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Rut,
You hit the nail on the head. If someone hasn't never officiate basketball before, wouldn't know the hard long trail, (camps, junior high ball, semi varsity, varsity, AAU, YMCA etc.) The fan's and observers think that we are just somebody who wants to work a UCLA or Georgetown game. They don't know, (and will never know) how one obtains D1 status. They also do not factor that unlike the teams they root for, or the announcers call for, that we call the best game every time we are on the court.
You can say that I'm weird, but I consider being a sport's official, part of a fraternity. The only people who could understand what we go through is another sports official. I know I'm not perfect, but if you show me someone who is perfect and I'll show you someone that isn't a official.
The media will never understand. Neither some coaches. But, before they start to judge us, be in our shoes for one quarter with two hostile coaches, crazy fans, and a tie ball game with 4 seconds left that will decide a ball game that will decide the world championship game.
You learn, you make mistakes, and you grow up trying not to make mistakes again. The media will never know until they do their research or realize we have a harder job than what they use to thought.
Bud
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