Quote:
Originally Posted by fullor30
PLeeezzze Uncle Stripes, can you tell us the story? Pleeeze!
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I moved in to this new state and was put on the V list right away (I was fortunate to have been able to work a scrimmage where decision makers could watch me work ina "real game" environment). This state uses officiating crews for basketball. For the first half of the season, I had no partner. I just filled in where the assignor needed officials. I had not sold my house in the other state and so my wife and kids were not with me. I had nothing else to do so I reffed as much as I could and was fortunate enough to work with the best officials in the area ( a major metropolitan area). That was a real boon for me because I got to know the "right" people early in my time there.
One of the top guys got hurt around Christmas time and was out of the rest of the season. The assignor asked me if I wanted to take his place for the second half of the season. I knew the partner and accepted right away.
The #1 vs. #2 game was the last game of the season. The two teams are rivals, the play in the same league and the #2 team's only loss to that point was on the #1 teams home court. It was the biggest regular season game in the state that year.
My partner called me and told me to get there early because the gym would be full. When I got to the game (prior to the JV game tip off), I was met by acop at the parking lot to tel me the lot was full. I identified myself as a game official and they told me that they had saved me a parking spot. I was escorted to a tennis court and I parked there.
I went directly to the gym and I got one of the two last seats in the gym (the other was for my partner who got there about 10 minutes after me). Ticket sales and the gym were closed before the JV games started. It was a loud, packed house for both games. Once my partner got there, he told me that his phone had been ringing off the hook all day with other officials (not the guys who had already worked with me, but from guys who didn't know me and only heard about me) wanting to know who was working the game with him because his regular partner was hurt. He told them he was working the game with stripes and then it started to hit the fan...they we all mad because I "hadn't earned the right" and "was brand new" and "couldn't handle the game" and "other guys deserved it more" and so on. My partner handled it perfectly. He totally stuck up for me and assured them that I was more than qualified.
The game went fine and then after the game his phone started ringing again (from the same group of guys) wanting to know how badly I had screwed the game up. Once again my partner totally had my back and let them know that things had been fine. He could have sold me out or thrown me under the bus, but he stuck up for me. I learned a great lesson about being a good partner off the court as well.