Women's Final Four Officials

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Rich

I know that I've worked schools where the officials were the only Caucasians in the building (I lived in New Orleans for a while) and this was never an issue. I sometimes drive over 100 miles to work games involving city teams, including Milwaukee teams. More fun to work, more challenging to manage. Makes me better.

I won't deny that basketball is different in rural areas than in urban areas -- it is. I won't deny that there are officials who simply aren't prepared to work different styles of basketball. There are.

But to me, this has nothing to do with race.

I've met you once. I never saw you as Jeff Rutledge, African-American official. I just saw you as Jeff Rutledge, the guy I knew from the forum.

But you'll just tell me as a white guy I just wouldn't understand, so don't bother.[/QUOTE]

I get what you are saying and I get what you are missing from my point of view. But once again when I am standing in front of people who are from this area that have never met me, they assume some very basic things about me and others without even asking. It is assumed for example that I came from Chicago or work Chicago Public League games. And that assumption is often made without any asking or trying to see past what I look like. So it can be part off the equation just like you would not assign officials that are not understanding of the place they are officiating games. I never said it was the only factor, but it is a factor like anything else.

All I will say is you probably would not understand because just like some other things you might not realize how different someone like myself my face basic, every day situations. That is not being dismissive, just stating what seems to be a fact with you or others until they see some things upfront.

If it matters to a Senator that comes up to me at the State Finals asking me why there are not more African-American officials, then it must be something that participants, coaches or fans notice on some level.

Peace