Quote:
Originally Posted by RefRich
When I first started refereeing in PA, I was told by an AD, "I wasn't experienced enough." I had been working in the state of IN for 5 years and transferred by license to PA. He pointed out the two varsity officials and said like these guys. One he was old friends with and had about 15 or more years in, the other guy was my age and had been officiating 2 years. I looked at him and said, "yep, got to have that experience." I never worked another game for him at any level. Once he was gone, I was good to go.
Favoritism has been around since people have been around. It never ceases to amaze me people think it only occurs when it's a minority getting an early opportunity.
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There is a major conference in this country that hired officials that either had graduated from one of the schools in the conference or had direct ties of coaching or playing with individuals in that conference. And I am not at all talking about basketball. Look at the NFL and see how many sons of former NFL officials there are working? And for the record, there are not women or Black guys in those situations. And football is a sport that literally does not have the camp system or evaluation system that basketball has to evaluate you onsite or during games. Football is often a recommendation or someone that is in power asking you to work college football.
I worked D1 baseball for a very brief time and the only reason I got my first game at that level was because I worked a basketball game with a person that is at the time a Minor League Baseball Umpire. That person is now at the MLB level for several years now. That person worked a basketball game with me in like December, we got along very well. That spring the Minor League Umpire's Union went on strike and many of the those umpires were working college games to get some games and income. Well this official could not work the Sunday of a series and he called the assignor and gave him my name and I worked my first D1 baseball game as a result. That D1 Baseball supervisor was also the basketball supervisor of that very same conference and even did not charge me to go to his camp before he was fired from both positions a few years later. I had a window then to maybe get looked at seriously at the D1 level and all of it was because my original relationship with a guy that is now an MLB Umpire and I just happened to get along with him and had a side conversation about my baseball background. He never saw me work a single baseball game. I benefited from a nice interaction from a person moving up the ladder and having the right contacts. That is how many people get opportunities at all levels of officiating.
Peace