I didn't know I had a rule named after me

[Mark Padgett]

This morning I whacked an a$$. (yes, that's how I abbreviate assistant) coach. My partner passed on a travel call against the other team with 1 second to go in the 3rd quarter and a 40 point differential. At the horn, this jerk comes up to me and says we "might as well swallow our whistles". WHACK!

I go over to the table to report it. My partner is standing there. I report the T. The scorekeeper didn't see what happened and innocently asks why I called the T.

My partner jumps in and says the coach violated the "Mark Padgett rule". The scorekeeper asks what that is. He says "You never raise your voice or talk back to Mark Padgett. It's an automatic T. It's in the rules". The scorekeeper says he didn't know that. My partner says "It's rule 11". The scorekeeper says "Oh, OK".

As we walked away, I asked my partner where he came up with that. He said that after working with me for years and watching me in action, he just assumed it was a rule because that's what always happens.