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  #1 (permalink)  
Old Fri Nov 19, 1999, 08:47pm
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Just read that Ted Valentine has been fired by the Big Ten.
In case you don't know the story, REFEREE magazine recently published a story about a confrontation Valentine had with Indiana Bobby 'Good-Knight' during the 1998 season. Valentine had to give 'Good-Knight' three technical fouls.
The Big Ten said the first and third techs were ok but the second (given due to remarks 'Good-Knight' made as he walked past Valentine to attend to an injured player) was not justified.
Also, I wonder where were his partners during this game. Both are big-time Division 1 officials (Tom O'Neil and Ed Hightower), but they dropped the ball. One in particular, Hightower, works a full schedule in the Big Ten and his actions show that he was protecting "his" schedule. Twice he put his arm around "Good-Knights' shoulders and walked away from Valentine, thus showing him up.
As an official we must all decide what our individual philosophy will be: 1) suck up to coaches and administrators so we can get a better schedule; or 2) call the game the way it should be according to the rules and leave the court with your head held high!
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Old Fri Nov 19, 1999, 09:15pm
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Angry

Your only friend or friends on the court are the other guy(s) or gal(s) in the striped shirts.
What Hightower did was "bushleague", only person that does what he did is someone who is insecure and worries about what others might think, say or do!!!!
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Old Tue Nov 23, 1999, 04:15pm
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This is exactly the type of thing that undermines officials in all sports and at all levels. When an official makes an "unpopular" call (but an absolutely correct one) and the governing body does not back them up, or worse, punishes them for it (see Ted Valentine, see also Phil Luckett, NFL), it sends a clear message to coaches, players, and fans.

That message - that if their own governing body doesn't respect them enough to back them up, why should we show them any respect.

It is interesting that this behavious has not escaped the attention of non-officials. My brother who is in graduate school in Duqesne University is doing a rather unique thesis paper. I'm interested to get feedback from other officials so I will post info about it in the general forum.
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Old Tue Nov 23, 1999, 09:45pm
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Angry

I read the article and it sure seemed to me that Ed Hightower left his partner out to dry. I used to have great respect for Ed. He is the guy who coined the phrase "Be in control of the game without controlling the game." Probably the best advice a ref could get. He also said that the purpose of a technical foul was to stop bad behavior, and if you can stop bad behavior without calling the technical, you're that much ahead. Maybe he was using that philosophy at the time and thought Ted could have done something else. Personally, I don't thing even technicals will stop Big Bad Bobby's bad behavior. Next game Indiana has, I vote for Stone Cold Steve Austin to ref.
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Old Fri Nov 26, 1999, 10:05pm
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I went to the game in question, when Mr. Valentine gave Mr. Bob Knight the technicals. I strongly agree that Mr. Knight deserved what he got. But Mr. Valentine was also wrong and acted very poorly. Mr. Valentine instigated the actions of Mr. Knight, by trying to show Mr. Knight up.

If any of you were in Mr. Hightowers shoes you would do the same. I know I would. You would not risk your career, if your partner was in the wrong. I still respect Mr. Hightower, he's probably one of the better officials that I've seen.

Mr. Knight is no way an angel, and often acts out the wrong way, but an official should never try to show up a coach or player during a athletic event. I have seen and heard Mr. Knight make wrong statements, but he gets his point accross.

I do not agree with the decision to fire Mr. Ted Valentine, but he should be punished for his actions.

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Old Sat Nov 27, 1999, 10:01pm
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Angry

You made a mistake by calling Knight "Mr." That implys respect. Something of which he is undeserving. Respect is something I reserve for officals that have to call his games. I order to get respect you must give it. This is something that Knight is quite possibly incapable of. I won't take the time to go into what he is deserving of here.
I generally grow weary of how occasionally officals lose their cool and make a mistake in game administration and someone points that out while making such a big deal out of it. As though officals were inhuman robots that can take whatever a coach would like to give him with out response. Coaches can say or imply most anything they want about an officals integrity, intelligence, ability, etc. with as little as a warning or an occasional Technical. But some how he is able to do this routinely and rarly criticized for it. Let a offical slip a little during a bad game or nite and suddenly here comes the cry, crucify him, crucify him!
Grow up! Officals are human and subject to like passions as are the coaches. If Bob Knight even resembled a man he should be apologizing to Ted and seeking to get him reinstated

------------------
Pilgrim
It ain't what you know that makes you a fool. It's what you know that just ain't so!
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Old Sun Nov 28, 1999, 01:03am
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Question

MSOA:
You were at the game?
How does an official show up a coach?

If Bobby 'Good-Knight' was not the jerk he is then none of this would be discussed 2 years after the game.
He may know his Xs and Os, but time and again people leave his program because of the abuse he heaps upon them. His coaching is reflected in how he treats officials. No one is exempt, he hates everyone.
His interview last year where he said that officials should have background checks to ensure that they are not throwing games is another instance of how messed up he is.
How many times in your games have you had a player injured and the coach while walking to his player will take the opportunity to yell at the official. If the official reacts, then the fans think that he is picking on the coach. Most of the time I tell the coach to take care of his player and keep the technical in my pocket for use at a later time. When the coach asks what he said I tell him that during the last injury timeout he stepped over the line.
In this month's REFEREE magazine John Wooden said that in 40 years of coaching he had two (2) (dod) technical fouls. He was a gentleman on the court and realized that the players won the games and that no matter what he did the officials were not going to change their minds. So, he let them do their job, and he did his.
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Old Mon Nov 29, 1999, 11:07am
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Talking

I also read the article in Referee Magazine about Ted Valentine. I also have woirked with Hightower and O'Neal. They are both good officials and wouldn't worry about [protecting their schedule. They both can work anyplace. The big thing was that Mr. valentine needs to understand that the game ios for the kids and that the official is there to make sure that the games is played fairly and that most games that you never remember the officials are the best games played. Try not to have confrontations with coaches and just get the job done. I never had the opportunity to work with Mr. valentine butn the games that I have observed him in it seemed that there always was some problem during the game. Mr. Valentine is a good official as his schedule must dictate but even the great Irv Brown said that officials should be seen but not heard. What he meant was that, there are ways to talk to coaches and there are ways to handle them as well. I have worked Coach Knight quite a few times in the tourney where it meant something and just didin't alabi when he asked me something. If I didin't know the answer, I just said that I didn't know. Well, I'm just rambling but the main thing is that Hightower and O'Neal are good officials and so is Valentine. No body got hung out to dry. Sometimes, an official digs his own grave.
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Old Mon Nov 29, 1999, 12:06pm
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I believe both individuals are at fault. First and fore-most, Coach Knight overstepped his bounds with Mr. Valentine. Did he deserve to get tossed? OH HELL YES! As a player I looked up to Coach Knight, as an Official, I look up to both Mr. Valentine and Mr. Hightower. Coach was wrong! Valentine although highly pressured, made the calls he had to make. The third T was excesssive in my opinion. However, his most grousome mistake was talking to the press. I lost alot of respect for him and Mr. O'neil because of their action and interview with Referee Magazine. The first rule of this business is to let go of any mistakes made on the floor however minor or major. The only person or persons that should have discussed this matter further should have been the crew, their commisioner and if necessary, the commissioner of the Big Ten. The press blew this out of proportion because it was Bob Knight and not some other coach. Reputations go far in in this case the press is the innevidable culprate in the underminning of a game I love to play, watch and officiate. In the end, they are the true villians who take the FUN out of athletics.
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