[bainsey]

Wow, where to start?

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Fixed it for you.

First of all, you never fix someone's quote. That's simply bad form. You leave it alone, with the exception of "[sic]" for misspellings or grammatical errors, and put your thoughts after it.

And more importantly, much of what we do indeed DOES have a ripple effect. That's no opinion. That's a fact, and I'm stunned you can't see that.

Telling their kids to shake our hands only reinforces a pleasantry; that's it. The best way a coach can stress respect for the officials is to display it during the game; not insist on a meaningless formality before the game.

I won't disagree with the latter sentence, but think about the former. What do you think players learn from this mandated pleasantry? RESPECT, sir! And it carries over into the game.

If a player shakes your hand, and you're keeping an attitude of "you're only doing this, kid, because your coach told you to," then you're often dismissing the very respect the coach is trying to teach. If you have knowledge that a coach/player is being disingenuous, then fine, but until then, lighten up a little and enjoy the respect we sometimes claim others lack for us.

This is hyperbole ... unless you really think RD is going to damage player/official relations by his anonymous statements on an officiating board.

Not at all. I'm far more concerned about our actions and attitudes on the floor. That's where it counts.