[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by drinkeii

Now you're just backing off, like in the Mechanics thread (you brought it up) to "do whatever you want, it doesn't matter anyway". And which I specifically said, in the other thread (again, you brought up the other thread), that that wasn't a legitimate response.

There is no reason to keep debating this with you when you have it all figured out. People have been telling you over and over again like the other post what to do and they are much more experienced by all accounts. Also there are people that I personally have had many disagreements telling you that you are flat out wrong. If you feel you are right there is a reason why some officials get better shots than others. I know that might not seem nice, but it is the truth. And many here are saying their careers would be greatly affected by calling a T in this situation. I know mine would be affected.

Originally Posted by drinkeii

We had a guest lecturer at our opening officials/coachs meeting this year. His speech, for a half hour or so, focussed on the falling apart of our game. When we need to have games played at 4 in the afternoon in some cities, so they don't have spectators show up to cause problems...when you have to have games stopped and replayed because of officials feeling there was one fan that made one racial slur against them... when you have the NFHS picking sportsmanship as a POE almost every year... when I have a coach I watch chew out his team for, literally, 15 minutes, flinging profanity at the kids left and right, with younger kids around well within hearing distance, with parents watching and well within hearing distance, AFTER A SUMMER LEAGUE GAME... these all lead toward our game falling apart.

You can give all the examples you like, it is not going to change my opinion about this.

Originally Posted by drinkeii

If we choose to sit back, and watch these things occur, and do nothing to #1 prevent them, and #2 address them when they do occur, we're not going to have a game to officiate anymore. Yes, using the OP word isn't going to cause the game to collapse. But our unwillingness to address similar issues - our "not hearing" things we don't want to address or have to deal with, etc... is heading down a slippery slope that will damage the game, and sports in general, in the long term. You will say "one word, no big deal" - fine - one word leads to another and another, and the line gets blurrier and blurrier... and eventually, there is no line anymore.

Once again, there are things bigger than what the NF wants. If the NF wants specific language to be penalized at all times, they can put that in the rulebooks and we would have no choice. The NF is very vague just like the NCAA to allow for these types of judgments to be made. If you have a problem, you know who to contact to make that change. I doubt it will go far, but this is something you can try.

Originally Posted by drinkeii

Bottom line - if you wouldn't tolerate a coach saying it to you, why would you tolerate a coach addressing his players that way? Would you tolerate him addressing the scorekeeper that way? How about the timer? How about the ball-boy? How about the janitor during the intermission? How about a parent during halftime or during the game in the crowd behind him? Where do we draw the line? The behavior is unacceptable, and needs to be addressed in some way. Whether with a T or a warning - not addressing it simply allows them to get away with things, which build to larger things, which damages the game.

Conduct ultimately is up to the administration that hires them. Also, the timer and scorer might have words back. I do not know about you, but I am not standing right next to the timer and scorer. The only ball-boy I have ever seen in sports is in football. And during intermission I have no idea where the janitor is most of the time. And also it is not for me to know of every interaction a coach or player has with everyone in the gym. All we can take care of as officials is what we see and hear. My priority is not listening to coaches and their interactions with players and fans unless it happens during actual play.

Originally Posted by drinkeii

Again - why would they make sportsmanship, of which the language issue is a part, a POE almost every year in most sports, if it wasn't important?!?

Sportsmanship is not always about language. Sportsmanship is also about non-verbal communication and it also has very little to do with what is stated by the POEs. I was raised by parents that expect a certain level of respect that I would never penalize a kid for.

David, the NF does not hire anyone here. The NF does not fire anyone here. I will leave the conversation with that nugget. I will let you figure out what role that plays in this conversation.

Peace