How Do You Work With A Partner Who Is Very Difficult To Work With?

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by Love2ref4Ever
JRutledge,
The game of basketball is a universal sport,though the rewards may vary.Here in Harlem(for example)there is one league called The Entertainers League,This paticular league features Playground legends,and NBA players.Some NBA players fly in just to play one game.Here you may see a official get run out of the park!(it has happened) Although they have police presence,and security.Rumor has it that thousands of dollars are bet on some of these games.This tournament is played in the world famous Holcombe Rucker Park.This tournament was also featured in a made for TV documentary titled "On Hollowed Ground" And this is just one tournament that I am mentioning. Take it from me,You bet not let no one here hear you say(as a official)that these games don't count.Or you may be down for the count!

You assume that the "Rucker" is the best in the country. Maybe a tournament that has pros and amatures is a very good tournament, I will give you that. But unfortunately, I have no desire to do a men's league. I have seen many things on the "Rucker" Tournament and other NY playground stuff and I am sure it is great. But personally, I do not want to do something that is designed as a "playground" competition, where the main prize is bragging rights of the playground. I live in Chicago where any pro-am leagues are used for competition and evaluations of players. At least there when I call "palming" or "travelling" I am not going to have to avoid the fruits and veggies coming flying out of the stands. Personally I cannot see the benefit in doing tournaments like the "Rucker" unless you want to make money. But here, that kind of tournament is does nothing for your career as it relates to furthering your career in College or High School basketball. All it could be is fun and a money maker. Not enough for me to desire to do, sorry.

Peace

[mick]

Originally posted by Love2ref4Ever
JRutledge,
The game of basketball is a universal sport,though the rewards may vary.Here in Harlem(for example)there is one league called The Entertainers League,This paticular league features Playground legends,and NBA players.Some NBA players fly in just to play one game.Here you may see a official get run out of the park!(it has happened) Although they have police presence,and security.Rumor has it that thousands of dollars are bet on some of these games.This tournament is played in the world famous Holcombe Rucker Park.This tournament was also featured in a made for TV documentary titled "On Hollowed Ground" And this is just one tournament that I am mentioning. Take it from me,You bet not let no one here hear you say(as a official)that these games don't count.Or you may be down for the count!

Luv2,
I think I mentioned to you that I saw that. ("Hallowed" wasn't it?)
Yeah! That's BIG TIME ball!
mick

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by mick
Luv2,
I think I mentioned to you that I saw that. ("Hallowed" wasn't it?)
Yeah! That's BIG TIME ball!
mick [/B]

Yes it is bigtime ball to a point, but how does it help you as an official in Chicago. Here, the only type of game like that or tournament that will help you, is if it has HS or college players and teams. I am personally going to do an AAU tournament this weekend, but as an official, it will doing nothing for may career. All it will do is give me a chance to do a basketball game in the middle of April. Officiating bascially pure play ground heroes and a couple of pros mixed in, does not cut it here. You might as well gather some players and put on a striped shirts and put a whistle in your mouth and call it a game. Because around here, no one would care or pay attention. And the assignors and coaches would not even be present.

[mick]

Originally posted by JRutledge

Yes it is bigtime ball to a point, but how does it help you as an official in Chicago. Here, the only type of game like that or tournament that will help you, is if it has HS or college players and teams. I am personally going to do an AAU tournament this weekend, but as an official, it will doing nothing for may career. All it will do is give me a chance to do a basketball game in the middle of April. Officiating bascially pure play ground heroes and a couple of pros mixed in, does not cut it here. You might as well gather some players and put on a striped shirts and put a whistle in your mouth and call it a game. Because around here, no one would care or pay attention. And the assignors and coaches would not even be present. [/B]

Rut,
I am not interested either. I don't think I'd be good enough, ...or safe enough.
But Luv2's point was that many summer games actually do count.
They may not count to Officials who are trying to further their careers, all the time, but they do count to the "Loudies": fans, bettors, players and coaches.
And they may count BIG.
mick

[Love2ref4Ever]

The last thing I am trying to do is compare leagues in each state. I have you know that if you get the opportunity to work this league(Entertainers League)it is some of the best work you might get here in NYC.I also understand the point you guys are making.I personally am looking foward to getting some work in this league this summer.By no means do I totally rely on just summer leagues. I will be attending four camps this summer,And remember the original question was about difficult partners.Maybe if you grew up in Harlem and watched some of the legends that came through here as a kid like myself you probably would understand that the Rucker Park is Hallowed Ground!and working there is like making it to the big leagues.Only because as a official not to many officials get called to work this league,and when you get the chance you will probably be excited.

[JRutledge]

I am not trying to belittle the "Rucker." I am sure that it is fun and not being from there myself, I really do not know what the advantages or disadvantages of that tournament is to officials. But I am from a very vibrant basketball state. Basketball is life in Illinois. The other sports are just around to pass the time. And in the Chicago area, basketball is a year round game. HS kids play in there regular season, then go to AAU or travelling teams. Then the schools enter their players in summer leagues, where in some cases the coaches now can be involved in actually coaching them. Maybe there is not one tournament like the "Rucker" that has the combination of the pros and the non-pros, but the HS kids play every single chance they get. And we also do have some Pro-Am leagues, but those are for the benefit of NBA scouts and NBA teams picking up talent and evaluating talent. Even the AAU tournaments and the travelling tournaments, these are recruiting evaluations time for many college D1 coaches. It is not terribly unusual to see D1 coaches or scouts at these tournaments. So instead of our ball being for the fans necessarily, it really is for the evaluation of talent and getting kids experience for the big time players that they will see during the season and in college.

[Love2ref4Ever]

Again, AAU programs are also here in NYC,and there are just farm systems here for some of the D1 colleges. And let's get off this,We all should consider our cities the greatest in the world.The point of the matter is let's take advantage of the opportunity, that although we are miles apart we are drawn together by one common bond.As i like to say "LOVE2REF" and I am grateful for the feedback that I receive in this forum. You guys have open my eyes wide through the feedback that you have sent in this post.Especially about working certain leagues,I have allways been cautious about certain summer leagues.Now I will be taken into consideration Partners and leagues.

Love and Respect

[JRutledge]

This was never a discussion of who's state is better or who's city is better for me. I was just talking about how leagues help and do not help. I have always been an opponent of refs doing rec. leagues, if you goal is to become a better official. If you have read me over the years, that has always been a point I have made. I just find no personal interest in doing "men's leagues" at all. I think personally they are basically a waste of time and whether I am talking about the Chicago area or the Quad Cities or Peoria and Springfield, I still would not do those leagues. And if I do a summer league, if the schools are not involved and the actual players that will be on the teams next year are not present, I will pass. Even some AAU is for the birds. Even though you might have actuall HS players on these teams, you do not have the direction or the responsibility that the schools exhibit. At least if the players mess up or act out, they are not only representing themselves, they are representing their schools and their teammates. To me that is a higher calling.

Just an opinion.