heckling fans and coaches

ronjay42 · #1 (**permalink**) Sat Dec 09, 2000, 06:00pm

It appears to me that whining is as contagious as the common cold. First issue is concerning a head coach of the varsity who is parading around as if he is the school administrator and mediator for his freshman and JV coach when their begging goes on deaf ears. Should I have ejected him from the gym because he was very unethical and disrespectful. Threats were made to me dealing with reporting me to the assignment official and I told him to spell my name right. The same person has been reported for ref bashing at 2 other school programs by the way over the last 5 years. This bothers me a bit that I didn't report him immediately. And fans that constantly heckle ignorant of the rules and not in position to be right with an opinion. Can fans be ejected for being to opinionated?

kevin · #2 (**permalink**) Sat Dec 09, 2000, 06:19pm

If the coach was out of order you can definitely toss him, if it is bad enough. As for the fans, they paid there money to get in and yell at the officials so let them yell. But the first time you hear any foul language towards you you can have game management remove this fan from the gym. But remember when you toss a fan, it will probably only get worse.

williebfree · #3 (**permalink**) Sat Dec 09, 2000, 06:39pm

I am a 2nd year official who had a similiar situation last year (about mid-season). My partner, a 17 - year veteran, simply went to the meddling coach and laid it on the line.

(Firmly and directly focused at the meddler) "Coach, you are bench personnel and we (inferring he and I) will call a "T" if there is additional unsportsmanlike disruption."

Second sprint past the bench: (Tweet) Partner whistles a "T" on the "Varsity" Coach. He got the message and left.

Ain't this a whole lot of FUN!

mikesears · #4 (**permalink**) Mon Dec 11, 2000, 07:59am

Here's my experience when a fan is tossed.

I was officiating the second of two Jr High GIRLS basketball games (game was really ugly!!!), fans screaming all night long. As my partner is working his way down floor as trail, he blows his whistle, stops play, comes over to me and says, "I'm tossing a fan. He just called me a mother f*****!! He said 'Call the three second violation you M** F***'". We stopped play got the school principle and had the man escorted from the gym. When we had him escorted out, that gym was so quiet you could hear a pin drop! No one said another word to us the rest of that second game!

This may be a rare case where tossing a fan proved positive.

Mark Padgett · #5 (**permalink**) Mon Dec 11, 2000, 01:24pm

Last Friday night, we had that same fan you all have every game. You know that guy - he's an expert in all phases of the game, he sits in the front row (usually in a corner) and he knows all about your heritage.

Anyway, seconds before the halftime horn, he yells and screams at my partner (a 5 year vet) about not calling a pushing foul. He yells that my partner is "blind". The horn then went off.

My partner turned around and yelled at this guy (this isn't verbatum, but close), "BLIND!!!??? You think that's funny? My sister is blind. Do you get a big kick out of making fun of people with disabilities? Look, you insensitive clod, if I hear one more word out of you, your gone. If my sister were here, you would have broken her heart, you jerk."

By this time, the guy was actually shaking. He apologized and his face was bright red.

As we walked to the locker room, I said to my partner, "That's pretty rough - about your sister, I mean."

He replied, "I made it up. I don't even have a sister."

"WHAT?", was my comment. He said he heard another ref say that a few years ago and was just waiting for the perfect situation to use it. He said I was free to use it myself anytime.

I guess ya' never know. And - BTW - it wasn't Dave.

Brian Watson · #6 (**permalink**) Mon Dec 11, 2000, 01:44pm

I think you need to tread lightly when giving the boot to a fan. I have only done it once, and it was unavoidable. Dude, came wandering out onto the floor ala Dennis Hopper. I guess I called a foul on his daughter and he didn't like it. I was lucky the guy was drunk off his rear and couldn't move too quick, it might have been ugly. Unfortunately for him, there was a sheriff at the game and they led him out.

Busting out with the fake blind sister routine is bad, but it sounds like it worked. My guess that fan is now a reformed $3 evangelist.

JAdams · #7 (**permalink**) Mon Dec 11, 2000, 03:19pm

Had a similar sequence of events happen this weekend. The situation was a three game triple-header boys games, starting with frosh, then with the JV game, followed by the varisty game. Same two schools involved in all three games. My game is the JV game.

During the first two games, the home varsity head coach sat himself two rows behind the home bench, loudly criticizing each set of officials. During each of the first two games, the officials stick him with a "T" (deservedly so, I might add). So the same guy, who is not actually on the bench, gets a total of two "T's" in two games.

The frosh officials thought the voice came from the bench when they stuck him (right or wrong). My JV partner did realize who he was and where he was sitting, but stuck him knowing darned well that he was the varsity coach (right or wrong).

There should be a rule that would have prevented him from coaching in his varsity game, but everyone knows that the T's don't carry forward from one game to another. I don't know if the varsity guys had to stick him or not... I was sick of the whole affair and didn't stay for that game.

Why do we have to put up with all this hassle?

JRutledge · #8 (**permalink**) Mon Dec 11, 2000, 04:47pm

Quote:

Originally posted by ronjay42
It appears to me that whining is as contagious as the common cold. First issue is concerning a head coach of the varsity who is parading around as if he is the school administrator and mediator for his freshman and JV coach when their begging goes on deaf ears. Should I have ejected him from the gym because he was very unethical and disrespectful. Threats were made to me dealing with reporting me to the assignment official and I told him to spell my name right. The same person has been reported for ref bashing at 2 other school programs by the way over the last 5 years. This bothers me a bit that I didn't report him immediately. And fans that constantly heckle ignorant of the rules and not in position to be right with an opinion. Can fans be ejected for being to opinionated?

For the most part, just ignore fans. Who cares what they think because what difference in the end does it really make? They think all officials are stupid, dumb and blind. They do not have the guts to do it themselves. They only care about whether "johnny" is doing well and his/her team. Fans believe that you just come out of the stands, someone gives you a striped shirt and a whistle and you go out there. Who cares what they think!!!! Most of them if they had the chance would not even come up to you and say anything, because that might mean they have to make an intelligent thought. If you have a good game management person, let them take care of all those idiots. It is in their interest to do so, because the game is hurt by not having officials on the court. It is in their interest to have a safe environment for officials, or officials will not want to come back!!!

ronjay42 · #9 (**permalink**) Tue Dec 12, 2000, 12:48am

I must say that you all are pro's and have sound advice for the situations that may arise. Please allow me to praise you all for each inputted experience.

Mark Padgett · #10 (**permalink**) Tue Dec 12, 2000, 12:51pm

Quote:

Originally posted by ronjay42
I must say that you all are pro's and have sound advice for the situations that may arise. Please allow me to praise you all for each inputted experience.

Please send money. Thanks.

rainmaker · #11 (**permalink**) Tue Dec 12, 2000, 03:45pm

I actually had a dad apologize to me last weekend! I didn't even know what to say...

crabber · #12 (**permalink**) Tue Dec 12, 2000, 04:07pm

Just a funny story to add to all of this. A buddy of mine was working a game and this fan kept getting on him. So my buddy grabbed his extra whistle and gave it to the fan with these instructions " Blow this if you see a call I should have made." He then went to the guy in charge of security and told him that someone in the stands had a whistle....Guess what happened? I always carry my spare with me since that story, but have yet to use it. Seriously,do the best you can and ignore the fans, if that is not possible focus more keenly on your job. As part of my pre-game we are all made aware of security or the administrator in charge. It helps to know whom you can go toin the event of a problem.

Peter Devana · #13 (**permalink**) Tue Dec 12, 2000, 07:14pm

Once again I say -read JRutledge's response again!He is right on the money.
J you are going to have to come up our way so I can work with you.
Pistol

JRutledge · #14 (**permalink**) Tue Dec 12, 2000, 07:21pm

Do not tell that to many on this board and others, they might start calling you names too. But seriously, I would love to if I ever came up there. Officiating is my drug, when I am not doing it, I am feening. I just had my games today and yesterday cancelled, I am really bumbing.

Quote:

Originally posted by Peter Devana
Once again I say -read JRutledge's response again!He is right on the money.
J you are going to have to come up our way so I can work with you.
Pistol