Coaches during blowouts

[Rich]

Tonight I worked a 2-person boys varsity game. It was over, early. The final was 68-38 and it wasn't that close.

In the fourth quarter, both coaches got my attention in a not-so-nice way.

(1) I am trail in front of the home bench when the ball gets knocked out of bounds and rolls away. H coach tells me, "You're doing an excellent job tonight." Too much emphasis on the YOU'RE. I decide to play with him a bit and thanked him. Then I stopped and said, "Now that wasn't a loaded comment, was it?" THEN he said, "I mean it sincerely. Now, the other guy...." and I stopped him and started laughing and told him "that's what I get for listening to compliments" and put the ball into play. Not a long diversion and I told my partner about it in the locker room and we had a good laugh.

(2) V just kept fouling and fouling in the second half. 7-0 on the board, then 7-1, 8-1, 9-1. The ninth foul was the center fouling out. I called the foul as the trail and decided to report and notify in one shot. And that's what I get for not letting the non-calling official notify. The V coach decided to tell me, "We're getting our asses kicked out here and you keep calling fouls on us. Why don't you let them play? Don't tell me there aren't any fouls down here....." I had already started the clock and all of a sudden, my partner gets there and handles the coach before I say something stupid.

I hated both situations, but they still make me laugh now. The second situation aggravated me, though. I worked hard all the way through the game and I'd have been quite happy to call fouls on the home team, if they actually had any. And it's not like these fouls were marginal or anything.

Well, I just finished emailing about 100-120 athletic directors looking for nonconference games for 2006-07 and 2007-08. This is the time when I envy those of you that have an association handling your assignments.