One of our own
 

Some of you may remember a member named "crew", who used to like to stir the pot with very provocative rule interpretations and opinions. Just thought you'd like to know he's working the Golden State/Dallas playoff game tonight.

I barely remember. But what is his real name?

I asked because I do remember Eli Roe and I did not realize he was no longer in the league.

Peace

Ben Taylor used to post here under the name "btaylor" before he started knocking on the door of the NBA.

There were some people here, I believe Jurassic was one of them, who used to go at him pretty hard as if he didn't know what he was talking about. I wasn't one of those, because I actually met him at a camp here in Virginia when he was still a 20 year old student at Middle Tennessee State University. I knew his career was on the rise and was happy for him when he made it into the big show.

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Sounds pretty typical of many high school associations who don’t want people in their organization that have aspirations to advance to higher levels.

That's interesting. Is that because these organizations are afraid that they'll lose the official to higher levels, or is it more the crabs in a bucket mentality?

Both

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Yup, that's the one! I think he started as "crew" here and then changed over (or maybe vice versa). I only say that because I'm pretty sure I once posted here that I had met "crew".

I also met Ben at an Orlando camp once. He got nicked in his evaluation for not giving a visible 10-second backcourt count. Guess he doesn't worry about that now. LOL

I think a lot of officials think that if someone does not have your experience level, that somehow you are not as knowledgable as they are. It is not always about them losing people (in my experience) is it acting like because you did it longer you cannot be taught anything. And then do not talk about another level, then you have people that think you are teaching something antithetical to what is being taught at the high school level. Often the things they do at the NBA and even college filter down or are the same things they teach but better. It is certainly a threat to some for some reason.

Peace

In my experience in a previous association, it was bitterness on the part of the good ol' boys who missed their opportunity to move up to higher levels in their career. Most of them were "1 year of experience, 30 times" kind of officials.

I was in an association a few years ago where those "career high school" officials expected the younger folks (some of whom had the potential to make higher levels) to kiss their feet simply because they had a bunch of years under their belt. The idea of learning by way of anything other than reading the books was blasphemous to them. I'd venture to say those guys had never seen themselves on film in their entire careers. And now that association doesn't have enough bodies to cover their games.

You reap what you sow.

That is why I pride myself as largely a high school official and college official at the lower levels as a trainer that recognizes talent and opportunity by guys that have been officiating at any level. I will never act like this because an official that has worked less than 5 years is incapable to work at the higher levels. In our camp last week, we try to get officials that are willing to learn outside of themselves, not teach one way of officiating because it was in a book somewhere.

Peace