quote:
Originally posted by jackgil:
Impart iality -
Criticize a ref for making a bad call --- don't criticize a ref for not being impartial. I think that accusation is ludicrous. Are you saying players, coaches fans are more impartial than the refs????? As a fan and former player and coach, I would say THE ONLY impartial people on the court are the refs!
Of course we are. Years ago, when my son was in middle school and playing rec league, his coach was always on the refs. He yelled at them for favoring the other team, no matter who the refs were and no matter who the other team was. If you think about that, it is ludicrous and irrational. After one game, I spoke to him and explained that out of all the people in the gym, only the refs didn't care who won the game - the players cared, the coaches cared, the fans cared - even the scorekeepers (who are parents in that league) cared. If that was the case, how could they be biased?
He calmed down after that and about 4 years later I was working a rec tournament. He showed up to coach his daughter's team and he was a perfect gentleman the entire game. He asked one or two questions, but he did so in a professional manner and there were no problems whatsoever even though his team lost at the end on a tough charge/block call and subsequent free throws by the other team.
After the game, we chatted and he told me he never forgot our discussion and since then, he has a different perspective on the game. He thanked me for my comments and said he now doesn't tolerate any complaining to the refs by his players OR PARENTS!!!
It's things like this that make it worthwhile to be an official.