Hawks Coach,

You actually said something in your first paragraph which is the number one problem between officials and fans. This is a very, very important issue that I've never seen try to be resolved in basketball but an issue that worked in baseball. The solution is communication.

I have read the rule book. I read the rule book about once a month during basketball season and once before it starts. I do this to follow the play of the game but when I see the rule in black-and-white then ignored or called differently during a game, I see problems arise. The main one I see is travelling. Moving the upper body while the feet are planted is not travelling, but you'll see it called at least once a game. However, you'll see a player pick up the dribble at the foul line, take three steps and lay the ball up. Travelling, or so I thought until I watch a game.

I've consulted many an official on rules and interpretations. I ask how they can make a call from half-court on a player underneath the basket when four players obscure his point of view. I often hear, "if I don't see it, I can't call it" when in fact they do. This leads to problems that arise during games such as coaches chirping, fans and players getting upset, and possibly violence.

I know coaches will talk, complain and do what they can to inflence calls and some do. They do it very well even with the best of officials.

But where is the communication? Coach asks a referee a question and more often than not there isn't a response until it starts to get out of hand. If, and when, I blow a call, ask me. The first thing I do whenever I walk onto a playing field in official's garb is to let both teams know if they have a question they can ask. Just that offer in itself is enough to calm some of the roughest coaches.

Instead of keeping the intricacies of officiating among a small, select few who are always looking for new members, let's go out and do something about it. It starts from the top down. Make officials available to press on the professional level and make them accessible to fans after games to ask questions. I wish I had someone taping games I did. I know I've missed calls but wanted to know why. I asked fans and players, not fellow officials because it's easier for like people to say, "You did a good job" where a fan is more likely to be truthful and blunt.

I didn't become the level of Game Producer I did by asking others in my position. I asked fans, coaches, players and took a lot of criticism. Communication is the key, let's communicate. Let's take the solid line between fans and officials and blur it so each other understands. Major League Baseball is coming close by having an umpire available for questioning during games to clairfy calls. That's excellent, let's do that with basketball but make sure that what's being said can't be contradicted by the rule book.