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Originally posted by MegatronOSU
The "highlight" of my IM basketball officiating career was doing a B league game (called the drunk leagues by everyone involved) between a fraternity and a team composed of the Oregon State football team.
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I don't know about anyone else, but some of my worst games seem to involve athletes from other varsity sports. One of my worst this season was when the two teams composed of soccer players played each other.
As to bad behavior, no one should have to put up with one-tenth of what goes on in some of these games. This year was so bad that I even had four post-game ejections (one was a bit weak, but needed to be done).
1. Guy from the losing team had been T'ed up during the game. Game's over, and he comes to complain about calls. I listened to him for a sec, then said the game was over, the calls weren't going to be changed, we're done. The guy keeps going, and I suggest to him that the game's over and he should just leave. At this point, he proceeds to ask me "Oh, yeah? What the f**k are you going to do about it?" I turned to the door, blew my whistle, and showed him the way out of the building.
2. (The somewhat weak one) Captain of a team (who had been T'ed up only 2 or 3 minutes into the game) is upset, because I called the game over with 0.2 left on the clock (time was running, ball went OOB but never touched anything, and the timer reacted to a whistle from the other court - the horn would have sounded had that not happened - game over). Almost immediately, he gets angry and starts shouting "That's b*****it!" Quick second T - he's ejected.
3. (Worst behavior I've seen in a basketball game.) Really good grad league game, but with a lot of abuse of the officials (especially me). I ended the game with 25 seconds remaining, because 2 players from A had been ejected (we don't have the 3 T rule - the game is forfeited if 2 players get ejected). As I report the foul and the forfeit to the table, one of the players on the bench (who had fouled out and already gotten a T) feels the need to shout out that I'm a "fat f**k." Flagrant T - he's gone.
4. A player who had been ejected 2 weeks before was given permission to "coach" his team in their last game (they were 0-4 going in). The guy shows up in a cheap suit jacket, clearly mis-matched shirt and tie, and he brought along one of the markerboard clipboards - we knew this was going to be a joke to begin with. Game goes along, and we have to quiet down the bench (two subs, "coach", and a few fans) several times, finally giving them a formal warning (the crew decided that if anything else was heard from the bench, all the spectators would be asked to leave). The game was pretty tight at the end, and this guy's team only lost by 3. (If I remember correctly, they lost because, in OT they had two guys left and one fouled out with 1.5 on the clock - game over). Well, "coach" gets mad, takes his clipboard and slams it down onto the court as I'm walking by - whistle back in mouth, give the T signal, he's gone.
While I don't go looking to a "first T" to call, most T's given out in IM games are well justified. The biggest problem, if any, is officials who don't call technical fouls, even when they're blatantly obvious (worst is when a partner fails to get your back - I'm sure that happens just as much at the HS level, though.
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