[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Scrapper1

Often? Maybe. Just as often, it's talent, ability and hard work.

Oh yeah, because we've never met a high school official with a huge ego. I'm sorry to be overly sarcastic, but I am so tired of hearing this. As a college guy who gets an occasional D2 game, I work with many many MANY more down-to-earth, easygoing, easy-to-get-along-with guys than head cases. Are there college officials with overblown egos? Absolutely. Are there just as many high-school-only officials with equally overblown egos? I've met my share.

I'm not putting down high school officials, because roughly a third of my schedule each year is still high school games. I do tire, however, of hearing my high school brethren pontificate on the egos of my college brethren. I've never heard a college guy say that a high school guy is less of an official or less talented because he only works high school games. When I've heard critical comments about high school officials from college officials, the comments are about mechanics, judgment, appearance, etc. Never about level of games.

Some of the biggest egos I run up against are those of high school officials. Because many high school officials think they know every damn thing even though they might not be very accomplished at the high school level. For the most part most college officials are very confident individuals, but very easy to work with and for the most part are willing to work with just about anyone. I have had more big time high school officials try to big time me by referencing their state final accomplishments or they Sectional they worked. I only work a handful of college games and my vast majority of games are from the high school realm. I worked a 3 overtime game back in December with two very big time college and former state final officials and that was one of the easiest games to work because no one brought and inflated ego to the game. Both were very easy to work with and both made me feel as if I was just one of the group and both could have easily big timed me or acted like I had no business being at this game with them.

Peace