[JRutledge]

Hawk Coach,

I think you do not understand the peeking order here. Officials have the authority over the game, whether you like it or not. We decide what we want to tolerate and not tolerate. Every single official is different and every one might not agree on this or many other situation. I look at this comment much different than a coach yelling about something else. But even if a coach is crying about "over the back" all night, at some point I will and my partners will tell that coach in so many words to "shut up." Because I am not going to set there all night and listen to a whinning coach, complain how nothing is going his way and how he cannot get a call. At some point, let it go.

I officiate 3 sports and in all of them there are times when officials have to stay something to a coach. For one, most of you are a bunch of babies and cannot function without someone giving you an explaination, even when you do not deserve one. But to say that my commenting to a coach who is talking to me, as being confrontational, not sure what world that is from. Do not make it sound like a coach saying "the fouls are 7-2" are not directed at a specific official. And I have never said that the comments that were made back had to be a leacture. But I can say a couple of words and he knows where I stand and if he wants to continue to go down that road, then he was warned or told. Would you rather me just T the coach without saying anything? Maybe that is what we should do. We should just T any coach that makes any comment that questions our judgment. The rules support that. I think that makes better since. Then you will not feel we did you wrong or gave you an opportunity to make it right.

If officials commenting to coaches about what they are saying to them is confrontational, then every well respected official I know in several sports are confrontational. Certainly every NFL officials is confrontational, just watch NFL films. They are always commenting on what coaches are screaming and yelling about. Major League Umpires are confrontational, hell, they have a Manager storming out of the box yelling and screaming at them, telling them what position they were in. And any basketball official is confrontation, considering coaches are talking right in their ear about the foul total. Maybe you have a lot of 2 person crews, but we do 3 around these parts. When a coach makes most of their comments, were are within 10-15 feet of where the coach is standing. And we use the 14 foot coaching box to make it easier for them to comment. But I guess we cannot comment, you think it is confrontational?

Peace