Out of the Mouth of Coaches

[iref4him]

I've been officiating basketball since 1978. I have heard many things from many coaches. But on Wednesday night was one I could not begin to think of. (I won't use the schools names just there initials.) NHHS has always been a powerhouse in the region, this year they are down. NHHS is playing DMHS. DMHS has a 12 point lead for most the game. NHHS crawls back in the game and is down by 3 points with 6 minutes left in the fourth quarter. I call one of the DMHS players for an illegal screen. I am at the lead postion when I notice the head coach of DMHS very upset with me and is letting me his displeasure to the call. The DMHS head coach was out of his box and pass the division line about 5 feet, almost to NHHS bench. I gave him a T. He was upset but sat down like he should have. Two minutes later, NHHS is down by 17 points. We have a break in the action, substitutes were coming into the game for both teams. The NHHS head coach is staring me down and proceeds to tell me that I lost the game for him. He said "The game was going good until you T'd him (the DMHS coach). You changed the whole game. We had a chance to win and you changed the game by T'ing the coach." All I could do was laugh on the inside. Instead of blaming his team for making 5 turnoves in the that 2 minute period and realizing that DMHS hit 4 threes in a row during the same 2 minute period. I have been called many things and been told I lost the game, but never have I been told that I lost the game for some one because I T'd the opposing coach and should have not done that. Coaches say the dumbest things sometimes.

P.S. He probably would have yelled at me for not T'ing the opposing coach for being by his bench had I not t'd him.