We are human beings. We are all not going to act in the best ways when certain comments are made, whether it be by fans or coaches and players. We can only hope that we keep our cool. But when certain situations come up, certain measures are sometimes used to "make a point." I personally would not do what JR did, but I understand why he did it. Because if the fan is stupid enough to tell the official which kid is his on the floor, then he deserved to get picked on. That is why fans should just shut up and mind their own business and watch the game. And whether JR purposely called fouls on a kid or not, they still think we are out to get them, no matter what we do. I have done tournaments where neither team I was working was the host of the tournament and neither team I had ever worked in the past or even knew anyone from the communities, but they still think I was out to get them. Fans always think they are getting the short end of the stick, even when they got most of the fouls calls or most of the close calls. I know this, I bet that fan will think the next time he opens his mouth. Because when fans run their mouths, they do not think someone will call them on it. When they do they get the message.
At least from my experience, I treat fans very different from the Saturday morning JV games or AAU leagues or summer league ball, then I do at a varsity game or a college game. And I have confronted fans during AAU or JH games during the summer if the reason for the kids to play is to get experience. So everyone has to find their way and their own way to deal with fans. Because in many cases, you cannot run from them if you wanted to. So if you can find a way to make a point, do it. There are not always game management around to handle people that get out of hand.
I can remember a situation that happen with a very good officials that happens to be an assignor during the summer. This was an AAU tournament and it was on the campus of Illinois State University. A fan was riding the officials all game long, which was on of 3 courts playing at the same time in that particular gym (where were more in another part of the building). One of the teams called a timeout and this official was standing right next to this fan (there were no bleachers, just fans along the walls sitting in lawn chairs). He turned around and took his whistle off his next with the lanyard and put it on this finger and stuck it out to the fan like to say, "here go do it yourself." The officials did not speak, but held the lanyard with the whistle on his finger, waving it back and forth slightly. The fan was shocked that the official even responded to him and was a lost for words. The fan tried to speak, but he realized that everyone was looking at him. The timeout ended and the official put the whistle back around his neck and went on and officiated the game like nothing happen. You did not hear that fan again for 3 games on that court. The officials watching fell out laughing and talked about it the rest of the day. It was one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my officiating career and accomplished exactly what it was intended to do.
Ya'll have a great Holiday and Happy New Year.
Peace