[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by fullor30

Jeff

No matter how many individual examples you have, such as yourself, who has earned his schedule through camps, hard work and above all good officiating, there are many more who have strictly by longevity been assigned to games that quite frankly are over their capabilities. At one point in their careers they may have earned those games, but like a tenured college professor, once you're in....... you're in. The statement 'if someone is doing it better, they will find them to do games' I find is altruistic at best.

That is untrue. It is untrue on many levels and it is untrue because there are many examples of people being pushed out, you just have not been around likely to know many of the stories. And they are not pushed out just because the assignor wanted them out; they are pushed out because the coaches and administrators that hire the assignors push them out. But if the coaches and administrators are happy to have the older official that has been through the fire, they will stick around.

Originally Posted by fullor30

Assignors neither have the time or inclination to seek out the very 'best' officials. Familarity over the years with officials who have become personal friends would and does make it very difficult to support your position and that's not a gripe, just reality.

This is completely untrue. In the last 8 or so years I have worked older officials have retired or they have in some cases died and there have been a bunch of newer, younger, athletic officials that have been hired. I am only in my mid-30s but I have worked with many guys that are younger than me lately and they were recently picked up in conferences where assignors have been around. I am very rarely working with the "old guard" as much anymore as I used to. And I have been fired from leagues along with many others when we either disagree with the assignor or we have a game where a coach complains and we get the boot. And there have been state final officials that have gotten the boot in Chicago for not calling the game a certain way or because of some controversy.

Originally Posted by fullor30

Of course there are minimal additions and subtractions to an assignor's 'stable' every year, yet within that core are many officials for a myriad of reasons have not earned nor deserve the schedule they receive.

Then again, that is an opinion and you have every right to that opinion. But your opininon and my opinion does not count. I can tell you this, unless your prove you are have as competent, you are not going to push many out of their positions. The coaches would not allow it. Bottom line is the coaches would rather have a guy they know how that person is going to handle a situation, then a guy they have never seen, do not know how he will handle pressure to make a call or if the other coach can get under your skull. Assignors ultimatlely work for the schools and the coaches. If they put a rookie on a game and the coach does not like that rookie, the assignor is not going to keep giving the rookie games at that school. It is just not going to happen. And frankly, when I watch younger officials, I do not see a lot of guys that I want to work with in a tough game and I have to constantly save you. I like working with guys that can stand on their own two feet and I will help out if you need it in a real pinch. Assignors are looking for Referees, not U2s.

Originally Posted by fullor30

That said, the system is not patently flawed, it's just the way it is.

I liken it to Chicago city hall politics and patronage, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, I doubt I will change your mind, and I know you'll never change mine.

You are right. Because the vast majority of officials that I come in contact with that claim the "ole boy network" system as the reason they do not get a shot, usually those are officials that I do not know if they could handle a good JV or Sophomore game. And when I was advancing in this system, 3 man was not even the games I was offered.

Originally Posted by fullor30

Curious, when you moved here from another area, did you have an introduction from an ex-assignor or did you just show-up blind at camps?

More credit to you for the latter if that was the case.

When I move up to the Chicago area the first thing I did was look at a map, figure out where I was willing to drive and called or contacted every assignor I could to see what camps they ran or were associated with and I tried to attend as many of those camps as possible. I already have varsity experience so all I had to do was showcase my ability. After the summer I did this, I was hired off the bat by two assignors to varsity games. I was even told in one of them that I had to prove to some coaches I could work. I even called a T in one of the games I worked in one of the conferences (2 man with a veteran officials). The coach was apparently impressed with me even though I called the T on his player and I got more games in that conference the following year. I was even observed by other officials that recognized my talent and had me work with them directly in games or gave me opportunities I would not have had. I had a sales background even then so I knew how to tell people about my experience and I would ask direct questions to see what I had to do. Every assignor that I currently work for in the Chicago area either saw me at a camp, or received recommendations by the right official that watched me work in front of them (varsity tournament) or saw me at another camp. Then when I showed up to a particular camp, I was observed and in most cases hired for varsity on the spot. I do not say this to brag, but I had the same information at my disposal as anyone else. Most assignors were listed in many association books and their contact information was public. All I had to do was contact the people, listen to what they expected and usually attended camps where they could see what I was about for themselves.

I also have another little secret for you. Many of the assignors do not like each other or respect the other decisions or their staffs. And you are not going to get 20 games from one assignor usually. Most are going to give you 3 to 4 games at most and if you get more you were available or lucky that others were closed and you were on the list. So if you are going to work a full varsity schedule, chances are you will have to work for many people and that is not going to happen because you think you are good and they will just hire you.

Peace