[JRutledge]

I cannot address everything and I will not try to. I made this statement or comments about a particular situation. It was not an inditement on women's or girl's basketball across my state or in general. But the reality is that girl's basketball is under appreaciated and under supported. And because of that, things like what I discribed, this tends to happen all over Illinois, and I am sure any other place that boys and girls play the same or similar sports. Even the fans are worse in girls games because people still look at girls as fragile little beings and think every time they get knocked down you should call something. Boys get knocked down and if you call something everyone is complaining.

This was a Christmas Tournament, and it seemed like not a sole gave a damn about anything. Nobody took pride in anything, not the fans, not the administration and not even the assignor. The officials as a whole were not up to the standards of anyone that gives a damn, and if they did they would not be officiating in JEANS!!!!!! Where the hell have any of you seen an official that did a game in JEANS? This is my 6th year of being an official, 5th doing any kind of varsity on a regular basis and I have never seen a 8th grade official step into the gym and dare do a game in JEANS!!!! I have never seen a coach at any level just see their team get destroyed and not call one timeout, not make one substitution or not call one play!!! There was many times the two timeouts and the in-between quarters, and the losing coach did not even huddle up and tell the players a single thing. WHY IN THE HELL ARE YOU HAVING A PROGRAM IF YOU DO NOT CARE!!!! And because of this attitude, no wonder the kids did not give a crap. Would you, the adults didn't?

I have never done the weakest of boys tournaments of any kind and see this kind of lack of enthusiasm for a contest of any kind. I am sure it happens, but nobody gave a damn. Not even the winning team took any pride in getting better. The winning coach was encouraging her players to shoot 3s instead of working on an offense or playing good defense. This was a complete and utter joke. I could have stayed home and had a V8.

Girls basketball in general stinks period. It is not because the players are not talented, it is not because they do not know how to play, it is because communities and schools could give $hit about whether girls play or not. I think the only reason they have a program is because of Title IX. If the law did not allow for equal accomidations, many girls programs would not be around.

And if you want to know the truth, I was drilled about my experience and I had to put up with this. If I realized that no one gave a damn I would have rather stayed home. To even get the worse boys basketball in the state, I have to have more qualifications, more experience and a higher rating. I can roll out of bed on a bad day and get a girls game. And in my area, you had to be very qualified to even think you would ever step on the court for a boys varsity game. All they needed is a warm body for a girls game. And if you think I am lying, ask some Illinois officials how many conferences for both boys and girls have 3 Person officiating crews. All most all the conferences that I do, the boys have 3 Person crews for all games, the girls sides are very reluctant and have not approved money to allow them to pay 3 officials.

Look, I can go on and on about this but I am not going to. I have better things to do. I have had some bad experiences with boys varsity, but those are far and few between. I have never officiated a game that no one seem to care even the players. And the way this tournmant is being run, it seems that no one cares. Maybe it was just these teams, but if this was a sales pitch for me to continue to do girls games, it was a big failure. And that is why I am taking a serious look at what I want to do in the future. I never grew up thinking I ever wanted to advance in women's basketball, and experiences like these to not help me change my mind. I see time and time again why many official choose the boy's and men's sides. At least the administrations, players and coaches give a damn. I personally do not know what anyone was trying to accomplish on Monday night.

Peace