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Doing a 7th grade boys game, midway thru the 2nd Q, with team A getting set to shoot fouls, I hear a "dad" yelling to my "administering" partner about the call. Nothing too bad, just loud as everyone had quieted down for the freethrows. Partner proceeds to loudly warn the fan with an ejection, and "dad" shuts up.
Older(65?), experienced Partner tells me(2nd year BB official) at halftime break, explaining how we have to keep those types of fans in line or they will incite the players. As a 12 year varsity baseball/football official, I disagree with him, but dont make a big thing out of it.
Game management (running the clock) had mentioned that the 2 opposing coaches and teams had bad blood between them. In the 3rd qtr, coach A complains for a foul, coach B yells to coach A that his player didnt foul, dirty looks back and forth, and we play on...
4th Qtr, I'm standing near bench B, when an A player walks by(was subbed out), and asst coach B gruffly says to him "what are you looking at?- go sit down!"....whack!
30 sec left in the game, "dads" team B down by 1, has a player foul out( only had 5 players to start), and fans start moaning at us. Team B starts fouling, but loses game.
Teams are shaking hands, I'm watching from centercourt for trouble(anyway, next game starts in 7 min), when the "dad" and his woman walk onto court behind me, dropping the Fbomb about our skills. I hadnt even turned around yet and partner confronts woman, "dad" verbally defends his mate, GM pushing them towards the door, with "dad"(all of maybe 5'4") yelling at me "what are you looking at" over and over, as I stared at the fool.
Prior to start of the next game (5th B), GM announces to a crowd of maybe 20 parents, about sportsmanship of fans...they are looking at ea other like "OK, what did we do?". Makes one wonder if things may have been different if partner had ignored "dad" earlier.....
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