[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Most of you know that I have officiated in a number of AAU and YBOA national (both boys' and girls') tournaments over the years. I have also officiated in a number of Michigan, Lake Erie, and Ohio AAU association national qualifying (boys' and girls') tournaments (For those of you not familiar with AAU, the country is divided into associations and those associations hold national qualifying tournaments) and YBOA/Ohio State Tournaments (state tournaments are the national qualifying tournaments) over the years.

I have officiated in the aformentioned tournaments that have had great tournament and site directors and in tournaments that have had idiots for tournament and site directors.

Experience No. 1/1994 AAU Girls' 18U National Tournament: I replaced the Official Scorer in a game in the because he started telling me that I couldn't eject a player for throwing an elbow at an opponent's jaw. He told me that he knew the rules because he was (at the time) for Colgate Univ.'s men's team (he really did play for Colgate).

Experience No. 2/1995 Ohio AAU Girls' 18U National Qualifying Tournament: My partner had called a TF on a substitute for unsportsmanlike conduct. My partner correctly instructed the Scorer to count the TF toward the substitute's two TF's and five PF/TF's and the substitute's team's seven and ten fouls for the half. The tournament's officials assigner tried to tell the scorer not to count the TF because the game was not being played using H.S. rules (he was correct on the point (the tournament was being played using NCAA Women's Rules). He was so adamant that I had to threaten him with removal from the game site if he did not cease and desist. He later apologized and admited that I was correct after he had read the NCAA Rules.

I have more war stories about which I could write but this post is already too long.

MTD, Sr.