[TriggerMN]

Originally posted by bebanovich
Ah, the dance of the coaches box. As a coach, it's become one of my favorite pregame moments. Invariably on of the officials will come over to talk about the box. Often, it will not be clearly marked, but he/she will point at it, we will both stare at the floor, often we will walk around it, gesture at it, I will nod, sometimes we will count a few chairs, occassionally he/she will grant an extension of a foot or two or explain his/her personal philosophy about the box. If I don't have any clarifying questions, we are off and running. There is nothing insincere in this exchange - I mean to stay in the box and I would if it were ever mentioned again - but damned if I ever really know where I am unless I think I need to.

I tend to pace and I try to stay out of my bench players way or they say things like, "coach I didn't come here to look at your flat, white booty." If I question a call, I tend to look for my empty chair and stand in front of it. If I ever get a little heated - which doesn't seem to happen much anymore (I don't know if it's the improved officiating or the approaching birth of our first child) - I just sit in the first open seat I can find a la musical chairs.

I don't think I could pass a post-game quiz on the location of the coaching box but as long as I'm just cheering and coaching, no one seems to want to take time to make an issue of it.

...and this is why it is imperative to mark the coaching box before your pregame. Why officials don't do this, I have no idea.