[Raymond]

Originally Posted by j51969

I agree with all of that. Which is why in my original statement I said "At some point what separates one official from the next is very minor". I'm not referring to a guy who looks great on paper, and $hit on the court. I have worked with many who talk a great game, and are immediately exposed once the ball is tossed.

If you ever watch officials with an NBA ref, they'll say the same, as will most college supervisors. They can tell within the first few trips up and down the court whether that official may have something special. The impression left after those first few up-and-downs plus a few whistles will determine whether or not they want to pay more attention to an official.