Ref's talking with fans

[assignmentmaker]

I learned this a ways back when I was sitting courtside and the ball came to me. I tossed to the official, who said "First assist you ever got." Everyone liked it then, and everyone has liked it for me ever since.

[dblref]

Originally posted by assignmentmaker
I learned this a ways back when I was sitting courtside and the ball came to me. I tossed to the official, who said "First assist you ever got." Everyone liked it then, and everyone has liked it for me ever since.

Had a situation similar to this Tuesday. Ball put in play at mid-court table side coming my way (I'm lead across court). A-1 threw the ball all the way across court and toward me (sort of catty-corner). The ball went completly across court without being touched and a lady in the 2nd row caught the ball. As I ran up to retrieve the ball I told her "good hands" and she laughed about it. Everyone around her thought it was funny.

[OverAndBack]

If someone comes up to me pregame, I'll be cordial and respond, but I'll make it clear I'm a little busy right now (unless it's someone in game administration or a coach, in which case they have my undivided attention). But the only person I'll initiate a conversation with (other than the traditional pregame meeting with a coach) is my partner. Usually we'll chat about things like a player's elbow brace or the clock having or not having tenths of a second on it or whatever we need to make sure we're clear on that we may not have covered before we came out on the floor.

If someone makes a quip or retrieves a ball or something I'll always be cordial and at least smile or say "thanks" or share a laugh. Like JRut says, we're not robots. We're authority figures (ostensibly) but I think people cut you more slack if they feel like you work hard and have fun at it.

But hey, I'm new and I don't mind having fun out there as long as I do my job. What do I know?