What do you mean by practice (I don't mean that as harsh as it reads. I looked at it and wanted to edit it)? I'll give you an example, we will agree that if we see a player that has been given ample warnings with their shirt out then they will get a sub and tuck it in on the side. I say OK, then I'm the only one that does it. I don't mind because I can't go wrong with something like this because it's in black and white. But, it is something we went over in pre game. Also, there are many interpretations of the mechanics in regards to long switches. Right or wrong, I can adapt to what we go over in the pre game. So I'm in a game and I wasn't even involved in this switch but I'm looking at it thinking "that isn't what we talked about" and it looks bad because one guy is doing it and the other one is doing something else. Of course that is a 3-person crew. Things like that can be avoided by a good pre game and follow through.

All I meant by the post was that maybe your partner is still trying to get the pre-game thing down and still has a lot of slip between cup and lip--he's still practicing walking the walk kind of thing.

It's always much easier to talk about something than to actually get in the situation and get it done. I think we've all been there to one degree or another. In this case he's still practicing the "walk".

But, I can see how this could/would be very frustrating.

P.S.
Also, in your orig. post you asked: "What happened to the pre-game? Why did we have it?" Thus, my "practice, ..."
We are all constantly "practicing" getting better. We don't stop doing those things just because we didn't get it right the first or second or xth time; we keep on keeping on. I also believe your question was more rhetorical and you already recognize my points and all this is just a typing drill for me.:D

[Edited by davidw on Jan 5th, 2004 at 01:09 PM]

Oh, I understand what you mean but keep in mind that these are supposed to be veteran officials in the local board.

Last night I'm lead. My partner in the C has a weak tweat then several whistles when a kid goes to the hoop and there is a crash on his side. I cross the lane and he tells me he has an inadvertant whistle. OK, I put the ball in play and go on. During a timeout he tells my other partner and me "I'm sorry about that whistle, that contact was right in front of you." Huh? So, I'm new to the area and I just met this guy before the game. I'm not just going to go for that so I tell him that it was right in front of him and he was at the C. He disagrees and that pisses me off. The game finishes and we don't say anything about it. I come to find out that this guy likes to talk out of his posterior a lot. During halftime most of his comments were "what you guys need to do is..........." That is an instant turn off. This was a good game with at least two division 1 bound big men. No time for this big fat ego. Keep in mind that when he mentioned the inadvertant whistle we didn't say anything to him about it. I think it was his own guilt that brought it up. It still pisses me off that he would try to basically blame me by saying the play occurred on my side of the hoop in the first place. I might be many things but ignorant is not one of them.

You're in a no-win situation, Tomegun. With guys like this, I think that the best thing that you can do is just smile, nod your head, don't say anything to him, and let everything that he says go in one ear and out the other. No use getting mad; that might affect your game and you don't want that. Just hope that you don't get stuck with him again.

YU.P.
Sometimes all you can do is git in, git done and git out.

I was gonna say that, but I was afraid of getting sued under the copywrite laws. :D

"copywrite" ????? Nah, you won't get sued.....you'll just be shackled and carried away by the spelling police

"They're coming to take me away! Ha, ha!
They're coming to take me away! Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho...."

Mick, did you forget to pay your Brain Bill? (TeeHee)

Never had to pay it.
Never been used.
So there!
mick

I applied your philosophy the other night. My partner was a true Homer Ref and some. Everyone knew him and he was terrible.

Here are some issues I had with him:

1. Enters the gym with his jacket on and his stripes hanging down to his knees.
2. When I used the word violation he said "I was too technical".
3.Pre-game: Eye contact and that was it. I had to wait several times for him to get down court when he had his back turned.
4. Fraternizes with both team coaches, he was from the area and worked at the local grocery store. The coaches wouldn't say anything to me, not even requesting TOs.
5. Every call I made that the Coaches didn't like he would agree with them
6. An OOB throw-in forced him to switch sides, he tells me " don't switch sides you made me walk across the court. To demonstrate how he wanted it done, he then would inbound the ball on the baseline across the lane.
7. I called a T on a player for cursing real loud, he says "I should of warned him".
8. Had a wad of chewing tobacco in his mouth
9. During transition as old lead I would beat him to half court.
10. Finally, at the end of the night he tells me "I hope I didn't teach you any bad habits". I said See ya!!!!

Got in, Got done and GOT OUT!

I told my assignor I didn't want to work with him again because he wasn't serious.

Oh my!

Woodee, you did absolutely the right thing. Get the game out of the way, and then report him. It's just a complete waste of time even trying to talk to guys like this- they don't get it, and they never will get it.

You showed admirable restraint by not popping the guy upside the head after he pulled #5 on you.