Teddy Strikes Again!

[jbduke]

Originally Posted by ChuckElias

I think you just made it for him.

I don't think the point was made for him, or anybody else, Chuck. Rut's issue is valid. A better comparison would be between two SEC officials, JB Caldwell, and Doug Sirmons. JB is a really big guy, Doug is of average build. I dare say that no one who knows who these two guys are is going to mix them up.

But take the present situation. Ted Valentine and Ed Hightower are not any more similar in build and facial resemblance than Caldwell and Sirmons are. The only thing that they have physically in common is their skin color. I don't know why it's so hard for some people to understand that it's very offensive to members of minority groups when we whities can't distinguish between people who look nothing alike. It's offensive because the message it sends is, "the only characteristic of yours that I pay significant attention to is your skin color." Certainly, I don't think that there are many people who mean it to come across that way, but that's the message. And until those that do have to work a little harder to distinguish between individuals begin to put in that extra effort, these problems will persist: people will continue to mistitle threads and misattribute egregious officiating mistakes, and people like Rut and me will continue to think that it sucks.

[26 Year Gap]

I do not know the college officials very well at all. This is probably the first season that I have paid any attention to the names of those working in the tournament. However, watching the games on television do not really give you much to go on. By that I mean, how often are there close ups of the officials? Most of the views you get are views of the entire halfcourt. Most of the closeups are on the players [as they should be]. So unless you know who the officials are on sight, it is going to be very easy to confuse who is who out there. Most of my observations until I get to know these guys on sight will be in reference to 'the bald guy' ,'the heavy guy', 'the skinny guy', 'the gray haired guy', etc. Until basketball goes the football route with R, U, U1 & U2 on the back [and I hope it never happens], there will be confusion as to who is who out there. "You can't tell the players without a scorecard" didn't become a catchphrase for nothing.