Ted Valentine wins the Naismith Award this year.

[zebraman]

Welcome to the board Jackdog,

I've always thought Teddy V. was an excellent official. However, there are many, many excellent officials at that level and I don't think I'd jump to the "politics" accusation unless I had some tangible proof. He may be the best official in your eyes, but perhaps those who made the decision this year felt that the other 3 were more deserving. I thought the championship game was very well refereed.

I think it's totally irrelevant whether someone uses their real name or a nickname on this board. Some posters here have gone off on tangents (manifestos) criticizing others for not using their real names (I think they called it cowardly) but who cares? Very few of us have actually met each other anyway so what we call ourselves is irrelevant. What's important is to share scenarios and experiences that we find either interesting or useful.

On that note, maybe you'd share your experience on working for an assignor at the conference level and also working for Hank Nichols on the "NCAA level." Does your assignor ask for particular things that contradict some things that H.N. espouses? For instance, Hank posts some NCAA bulletins regularly when he feels that some things are being called incorrectly or not called at all. Since your contract is year-to-year and you are hired by an assignor, do you weigh what your assignor says heavier than what Hank says?

Thanks,

Z