sensitive issue

[JAdams]

I think that basketball officiating mirrors society in general when it comes to hiring minorities (blacks and females).

Two decades ago, most businesses had an unwritten (but noticeable) policy regarding the hiring and promotion of minorities. Blacks and women were discriminated against, plain and simple. As society and the law changed, business began to subscribe to the concept of truer equality for all. At first, some minorities were probably incorrectly hired and promoted at the expense of white males. But that was necessary to get things headed in the right direction. Having been with my present employer for twenty years and having watched this happen, I can say that it's not perfect yet, but we're better off now than we were then. We are a more diverse company (and society), and that's almost always good.

I think the same thing is happening to basketball officiating, and that's good, too. The sport is half women and (at least) 1/3 black, so we should have the same kind of representation among us officials. It's always going to be tough to get enough qualified women, I agree, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. Maybe it will be at my expense (I'm a white male), but that's my two cents worth.