as a savvy veteran of the profession, but to fans and purists everywhere he's more of a villain than anything else.

When it comes to college basketball, it's all about Dave Libbey. If Dave Libbey is on the call, then Dave Libbey WILL BE the main attraction. You may not think that's the case going in, but by the end of the game you'll know it's the truth. Libbey maintains an iron-fisted grip over his three-man officiating team and overrules anything and everything his minions attempt to do. You see a charge? Dave Libbey sees a block. You want traveling? Dave Libbey sees dribbling. For some refs, there may be such a thing as a no-call situation. For Dave Libbey, every situation requires his influence.


Dave Libbey is always right.

If you watched the Washington-UCLA game on Saturday, you witnessed Dave Libbey at his best. There were technical fouls, blatantly missed calls, questionably called calls, and even a sign in the Dawg Pack that read "Welcome to the Libbey show." The billboard in his honor apparently brought out the best in Libbey, as he walked over to the students before the game, blew kisses, and thanked them for spelling his name correctly. As one fan put it, it was little more than "disturbing."

On message boards around the nation, Libbey is trashed and lambasted by college basketball fans on a seemingly daily basis. However, I did find one message board where the man, the myth, the legend was praised. The forum on Officiating.com is a Dave Libbey lovefest. One user, under the handle "Stripes," offered this praise of Libbey's work: "I have been to Dave's camp held at UCSD. I thought it was excellent. Dave is a great teacher and motivator. At the time I was a JV official..." And we'll stop you right there. You were a JV official.

Just the fact that Libbey is as well-known as he is, is an indictment on his job and his personality. Officiating is a profession based on anonymity. The less people recognize you, the better. If fans can leave a game never knowing you existed, then that likely means you did a great job. Apparently Dave Libbey doesn't play by these rules. He thrives on the attention, and he loves to be in control. He goes out of his way to chastise players, talk to coaches, exchange barbs (not necessarily in a friendly manner) with fans, and showcase his douchebag personality every chance he gets. Dave Libbey may be good for officiating, but he ruins the game of basketball.

*For stats on Libbey's work, click here.

[JugglingReferee]

Woohoo, Stripes! Ya got quoted!

[Adam]

At least BTTB is consistent.

Did you write this crap or are you going to provide the source information instead of breaking copywrite law?

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

At least BTTB is consistent.

Did you write this crap or are you going to provide the source information instead of breaking copywrite law?

http://www.seattlesportsnet.com/2009...t-live-in.html

Video link within article: http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=3dm67Gk_pRk

[DonInKansas]

Well, at least they're not speaking ill of Diebler.

[SethPDX]

This guy also wanted to know how in the world the officials in the Washington-USC game could call a block and charge on the same play, conference, then decide on a double foul (). I mean really, how is that even possible?

Clearly, he knows what he's talking about with respect to officiating.

[Raymond]

BTTB, how come you haven't taken up officiating?

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

I could not help myself:

http://www.seattlesportsnet.com/2009...62351359287871

MTD, Sr.

[dahoopref]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

I could not help myself:

http://www.seattlesportsnet.com/2009...62351359287871

MTD, Sr.

You, Sir, made too much sense for him to understand. LOL!!

[Adam]

So Alex is as big an idiot as BTTB.

[tomegun]

I have heard Dave Libbey speak on more than one occasion and he knows what he is talking about and holds himself to high standards.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by BTTB

However, I did find one message board where the man, the myth, the legend was praised. The forum on Officiating.com is a Dave Libbey lovefest. One user, under the handle "Stripes," offered this praise of Libbey's work: "I have been to Dave's camp held at UCSD. I thought it was excellent. Dave is a great teacher and motivator. At the time I was a JV official..." And we'll stop you right there. You were a JV official.

Here is the thread in question: Dave Libbey

It's from May 2005.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

So Alex is as big an idiot as BTTB.

Snaqs:

Methinks that BTTB is Alex of SeattleSportsNet.

MTD, Sr.

[Adam]

Careful, Tom, or you, too, could find yourself quoted by an idiot in a two-bit sports website.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Snaqs:

Methinks that BTTB is Alex of SeattleSportsNet.

MTD, Sr.

My thought as well, I doubt this thing gets much readership besides his little brother.