[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by Jerry Baldwin

Mark,
Calm down. One of the things I have told myself to work on this season, "don't get mad". I have the "in charge card" when officiating, but how I use that card is all up to me. I must have the smallest ears in the gym, cause I seldom hear fans booing or yelling. I am usually so focused on the game that I've had to adjust to coaches calling a time-out now. I figure a fan pays his $3.00or whatever and that gets him the right to run his mouth as long as it is not obsene or abusive. An AD should know better than to encourage fans to boo officials though. I would certainly do as you suggested and add what would he do if all officials QUIT! What a mess things would be in. And I have thought about quitting many times after a particularlly bad night. You know one of those nights when you and your partners are on different pages and nothing is working right. Those are the nights I dress very slowly trying to refelct on the night events and what I could have done to improve the picture. Sometime post game conference is as important as pre-game. Opps! I just fell off of my soap box. Got an FCO, Fellowship of Christian Officials, basketball clinic next weekend so I am going to be busy getting prepared. God bless. Later. Jerry.

[This message has been edited by Jerry Baldwin (edited October 02, 1999).]

So, Jerry - how did the clinic go?