[JRutledge]

Tommy,

I would much rather be in your system than the one we have here. Not to say there is anything really bad with what happens here, but at least you have some connection with the guys at the top. Here we can work JUCO ball and the next year they might have a D1 game or two under the right circumstances. We can go to camps and we never really know when we are on the cusp of getting a real shot. Also getting a shot here might not mean anything. There are a lot of officials that have worked a year or two of D1 games with one or two games schedules to only not work any more when either the assignor changes or the philosophy of who will get picked up changes as well.

The overall problem is that there are so many qualified officials for just a couple of slots. There is also a lot of money on the line so it is very difficult to get a shot when many of the veterans are kept because they have proven they can work. Just watching the Nevada-Kansas game last night, three of the best officials in the country were on the game. No one is going to get rid of these guys to give a shot to an unproven game. It is clear that any game that gets National Television coverage the best of the best officials are on those games.

You will get your shot Tommy, just hang in there. You seemed to be on the right track. As I stated before, you are a heartbeat away. Keep doing what you do.

Peace