Quote:
Originally Posted by SD Referee
I think if you take notice, you will see that a LOT of the guys doing the big games like to be noticed. Very dramatic signals, double & triple tweets of the whistle, calling a charge from the lead like you just got shot.
Those guys LOVE to be noticed. It's funny because the game isn't about them, but they think it is. When you start out officiating, you are told that if you aren't noticed it was a good game. Apparently as you rise up the ranks you try to be noticed as much as possible.
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Wanting to be noticed or just their mechanics or style? There was a time before everyone became robots that they were a requirement to be a little more demonstrative. A lot of the guys working are from that era or started in the era. I know I have been doing this 20 years and many of those guys were doing it 5 and 10 years longer than me. And all I do is when I watch a old game from the 80s are calls that are more demonstrative when it is not even that necessary in today's standards. I am not sure that is wanting to be seen, but just how they have been and what was expected. Because they are good officials, no one has told them to change on some major scale. I know guys that look like they are asleep when they officiate and that is good in some situations, but not good in all situations.
Also I think there is this great myth about "not being noticed." Well John Higgins is about as laid back as anyone and he was noticed in a big way this past Sunday. He is not a guy that often even looks like he sells a call but every call he made was highlighted. I am not on his level at all, but I know when I am on certain games, the coaches and fans notice who I am or the crew. Even know where they saw you. You think a guy on national TV is not noticed? You think he can hide? I read an article either late last season or early in this season where Higgins was featured (and I believe it was posted here) and all it talked about was how people would see him in the airport or know he was on a game the night before. We are in the social media age where people can find out all kinds of things about you without lifting a finger and we think we are not going to get noticed? Not only are there sites dedicated to bashing officials, but every box score has the official's names listed as well. I just wish we would put this myth away because that might have been the case 20 or 25 years ago, but not today. Not when people are watching games and recognize the officials or know something about them. And that includes high school ball where now games can be seen with live streaming and show all your mistakes for ever. Just the fact that Higgins is kind of laid back but every call he made in the first half was examined and credited to him is evidence of how silly that stance is. I just wish we would stop thinking that we can hide from the public that is looking for anyone and everyone to blame for a lost but the way their team played in the game. And you can be accuse of the game being about the officials when you enforce rules that you are asked to enforce by everyone but the coaches when it goes against their teams. We cannot win most of the time.
Peace