Wow,
Went to see a local Basketball recently in Finley, OH.
As we are walking up threw the parking lot we notice
4 Black GM Hummer's with plates that said
Roth1 Roth2 Roth3 Roth4. and with Pittsburg Steelers
stickers all over them. Ben Roethlisberger was there with
his Mom and Dad. His sister Carlie plays on the varsity
team. Wow she is a very good player. Everytime she was
called for a foul the place just errupted with noise.
My Ref Buddy was working that game had to have a police
escort to his car, then the police followed him to the
Interstate. I think the ref's called a great game.
But then again I'am a Ref to.

Thanks Guys and Gals

Reminds me of when I taught school in Colorado, and one of my students played on a 8th grade traveling team. She got pasted by a girl that turned out to be John Elway's daughter. Elway came down to the court after the game and apologized for his daughter, and signed her basketball. Really cool--not too many Elway auto'd basketballs out there!

Ex-athletes and current athletes are usually the best people to have in the stands if you officiate their son or daughter's game. I'm in the Dallas area and I have reffed Tony Dorsett's daughter, Darren Woodson's son, Paul Mokeski's son, and Derek Harper's son and never heard anything that wasn't positive from these guys. They've all played at the highest level so I guess they understand that you are just doing your job and that high school and junior high basketball is not life or death.

About 3-4 years ago, I officiated a girls AAU tourney and one of the teams was coached by Charles Mann (ex-Redskin). I also had a game a couple of years ago where Bill Cowhers' (Steelers) daughter played. Mann was a class act as a coach.

Isn't it funny how those athletes relatives are always "really good." :rolleyes: :D

Last April I went home (Las Vegas) and reffed an Easter tournament. A certain traveling team from a Chicago suburb played and one of the players father used to be a pretty good basketball player. They did it up: Jordan game into the gym through the back and his son came in after his teammates (there always seemed to be a guy near him (bodygaurd)). I think it could be pretty intimidating to be wearing a Jordan sweatsuit, coaching Jordan's son and then have Jordan in the stands behind you. He (Jordan) didn't say a word or cheer at all. I wasn't really excited about it. On the other hand, it that would have been Magic I would have been like a school girl at a Michael Jackson concert. :D
I also reffed Jordan's older son at the Nike tournament. IMO, his younger son has more size and is more of a basketball player. His oldest son is cat-quick, smaller and is a reluctant shooter. It also could have been the fact that he was on the same team as Tywon Lawson that week.

Not just ex athletes are cool
 

My nephew played soccer on a team with Ted Nugent's son in south Florida. My brother said Ted never raised his voice, never fired a weapon or drove a jacked-up 4-wheeler on the field. He was cool as a cucumber as he sat in his $5 lawn chair.

There is a tasteless joke about Michael Jackson and school-aged children in here somewhere, but I'm not going to make it.

nope nothing here the school kid mentioned was a girl and we all...ok never mind...:D

In my book anybody who drives a hummer is a complete, dyed in the wool, 110% jerk.

I guess that makes Ben a complete, dyed in the wool, 440% jerk.

Aww, Dan, jealousy just doesn't look good on you. :D

Ok, here's my question - there were 4 black Hummers, 1 for Ben, 1 for dad, 1 for mom, and 1 for sister Carlie. They all drove to the game separately? Now THAT'S wastin' gas.

Nah, not jealous, if Ben had four 7 series BMWs I would be very jealous.

And if you need to drive a car that gets like 12 mpg then why not just buy a school bus?

Or maybe even 1 of these:

http://www.classic-muscle-cars.com/1...ys-Car-001.jpg

If you're taking a poll on 'hummers", put me down as "For".

Here's my All-Time Celebrity Kid Nightmare Team:

Barbara Barr - 4th Grade - Guard - daughter of Tom Arnold and Rosanne. Subject to fits of screaming and cursing when calls don't go her way. A little slow getting back on "D"- tough on loose balls and Team Mates.

Donny Duke - 6th Grade - Center - son of KKK Leader David Duke. Totally off the wall. Refuses to wear anything but white uniform. Usually fails to score as minority guards on Team seldom look for him inside.

Linda Linbaugh - 9th Grade - Forward - daughter of Rush Linbaugh and Ann Clouter. Wise%$& loudmouth. Very conservative shot selection. Always goes Right.

Geraldine Rivera - 11th Grade - Center - daughter of Geraldo Rivera and Martha Stewart. Hyperactive kid must be center of attention. Takes ball from guards and goes coast to coast way too often. Strengths - Always has shirt tucked in.

Leon Cruise - 12th Grade - Point Guard - secret son of Tom Cruise and Joan Crawford. Whacky little point gaurd with a big MEAN STREAK. Hangs uniform on wood coat hanger after each practice. Trys to flop all the time but can't act worth a lick.

At your age it would take at least 3 months to accumulate 4 of them.

What's wrong with a red van?

Great job, JCrow! Since my last high school game was last night, I needed a good laugh this morning. Thanks!

A couple of years ago former Steeler Rod Woodson was a coach for his daughter's AAU national team that competed here. I reffed in/saw four of his team's games. Woodson was T'd up 4 times. He was a complete jacka$$ the entire tournament and in our game it took everything I could muster not to ask him if he'd seen Barry Sanders and/or his knee ligament lately. :)

I've had the opportunity to ref both of Jordan's sons in AAU competition, and Tomegun is right on in his assessment. Jordan is always a class act when he is in the gym.

My favorite celebrity fan of all time was Bernie Mack. Three years ago, doing an 8th grade girls game. Small gym, and all of a sudden there is a big commotion near the door as the teams are warming up. In strolls a group of about 12 people and right in the middle is Bernie Mack. His niece was playing for one of the teams. She couldn't play all that well, and he had a lot of fun with the game and the crowd. relatively cool dude in this setting. Offered to pay for a coupla calls, though.

Funny you should talk about Jordan's son. I will have a game with Jordan's oldest son a week from Friday in the United Center of all places. Last year Jordan's son hit the game winning shot in the United Center and the local media ate that up. We will see what will happen this year.

Peace

Have you had a chance to work in the United Center before? I would assume it will be a good time. I had a similar experience a few years back when a couple of local high school teams played at Market Square Arena in Indy. I remember walking into the arena for the first time and feeling exactly like the kids in "Hoosiers" when they walked into the state final arena. However, once the game started, it was surprising (to me, at least) how much I wasn't aware of the surroundings and how the game itself seemed the same as if we were back in their home gym. (Well, until one of the timeouts when I looked up and saw how far up those cheap seats were...)

So, enjoy the experience if you haven't done it before.

Just FYI, it's LiMbaugh and COULter.

Ann Coulter......Grrrrrrrrrrr......I just wish I could understand what she's takin' about......

I just wish she KNEW what she was talking about.

MTD, Sr.

I do not anticipate the "awwwwh" factor to be that great. I have been in the United Center several times over the years that I think lessen the "shock" because I have physically been in the United Center so many times. Now when the ball is thrown up I might feel like I am going to pass out.

I will definitely tell you about it afterwards and tell you how many stitches I have after I hit the floor. :D

Peace

If you ask me, she gives conservatism a bad name. We're not ALL as uptight and malicious as she is!

Here's my list of the famous and not so famous....

OJ Mayo in last summer's AAU regional championship
and he wasn't the best player on the court. Afterword I thought I'd just ref'd the best High School age team in the country...wrong...They got beat in the national championship by a team from out west.

Rick Patino's younget son in a 6th grade csaa semi-final. Patino showed up about halfway through the 1st period with an entourage of peeps. He "sort of" watched the game, neer as I coud tell, while he held court in the corner of the gym; until the end. I think he was paying attention when the game went down to a break away by the opponent in the last seconds that needed my whistle to call a foul as time expired. No time...nobody on the lane and the opposing kid sank both to win the game. Never a peep from Patino or his entourage. Funny thing...I'm convinced that Patino's kid really would have rather of been home playing video games.

Bobby Patrino's kids twice. His son in a great game vs a rival catholic school in Freedom Hall last season. His boy is a fierce competitor and probably a better quarterback than a point guard. Then we had his 7th grade daughter in a AAU summer game that was rough. It was a skilled game but aggressive. Patrino howled like a monkey and even confronted me in the snack bar area as I got a sip of H2O.
He suckered me with a smile as he approached to tell me that it was his kid getting hammered out there. I said "it's going both ways coach, what do you want from me?" I lost what little respect I had for him. I have to admit he didn't make a peep during the second half.

Michael Jordan's son showed up for his team's summer game with body guards. I was working a game on a floor in one of the corners of the facility. Everyone stopped to watch. It was wierd. But then again...the kid's dad is world famous and worth 100million+. If it was me I'd have hired guards for my kid too.

Chris Collingsworth's son in an AAU pool play game. Not a problem from the dad but I had to hold myself back from asking for an autograph. I'm a big fan.

Billy Bob Dufus's boy in a VB game. If you were to belive Billy Bob...I cost his boy a full ride to Kentucky. But they don't need him, Kentucky just beat Gorgia and are now back on the national championship lock.

sheesh

Nitpicking
 

Wouldn't a big fan know it's CRIS, not CHRIS, and COLLINSWORTH, not COLLINGSWORTH? OK, I'll get the corncob out of my butt now.

Sometimes athletes coach their little kid's team and for the most part they are also very respectful. Mark Aquirre, Eugene Lockhart come to mind. Former Cowboy Tony Hill was a bit of a pain though so they aren't all perfect!

Billy Bob Dufus? Seriously. Billy Bob Dufus? Is this a Jeff Foxworthy joke?

If you've ever done your laundry and found a whistle in the washing machine, you might be a referee.

If you send you wife off the bed because she's wearing the wrong color nightgown, you might be a referee.

If there's a rulebook in your bathroom, you might be a referee.

(Sorry Mr. Foxworthy.)

If you've ever made your daughter take off her Livestrong band at the dinner table. . .

If you check your child's math homework and erase all the "illegal" numbers. . .

Kentucky is 6-5 in the SEC East, a full FOUR games behind Tennessee. They still have games AT Tennessee and against Florida. They'll get an at-large bid, mainly by reputation alone.