Bored, so thought I'd ask since I've noticed this over the few years I've been working. For one, I am a two sports official, so that's how I get the comparison. Anyways, I've noticed that probably 95% of the time after I'm done working a baseball game, parents going by or even making a special trip over to my car to say "Nice job blue".. or something like that. I hardly ever here this after working a basketball game. Any thoughts to why this occurs?? I mean most of the time you work different sports for the same school therefore you are dealing with the same parents/fans.

Rita put it nicely, stating that umpires are observers, and referees are "tattlers".

No one likes a rat, I guess.

Parents
 

Its interesting you asked about this. I was just thinking about this very thing today. I only work baseball, but over the years, have noticed the same type of thing. I have also had a couple of negative experiences in the parking lot, and just posted about one of them in the thread about "checking out the zone".

I'm not really sure why, maybe it is the cutural difference between the games, or maybe Rita is right.

After considering your post, my first thought was that baseball officials are usually visible to the fans after a contest whereas basketball officials are usually not.

At the schools I work it is typical that a baseball umpire uses the parking lot for a changing room. You bring your gear in your car and change between the open front door and the open back door. Locker rooms are available, but the ball field is quite a distance from the actual school, so the parking lot is quicker and easier. Sometimes you park right beside a parent or coach! It makes it awkward at times, but that's the way things are done around here.

Basketball officials, on the other hand, usually have a room set aside for them inside the building. They often use back doors to leave by, and sometimes shower right in the same facility, thus the fans are gone before they are. They leave the floor immediately following the game and are not seen again.

Nothing set in stone...just my thoughts

Basketball is a much more emotional game, and by this I mean you have 10 bodies all within a confined space with pushing & shoving (not all of which is called a foul) which escalates tempers. Couple this with several hundred or a few thousand people sitting right next to the playing area screaming at the top of their lungs for the entire game, and you have a possibly volitile experience.

Baseball is played in a much more open area with less of a chance of opposing players coming in physical contact. The fans are seated away from much of the action, and the loud noise isn't confined in an enclosed space.

I do basketball as well. The reason refs get of the court quickly is simple: to avoid dangerous fans!

I would add that we do things basketball officials do not ( please do not take offense at that statement Basketball guys ). In my double header Saturday, I took 5 foul balls off the middle of my face mask and one strategically placed ball to the cup/thigh. I have the bruise to show for it. Even though some parents from the home side of the field disliked my strike zone, when I went to make line-up changes to the 3rd base dugout, several parents applauded my courage for standing in there. And when I exited the field ( with my partner ) I recieved several comments about taking the hits and doing my job well. Of course one team is always happy with your performance because they won, but this happened to be the losers from both games. Not that it makes a whole lot of difference, because I don't grade my performance on whether I was liked or disliked but on whether I did my job right and well. But I think because of the situations we are exposed to, we get a certain amount of respect for what we do, even if we are " wrong " sometimes. Having said that, I give the roundball guys credit for runnning up and down the floor with 16-18 year olds. Those days are gone for me. I'll do my running on the baseball fields in the sun and warm weather.

Maybe it's because there are bigger balls involved in basketball!

Seriously though, I agree with TwoBits, basketball is just a more highly charged atmosphere. Baseball has traditionally been a more gentlemanly sport if you will. I also think the odds being good that a face to face encounter may happen backs some of the idiots off a little. It's easy to be an *** from 50 feet and ten bleachers away!

..also, actual basketball *knowledge* is an acquired skill/taste (I, for one, couldnt tell a foul from a free throw)....but every fan in America thinks that exacting baseball rules knowledge came with their birth certificate ;)

There are plenty of people who think they know the rules, but actually have no clue for every sport.

Here's my two cents...I do both Basketball and base ball, basketball is my primary.

"Rita put it nicely, stating that umpires are observers, and referees are "tattlers".

No one likes a rat, I guess"

kylejt and rita have it on the money. In baseball there is a call on every play...ball/strike, fair/foul, safe/out, etc. Someone may disagree with that call but the umpire is usually right then the game moves on. In theory, you could have a basketball game without a single call if none of the players committ fouls, throw the ball out of bounds, etc. If a coach argued every ball/strike call that was wrong he might comment on ten calls the whole game (if the PU is having a bad day : )). If a ref consistently has a good no call that a coach thinks is a foul, he's going to bicker all game. If a fan doesn't understand traveling he's going to complain every time he incorrectly thinks there's a travel.

Basketball judgements are "if" decisions, baseball judgements are "either/or" decisions. The very nature of the calls/no calls themselves lend to argument in basketball, but not necessarily in baseball. In a typical at-bat you will have about 4-6 calls to make, on a typical possesion, if you include no calls on contact, and include fan bias, you have many more decisions than that to make that are debateable in the fan/coaches mind. My blabber is now complete. Hope this makes sense. Peace.

Could it be that you are very good at umpiring baseball, but you suck at basketball?

:)

Just kidding - I've noticed the same thing with football. Lots of good game blues after softball or baseball. Usually nothing or YOU SUCK! on football.

yes, but I doubt it.

Could be! :)