Coach lobbying for calls pregame
 

I'm curious about how the esteemed members of this forum handle this type of thing. I don't get it often, if ever but I had a coach earlier this season try to lobby for a call before the game even started. After captain/coaches meeting, we were standing in our spots near half court with like 4:00 before tip. Coach walks up and asks a question about waist bands then makes a comment like "just so you know, I watched a lot of film and 30 carries the ball every trip down." I just turned and walked away because I have very little patience for coaches acting like jerks and I thought that was pretty annoying. My partners humored him. I ended up getting his PG twice in the first 5 min for illegal dribbles, and he was a prick the whole game. Any thoughts on this type of crap?

It seems like the coaches who act like nice guys pregame end up being the worst lately.

Keep It Simple ...
 

"I'll watch for it coach."

And then either watch for it, or ignore, whatever suits your fancy.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/lowres.jant...137920_low.jpg

+1. A succinct, cordial response (like Billy's) is better than just turning and walking away. But it doesn't have to be anything more than that. Just enough so that he knows he was heard.

Beyond that, you now have information. It's totally up to you how you judge and use it.

This is why I love football. I ask each coach what they've seen about the other team on film we should be aware of (they both know I've asked that question) and then the crew packs it away in case it's needed later.

Yes. The purpose of the "coaching" box doesn't include acting like a prick the whole game. Give the warning early and follow through if the coach doesn't get the message. And do it before halftime.

My comment would have been, "OK." Then I would have moved on and done exactly what I would have done before that comment. If there was a carry, I would call it like I normally would. But I would not make it up or ignore an obvious violation.

Peace

You are asking about how to respond to the coach. I agree with Jeff--a simple "OK."

But, as billyu2 notes, your post raises a second concern when you said that the coach "was a prick the whole game." Only if you let him. Otherwise, warn or T him, T him again, then exile him to the locker room.

He was warned, an assistant whacked, and that shut him up.

Coach/fan definition of a carry: What the other team's point guard does.

(Maybe I'm delusional with age, but as I watch HS ball, I think about 30-40 carries a game would be called if the standard was the same as when I played.)

this

Right.

I don't know that it works in this situation, but sometimes you can deal with the situation by saying, "Let's get (other coach) in here and discuss so we can all be on the same page."

That might be true but does not mean it would be correct. Players do not dribble anymore with the ball perfectly on top. The current interpretation is also not that strict either. This is why I laugh when I hear for calls for a carry when no move is being made to get by the defender.

Peace

That is one I will keep in my back pocket, I like it.

This. Or "I'll watch for it." Or "tell me what he's doing." Or go to #30 and tell him to make sure you're not carrying the ball.

Everybody's Talkin' At Me (Harry Nilsson, Midnight Cowboy, 1969) …
 

I won't do this pregame after being spoken to by opposing coach, it's not fair to screw around with the kid's head pregame.

Now, if I see something odd in the game, I may mention it to the player, or to his coach, especially in a subvarsity game.

If some of us don't like coaches trying to mess around with our heads pregame, why would we want to do the same thing before the game begins to a player.