Can you say "suspension"?

[ChuckElias]

Today's follow-up: http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dl...603070489/1116

There's also an editorial. I'll get the link and post it. Or else I'll just cut and paste the whole thing. Give me a while to track it down.

[BktBallRef]

Originally posted by mick

That would be generically and not specifically.
I certainly do not know those officials.

Whether the favoritism goes to the home team, the losing team, the unskilled team, the wrong colored team, I despise it when I see it, and I feel most awkward when I work a game with such an official.

You must work with some very unprofessional people, mick. I've only seen it happen with one offiical in my games. He was a rec league official only but I screamed about it both times. If he ever applies for membership in our HS association, I will oppose it.

[ChuckElias]

Ok, the link is worthless b/c you can only view it with a subscription. So here's the editorial. Sorry to take up so much space.
__________________________________________________ ____

Dianne Williamson
[email protected]

South High School basketball coach Patrick Williams made it clear that he was sickened Sunday night after his team lost a heartbreaker to Holy Name Central Catholic High School in double overtime. The coach used a variation of the word three different times during his stunning 29-minute tirade to a local sportswriter.

“I don’t ever pull the race card, I’ve been here six years and this is the first time I’ve talked about it,” he said. “If they say I can’t talk about it, I’ll tell them to walk in my shoes because it’s so hard to deal with, it’s sickening.”

And this: “I don’t know if I can deal with grown men jerking around high school kids. That sickens me, and it’s hard to see that.”

And this: “From when we were 1-19 six years ago, it’s just sickening to watch those kids get jerked. They knew South shouldn’t have won that game and they made damn sure we didn’t.”

The “they” in this case are a pair of respected referees who, according to Mr. Williams, essentially conspired to hand Sunday night’s game to Holy Name because they are racist refs who favor white players over black ones. Mr. Williams, who is black, chose to make the unsolicited accusations not in the heat of the moment, but a good 25 minutes after the game ended. He didn’t just cork off with an ill-considered remark; we know he expounded for 29 minutes because the sportswriter was using a tape recorder.

All of which, quite simply, is rather sickening.

“This is an unprecedented situation,” said Paul Wetzel, spokesman for the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association. “No one can remember charges as serious as this. I’m overwhelmed by the verbiage.”

Indeed. The six-year inner-city coach made extensive comments to Telegram & Gazette sportswriter Jim Wilson after his team’s 60-56 loss to Holy Name in the Division 1 semifinal at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, claiming that referees Kevin L’Ecuyer and Bill Dugan called more fouls against his players — which they did — and ignored fouls committed by Holy Name. Mr. Williams also told the sportswriter, incredibly, that he warned his players that the refs were out to get them when his team took a 40-27 lead with eight minutes left in the game.

“I said to the kids, ‘Watch how the game is going to be taken out of our hands,’ and it was,” he told the sportswriter. He also said, “You have the same officials, and they look at all black players and a black coach, and they make the calls.”

Now itÂ’s time for South High to make the call, and to bench this irresponsible coach. We should also take a quick minute to ponder: Why is it always the adults, never the kids, who mar the purity of youth sports?

The athletic director for Worcester Public Schools said he and other officials are “investigating” Mr. Williams’ remarks to discern “what provoked him to say what he said.” Lest there be any misunderstanding, athletic director John J. Pepi noted that the investigation will center not on whether racism exists in high school basketball, but on the conduct of Coach Williams.

“I’m not happy that someone would make those comments,” Mr. Pepi said. “It was a great game and the fans got their money’s worth. I don’t think there was anything wrong with the officiating. That game could have gone either way.”

That seems to be the general consensus. I wasnÂ’t at the game, but IÂ’ve spoken to lots of objective people who were. No one appears to have seen what Mr. Williams saw. Instead, they watched two young teams pour their hearts into an exciting schoolboy game that, inevitably, left one team crushed and in tears.

“In my 17 years, it was one of the best high school games I’ve ever seen,” said Jim Manzello, athletic director at Holy Name, who said he was “surprised” by Mr. Williams’ remarks. “I know it’s very tough to lose a game like that. You have to use it as a learning experience for kids and tell them, ‘You’ve got to keep things in perspective. It’s a game.’ Win, lose or draw, they have to shake hands and move on.”

Sadly, the fine young athletes at South High learned no such lesson from their coach. Instead, they learned that itÂ’s OK to blame others for their failure, to pull the race card even when it canÂ’t be proven and to behave in an unsportsmanlike fashion when you lose. Does racism exist in our society? Of course it does. ThereÂ’s no evidence that it played a role in SundayÂ’s game. While the South High team is predominately black, Holy Name has four black players, including two starters. The refs did call 29 fouls against South compared with 17 fouls for Holy Name, but sports watchers say South plays a more up-tempo, aggressive game than the more deliberate Holy Name.

Maybe, if Coach Williams truly believed that his players were discriminated against, he could have used the situation as a learning experience to explain that life isnÂ’t always fair, but you still play by the rules and live with the outcome. (In his case, his rant violated MIAA rules that prohibit coaches from publicly criticizing game officials). Had he pointed to the inequities between private Catholic schools and inner-city public schools, his words would have more credibility. To accuse two well-regarded referees of outright racism is inexcusable. How do they salvage their reputations now?

“When I picked up the newspaper, I couldn’t believe what I was reading,” an emotional Kevin L’Ecuyer, a referee for 16 years, said last night. “It was like someone put a dagger in my stomach. I worked hard to get to a certain level. I teach, and I make my living with words, but words aren’t appropriate to express how you feel when you see your name in print associated with a terrible word like racism.”

No doubt, Kevin LÂ’Ecuyer is sickened. Everyone else should be, too, because South High lost more than just a basketball game Sunday night.

[BktBallRef]

Originally posted by Junker

I've never heard an official talk about not giving a coach any calls. I have heard and said that a coach can be a pain in the rear and if he or she is again, I won't be shy to give a T. If I heard another official talk about "not giving a coach any calls, that would be someone I wouldn't want to work with.

Agreed. I have coaches I don't especially like to work for. That's based on their demeanor and behavior, not the color of their skin. But I'm not going to ignore calss or make calls because the guy's a prick.

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by ChuckElias
Dianne Williamson
[email protected]

Maybe, if Coach Williams truly believed that his players were discriminated against, he could have used the situation as a learning experience to explain that life isnÂ’t always fair, but you still play by the rules and live with the outcome. (In his case, his rant violated MIAA rules that prohibit coaches from publicly criticizing game officials). Had he pointed to the inequities between private Catholic schools and inner-city public schools, his words would have more credibility. To accuse two well-regarded referees of outright racism is inexcusable. How do they salvage their reputations now?

So accusing a person with classism or bias based on where you live is OK, but making an accusation that this country has had a history of is not OK?

Originally posted by ChuckElias
“When I picked up the newspaper, I couldn’t believe what I was reading,” an emotional Kevin L’Ecuyer, a referee for 16 years, said last night. “It was like someone put a dagger in my stomach. I worked hard to get to a certain level. I teach, and I make my living with words, but words aren’t appropriate to express how you feel when you see your name in print associated with a terrible word like racism.”

No doubt, Kevin LÂ’Ecuyer is sickened. Everyone else should be, too, because South High lost more than just a basketball game Sunday night.

Wrong, everyone should not be sickened by what the coach said here just because it was about race. If anything many should be sickened by this article complete level of ignorance and stupidity. If for no other reason this is the shinning example why the race issue will never get solved or dealt with properly. Personally I do not know what happen in this game I was not there. I am sure the officials did their job to the best of their ability and called the game as it should be. If you can question any "motive" than race is should never be off limits. Where are the articles questioning the other coaches for their comments for getting screwed and race is never brought up as an issue? The author needs to know if you talk about Catholic schools most of them are mostly white if for no other reason that the Catholic Church is usually not something Black people have a great membership in. Black kids will attend Catholic Schools because in certain areas they have some of the best educational programs around. Martin Luther King said the most segregated time in this country was 11:00AM on Sunday. I live in the church capital of the world and I can tell you that there is not a lot of diversity in churches as it relates to race. It is also a proven fact that private schools produce more college graduates and successful people in many professions. So I guess you can use the code words “Catholic vs. Inner city” and that would have been just OK. Bring up race and all hell breaks loose. This author has the right to their opinion, but in my opinion it is not a very educated one.

Peace

[rockyroad]

Sounds like someone missed the point the author was making...the author herself points to the fact that there is disparity between the private Catholic schools and the inner-city schools. She didn't defend that...but to point the finger at the officials and say "We lost this game because those two are racist" is inexcusable. Those two officials cannot defend themselves against that accusation because it's an accusation based on how the losing coach "feels". There is no evidence to show that the officials are racist, there is none to show that they aren't. The author is simply pointing out the fact that this losing coach used the most hot-button topic he could find to slam two people...that's sickening.

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by rockyroad
Sounds like someone missed the point the author was making...the author herself points to the fact that there is disparity between the private Catholic schools and the inner-city schools. She didn't defend that...but to point the finger at the officials and say "We lost this game because those two are racist" is inexcusable. Those two officials cannot defend themselves against that accusation because it's an accusation based on how the losing coach "feels".

Why is that accusation any different than other accusations thrown at officials? If you say that that both the officials attended Catholic schools or are practicing Catholics (and that was true), how can you defend yourself against an accusation of that nature?

Originally posted by rockyroad
There is no evidence to show that the officials are racist, there is none to show that they aren't. The author is simply pointing out the fact that this losing coach used the most hot-button topic he could find to slam two people...that's sickening.

You were there? How do you know what evidence shows or does not show? The coach's feelings are no more valid than someone that has an opposing opinion. Unless someone taped a conversation in the locker room, you probably are not ever going to ever have solid evidence that is true. Since neither of us where there, all we have are opinions right now. I know in my heart of heart of people that have feelings against certain people and I have never heard them use a racial remark. I look at their actions and body of actions to draw that conclusion. I do not need someone's other opinion to validate what I already feel. Does that mean I could be wrong, of course it does. It does not mean I have the right to say what I feel or to act on what I feel.

Peace

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by JRutledge

Why is that accusation any different than other accusations thrown at officials?

The difference, I think, is that the author is not making any accusation at all against the officials based on classism or on where they live. The author is merely suggesting that if the coach had said, "They had more financial resources because of their economic status and that allowed them to prepare better than we did", then nobody would've batted an eye. Because that's probably true. It's not necessarily right, but it's true. The accusation of racism, however, is completely different and is probably NOT true, merely inflammatory.

The author is not suggesting that the officials were biased against this non-Catholic team. Maybe that's where some misunderstanding developed. JMO

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by ChuckElias

The difference, I think, is that the author is not making any accusation at all against the officials based on classism or on where they live. The author is merely suggesting that if the coach had said, "They had more financial resources because of their economic status and that allowed them to prepare better than we did", then nobody would've batted an eye.

That is interesting.

Originally posted by ChuckElias
Because that's probably true. It's not necessarily right, but it's true. The accusation of racism, however, is completely different and is probably NOT true, merely inflammatory.

So accusations of racism are never true? I will have to keep that in mind the next time I experience something or someone tells me about their experiences. Of course racial accusation cannot ever be true. I guess all the claims of racism in the L.A. Police Department were not true either. Remember those were just accusations at one time until the world saw the Rodney King.

Originally posted by ChuckElias
The author is not suggesting that the officials were biased against this non-Catholic team. Maybe that's where some misunderstanding developed. JMO

It is obvious that the author was not suggesting these guys were against non-Catholics. If that is what you read into my statements you did not really read them. I never suggested that was a valid criticism. What I said was an accusation of racism is no different than saying someone was bias against an inner-city team. First of all it is hard to prove. Secondly, to say an official is against inner-city teams is just like saying you are racist. I do not know too many "inner-city" schools that are all white teams. First of all we do not need to talk in code. If someone feels that someone is racist, that is what they have the right to say. I can tell you that if that accusation is made in certain school district, no one is going to talk about how sickened they are by reading those comments (it happen here).

Peace

[bebanovich]

That column doesn't make me feel I'm any nearer the truth than I was before. One red flag about journalistic laziness/sloppiness:

That seems to be the general consensus. I wasnÂ’t at the game, but IÂ’ve spoken to lots of objective people who were. No one appears to have seen what Mr. Williams saw.

The stands are not often filled with objective people. It shouldn't take long to give more examples or at least be transparent about how one comes to the conclusion that no one appears to have seen what Mr. Williams saw. You spoke by phone with peole from both schools, you talked to one writer and a photographer you know who were there? Williams may be a total crackpot, but I'm not buying or rejecting it from a writer with a point-of-view who won't take more trouble than this to establish credibility.

Maybe, if Coach Williams truly believed that his players were discriminated against, he could have used the situation as a learning experience to explain that life isnÂ’t always fair, but you still play by the rules and live with the outcome.

These are the insidious comments that seem to inevitably come out of incidents like this that are patronizing fluff or worse. If you really think you and your students are the victim of racism, don't say anything about it, just teach that life is unfair and learn to deal with it? We let you share our drinking fountains and our schools, we gave Dr. King a Holiday, we watch Dave Chappelle reruns, if anything else comes up, shut up and deal with it!? When it's appropriate, my students will learn from me that life is not fair and that, ultimately, their destiny is in their hands. But I will not be helping teach them that remaining silent is part of some mutually exclusive trade-off in that bargain. My daughter will grow up learning the world is not fair, she will face discrimination AND she is free to speak her mind and sometimes, unfortunately, face consequences for that.

Williams was bound by a rule against speaking out inappropriately against officials and he should face whatever consequence awaits him for this. If he's a crackpot then wave goodbye to him on his way out. But can you please spare us the hand-wringing over "playing the race card" and the fake moralizing over not teaching kids that the world is unfair and that racism must be overcome. I don't believe people are genuinely worried about kids in these cases, I think they are more intent on stifling racial debate that they can't handle.

[Raymond]

Guess I'll chime in here. I'll try to stay on topic.

Does racism exist in America? Without a doubt.

Do we have officials who are racist? Of course we do.

Are there there top-flight officials who are racists? Again, I'm sure there are.

Now the tough question. Would a racist official allow his/her bigotry to flow over to the basketball court? In my opinion I don't think his/her career would last very long or go very far if s/he did. I think a "real" ref's instincts take over on the court and s/he calls what s/he sees. It would take a monumental amount of forethought and concentration to make calls base on the race of a person wearing a particular jersey. An official doing that would be exposed anytime s/he worked in the presense of other compentent officials.

The most likely exposure of any type of bigotry would probably manifest itself in how an official interacts with the coaches and players during times of communication. The coach in this particular article made very little reference to his interactions with the officials. His accusations came across as an emotional outburst in my eyes. He really said nothing to back up any of his claims.

I live and officiate in the South. There are officials I have come across about whom I have my suspicions (In one case I have more than suspicion). But those views are based upon my personal interactions with these officials, not based on anything I've ever seen them do on the court. Even the one person who I know in my heart to be a racist has never done anything on the court to show that his/her bigotry has any bearing on what s/he does on the court.

again, just my $0.02, but that's what this forum is for. Right?

[Edited by BadNewsRef on Mar 7th, 2006 at 03:19 PM]

[lmeadski]

Racsim still exists today. I married into a family where some of my wife's brothers are truly racist. Be around them for a day and you would understand that. Racism isn't arbitrarily applied, it is a cultural/learned behavior. Surely, these refs, in their 16 years of reffing, would have exhibited racist behavior in the past. Had they exhibited such behavior, I would hope they would have been turned into their local and state associations to keep them from being in a position where their beliefs would impact the outcome of a game. The coach, by bringing up his racism concern in the way he did (playing it immediately and initially through the media), only served to discredit his claim (whether the claim was valid or not). In our local assocation, and in the state of Michigan, I believe the proper way to handle the situation would have been to bring it to the high school association, with a carefully examined copy of the tape of the game, and make the case. It is THERE and through THAT CHANNEL that true impact would be/could be initiated. Unfortunately, the coach sounds more like he is just upset that his kids blew a big lead. I did not see the game. I cannot comment on whether or not the refs called a slanted game or if the coach was looking for a scapegoat for the loss. Regardless, the issue of racism remains a problem we could all be faced with as basketball officials. Events like these tend to polarize us, not bring us together, not make us stronger, not bridge the chasms that exist in our society. The coach spoke his mind and may pay some serious penalities for doing so. The ref's reputations and careers may be jeopardized. It is hard to see who wins in a situation like this...do we all lose?

[Edited by lmeadski on Mar 7th, 2006 at 03:23 PM]

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by JRutledge
So accusations of racism are never true?

Yeah, great summary, Rut. In the words of an esteemed member of the forum, "If that is what you read into my statements you did not really read them."

I didn't say they were never true. I'm not naive enough to think that racism has been completely eradicated from the world. However, in THIS case, the accusations seem to be untrue, and merely inflammatory.

I never suggested that was a valid criticism.

I understand that completely. I never thought that's what you were saying.

What I said was an accusation of racism is no different than saying someone was bias against an inner-city team.

I understand that, too. I guess it seemed to me that you thought the author was accusing the refs of that bias against an inner-city team. If you weren't saying that, then I misunderstood your comment. As far as I can tell, the author has made no accusation of any sort of bias against the refs, whether it be based on race, economics, class or whatever. That was the only thing I was trying to point out. If that was already clear to you, then my comments were unnecessary.

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by bebanovich
Williams may be a total crackpot, but I'm not buying or rejecting it from a writer with a point-of-view who won't take more trouble than this to establish credibility.

I'm not a journalist, so this is an honest question. What more could she have done to establish his credibility? She tried to contact the coach. She did contact the officials. And she talked to "several" observers who had no rooting interest. Without being an eyewitness, what else should she do to verify/falsify the coach's claims?

These are the insidious comments that seem to inevitably come out of incidents like this that are patronizing fluff or worse. If you really think you and your students are the victim of racism, don't say anything about it, just teach that life is unfair and learn to deal with it?

I agree that that comment is kind of condescending.

But can you please spare us the hand-wringing over "playing the race card" and the fake moralizing over not teaching kids that the world is unfair and that racism must be overcome.

I think the hand-wringing is not about moralizing, but about being ticked off about FALSE accusations of racism. You don't see any hand-wringing when David Duke is drummed out of politics b/c the accusations of racism are true. You don't see any hand-wringing when Texaco is fined billions of dollars for failing to promote qualified black executives b/c the accusations of racism are true.

The hand-wringing is because it's wrong to accuse someone falsely of racism, just as it's wrong to discriminate solely on the basis of race. JMO, as always.

[lmeadski]

The hand-wringing is because it's wrong to accuse someone falsely of racism, just as it's wrong to discriminate solely on the basis of race. JMO, as always. [/B]

Agreed. And one is no worse than the other. Both tear at the core of the person being treated unjustly.