Quote:
Originally Posted by scrounge
Yep. I just can't fathom how a player could drop an n-bomb and stay in the game. Yea, I know it's easy to say later not being in the heat of the moment, but there's virtually nothing verbal that could be worse or more predictably lead to repercussions or retaliation. And if true, it just feeds every single stereotype about downstate teams and officials and just gives ammo to those who want to play the race card. They might play it unjustifiably 99 times, but that 1 time where it just might be true gets them off the hook. Sad situation all around.
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I can tell you I work in areas or conferences where it is not unusual to have teams with completely different racial backgrounds on both teams like you saw in this championship game. I was sitting with two assignors at a banquet last night (I work for both). When I said to them and others, "I do not know too many assignors that would not assign at least one Black official on that game." You know what one of them said, "I certainly would not do that..."
We talk all the time about working places where you live and if you live in a town should you work a game with a local team? People make more assumptions about the racial composition of individuals than they do by where you live. I have worked recently at least one playoff game with a team in the town where I live and no one has said anything to me about my residence. But when I was working my first Sectional game with a Catholic school (not all white BTW) and an all-Black Community, I heard comments from both set of fans, one side assuming I was not from Chicago, the other assuming I was from Chicago and I was working with two Caucasian officials. Funny part for the 3 of us working that Sectional we all were used to that kind of game and dynamic on the game and one of my partners was a Chicago cop. But people assumed a lot based on the crew's racial mix and believe it or not, I got more crap from the Black community and coach than my partners did (which is typical but that is another conversation for another day). And I can tell you I came from rural, small town Illinois and that was a culture shock for me at first when I moved to the Chicago area. So if I had to adjust and learn that these games can be an extra challenge, you telling me officials that likely never sees that kind of game during the year all of a sudden is prepared for all the crap that could be said or done?
I have said this before, there needs to be more diversity (not necessarily racial diversity) in the officials that work those games and this situation highlights that fact. There are officials in many parts of the state that would have done fine and probably would have put out some of those fires or at least ejected the damn kid for making such a statement.
Peace