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Originally Posted by RichMSN
Ridiculous. What makes Ed Hightower head and shoulders above someone else who works the ACC/Big 10/etc./etc. to the point where he is one of the 10 selected EVERY FREAKING YEAR? I know Welmer is a running joke around here for various reasons, but why do almost all the major conferences compete mightily for his services year after year only to see him get shafted when it comes time to the NCAA tournament? Never worked a Final Four in 28 years as a Division 1 official while Hightower works 90% of them?
It's laziness when it comes to high school basketball. It's about picking familiar names and faces that you know, that have been there before, that you are 100% confident will do as they did last year. I know a guy who has worked SEVEN boys state tourneys. Even with 3-person, less than 50 officials get that nod every season.
It's horrible for morale and horrible for retention of top notch people who, for whatever reason, are not the ones getting chosen year after year after year.
It's not personal. I've only worked here for six years and I value my off-season (and my other sports) too much to go to camp after camp hoping to be seen. But every year, the same faces. Why?
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My point is the NCAA feels they are picking the best men for the job at hand that night. I never said he is head and shoulders(pardon the pun with that rug he wears) above anyone else. My thoughts are contrasting state finals with NCAA's . I have no idea how they arrive at their criteria.
I thought by the way, Hightower along with his crew did a good job last night.
I know Hightower can be over the top, but at that large of a venue, magnitude of the game, and a zillion TV viewers, embellishment of calls beats the opposite.
That's my view from the couch