[tomegun]

IMHO the first T should have been automatic. No questions. From Rich's post the coach could have got a second T from me. Waving off an official to their back can be caught on tape and seen from the top row. Depending on the situation I might not have let that pass if you were my partner and this happened to you.
I don't agree with designating who would give the second T. There is a place for this but I was in a situation last week where a coach made a personal attack on one of my partners and my other partner was about to move in for a T. I made eye contact with him so he would stay where he was. The partner that was being attacked NEEDED to be the one to do it. The same thing happened with an even more personal attack from the same coach and he got whacked again. I don't see anything wrong with the same person giving both Ts in this situation. The coach made it personal. I guess there is some recent history there but the coach was clearly wrong. The coach tried to come onto the floor after my partner and I told the guy at the table to give me some time on the clock so the coach had ample time to remove himself before the game was a forfeit. The behavior of the coach and players is playing too big a role in what we do. It is horrible and everytime we give someone a "pass" it makes it harder on the next officials. I'm not pointing fingers because I have given some passes that I shouldn't have. I have also thrown a coach out this year that deserved it. I don't know where Rich lives but one problem is states where a coach plays a part in what games officials get. That is dead wrong. We are already working uphill when a coach has this power. Home court advantage takes on a whole new meaning. To some extent I think we need to take the game back!

Also, I'm with Rainmaker. The wrong words can put someone in the tank rather than keeping them out of the tank. The same way we worry about communication with coaches we need to worry about communication with our crew. That goes for anything that is said to a memeber of our crew (by a player, coach, AD or fan) that could effect them during and after the game.