When did AAU get into this conversation?

Seriously, do you guys actually read the things I say or do you just make it up as it goes along because you cannot find a statement that I make that fits? :rolleyes:

I have never said Playoff officials do not work AAU ball. I work AAU ball from time to time.

In my area it would be much harder for varsity and college officials to work. I really do not understand why that is hard to believe. I know officiating might be the only thing you do, but I do not see how guys officiate a regular HS schedule with their kids and wives (or the rare husband) to take care of. I have friends whose wives go nuts that they work 3 games a week and all the weekends are tied up.

Peace

Rut,

Nobody cares whether you do middle school games...or grammar school games...or why you make those decisions.

Some people, myself included, were miffed when you wrote the following:
----------------------------
if this was a 5th grade game I can tell you that you are going to get either brand new officials or officials that are not capable to work other levels.
----------------------------

You made this statement with an authoritative and arrogant tone. If you're going to come across that way, it's best to be right. You weren't. There are plenty of good officials who do these games for younger kids. Some do it because they enjoy the chance to work with younger people. Others do it for a little extra money. There are some outstanding officials who use lower-level games to work on finer points of their games that cannot easily be focused on during higher-level play.

This will be my last forray into the breach with you. Suffice it to say that this thread is an example of why so many on this board get irritated with you. You make a statement that's stronger than the one you mean to make. Then you're called on it. Then you take it personally, and spend pages explaining yourself. Then people write that you're missing the original point. Then you write that it's just your opinion and that we should all just get over ourselves because this is not Communist Cuba. Let me be the 238th person to say this to you: nobody denies that you have a right to your opinion. What you do not have is a right to say things others find objectionable without being responded to. If you can't take the heat, don't post editorial comments.

It is obvious to me I do not come here for the reasons you come here. I stand by my statement as it relates to where I live and where many other people live. If you can find many playoff and state final officials (not my words) then so be it. I just know that in the specific area I live not many very experienced officials are working 5th grade games. Of course there are exceptions, but not the rule by any means. If that is arrogant, then I am arrogant. Just this weekend I worked 3 games and I was on the road for most of them. I did not have the time to work a JH game (which are usually not played on the weekend) of any kind if I wanted to. I work college and high school and my weeks are very busy and conjested. At least I have a sales job where I can set my schedule better than someone that has to be at a desk or punch a clock. Also most state finals officials in this area (not all but by far most) had to work 15+ years to even get that kind of shot. Usually those are older guys and gals (late 30s to 50s) and they are not capable of working that much (their words not mine). I worked a college game with a guy on Saturday afternoon and I simply said to him that I would be working a HS game later that night. The first thing he said to me was, "I cannot do that anymore like at this age."

I travel much more than most people do when I work a lot of games. I have contacts all over my state and I get asked to go work games almost 2 hours away on a very regular basis. I know I do not get offended when folks say to me, "I would not go that far." That is there opinion and choice.

The bottom line is you do not like what I said and you will never like what I say. You are also the same person that got upset when everyone here got on you about Duke's Head Basketball coach and I remember how offended you were then when people were sharing their opinion about that subject. If you do not like what I have to say, deal with it.

If you do not like what I have to say, do not read my posts. I do not get any extra money or get extra games for the people that read my posts or agree with them. I stated what is usually the truth from not just what I say, what many other people say all over the country. This is not the only place where people talk officiating or what goes on around them.

If you feel I get upset, then I guess you will have to keep thinking that way. There are bigger things in the world to get upset about. I have a roof over my head and many people that are close to me are safe. Talking about officiating is not something to get upset over. I could stop tomorrow and I am very blessed with what I have done around it and I have many more things in life to accomplish.

You have a Happy Holidays and a Good New Year.

Peace

Sigh. Sometimes you make me think I must have been absent the day they taught English in English class.

Remember, I did not go and seek you in this post. If you did not want to hear what I have to say, then why in the hell did you make your comments?

That is what we call a "rhetorical question."

Peace

Rut,

Since I missed the day they taught English in English class, I don't know what this mysterious "rhetorical question" is. I do know what a "question" is, though, so I'll answer the one you put forth.

I respond to your stuff because I have a hero complex. Every time I read one of your famous logic-challenged, context-ignoring posts, I think to myself, "It could be me. I could be the one, after all these years, to be able to make a logical connection with Rut, to rescue him from his seemingly chronic tendency to fall into the vicious traps of the strawman and the non sequitor; I could be the one to finally convince him that his experiences are not universal, and that he must thus learn to use 'qualifiers' in his writing, to indicate pre- rather than post-mayhem that that is only his own, particular, limited experience."

Also I like pain.

Are you still here?

Peace

I had not browsed this site or posted for months until tonight....and the third thread I opened is this!!

Anyway, I do have to admit, Jbduke, that was hilarious.

I think maybe I speak for a whole bunch of us when I say:



"HUH??"

I can only imagine what would have happened this fall in MS ball if I asked a ref why the visiting scorer could indicate a bonus situation. :D (He wanted to put me back in the stands for that :( )

I was thinking a similar thing. I guess he found it funny. He probably thinks everyone thought Seinfeld was funny too.

Peace

No, Rut, I didn't figure you for one who would appreciate Seinfeld's wit and wisdom.

[Edited by jbduke on Dec 19th, 2005 at 11:41 PM]

Whatever you say bandwagon fan.

Peace

Yeah, uh, I actually went to school there.

I cannot tell. You should have more self-esteem.

Peace