[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by CMHCoachNRef

I know that I very well may be in the minority, here, but I try to completely block out any comments directed at me. My hair is rather short; My forehead is a bit, uh, long; I have bushy eyebrows to the point that I have been referred to as "unibrow"; I am somewhat taller than average; and I weigh a decent amount less than average (some may say thin); I have pretty big feet (not quite clown-like, but big); I get up and down the court rather quickly, but my long arms and legs can look stork-like to some; I happen to be Irish and German (so I like to drink and I can get mad when I do); and I'm not the best lookin' guy in the gym. The bottom line is that there are lots of things people can identify to try to get under my skin.

Each of my regular officiating partners have a similar length list of personal characteristics (or deficiencies). When one or more of us are being pestered by a fan, we do our best to work as a team to block out the individual(s).

Yes, you can, in many cases, go to the AD and have the individual(s) removed. I personally choose to ignore the commentary. I attempt to stick to the old adage "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me."

I will not criticize you for asking for assistance from an AD, but I try to focus solely on the game. I will typically only take action against a fan in two situations:
1. The fan is using language that may be offensive to either the players or spectators around them or
2. The fan's verbal outbursts are affecting the attitudes of the players (his constant badgering is causing the kids to complain about the officiating).

Other than that, I try my darnedest to just ignore them. I do not want to give them the satisfaction that they have been able to get under my skin.

As I stated at the outset, my views on this topic very well may be in the minority, but it has worked well for me.

Big difference from the OP's complaint. BIG difference.