The really cool coach that wasn't
 

One of the things I do sometimes is take some candies to put at the score table. I explain to both coaches that while it isn't encouraged for them to "work the refs" or give gifts, there's no reason I can't try to "get on their sweet side".

So Sunday, heading into the "4 Game Guarantee" day of a big national tournament we have here every year, I decided it might help a little to try buttering up the coaches. The first game, both coaches laughed, and commented on how clever it was. The female coach said that she'd wait until the end of the game to see if she "earned" it. The male coach said that he never yells at refs, just at his players.

We got about 5 minutes into the game, and the male coach decided he didn't like a call. He questioned me, I explained, and he disagreed. Finally, I said, "Coach, she got her solid on the body, and we called it." And he said, "Well, for that call, I think I'm gonna need an M&M." I laughed. I thought, "Hey, this guy is really cool!"

But as you can tell by the title of this thread, it didn't last. He was awful (although he was even worse on his players), and after the game, he pointed out that he'd only lost by 6 points and that the foul count was 12-6, so obviously, we'd cost him the game.

Maybe next time, I"ll try starlight mints instead. Think it would make a difference?

Me too....and if a coach goes and gets one, unless he/she is also checking for an error at the same time, I nail him/her with a "T" for being at the table. It's kinda like cheese in a mousetrap for a rat. Lure 'em where they're not supposed to be, outa the coaching box, and then....<b>WHACK!</b> :)

Next time try valium.

Is this the BCI Nationals in Dallas/Ft.Worth....? Just wondering, I'm working it all weekend.

How did I get dragged into this? :confused:

I'll have to admit, giving out candy is a unique idea, but I'm not sure many people could pull it off, and I would be <B>very</B> careful in how you do it. (Picture JR handing out candy...shudder...) Maybe in this situation, with two teams you've never seen before and may never see again, it might work. But, with teams you see all the time in your league, I would think you would have to do it all the time or not at all. ("Huh, she gave me candy last game, but not today; what did I do to piss her off?")

Candy or not, the clue that one coach was going to be a problem was his comment about "never yelling at the refs, only at his players". If a coach is going to be good, they don't have to try and convince you of that ahead of time, they just are. Plus, he's admitting to yelling, even before the game starts. That throws up the red flag for me. It didn't sound like candy was going to help at all.

Remember, no good deed goes unpunished.

I beg to differ....

"Here Coach, have a nice chocolate. No, no, no....they just <b>look</b> like Ex-Lax; they're really the finest Swiss chocolates. Trust me."

See what I mean? :D

Yea, I knew that. I guess that was why the first cute remark seemed so cool. He really wasn't yelling. Made the fall all the more jolting!

Rule of Acquisition #285.

OK, it might just be me, but this idea of taking candy to the table just sounds nuts. I'm new to this board so I don't want to piss people off with my first post this just seems crazy. I wanna see Steve Javie haul out a bag of licorice and tell Larry Brown, now be nice and u can have one.:eek:

CLH

Well this wasn't the NBA and it wasn't the regular season either. It was a summer league game. The off-season games are usually a little more relaxed.

I wouldn't do it either, but it probably works for rainmaker most of the time.

Z

Yerrite. I certainly DON"T do it during the season, and I definitely wouldn't do it in a game of any importance. These were the "4-game guarantee" games, with a lot of grouchy, discouraged, tired, grouchy, frustrated parents, coaches and players. Whole gyms full of them. Oh, and did I mention grouchy? They travel across the country at great expense to find out that there are 2000 players who are better than their kid (and that's just at this one tournament!!), and they sure aren't in the mood to see it yet again after three days of it.

Candy doesn't make all the difference between a lousy game and a college scholarship, and it's no substitute for excellent reffing, but it helps set the tone of "we're all human here, let's respect that in each other".

Juulie - most of the coaches I know would think M&Ms were really W&Ws.

I made a similar mistake once. A Coach asked me,

"Hey, Ref....my back is killing me! Got any Aleve?"

I reached in my pocket and gave him 2 little blue pills. Unfortunately, it was the wrong pocket. After about 10 minutes, I didn't have to worry about him standing up for the rest of the game........

Since when does JR coach? :eek:

You gave him 2 viagra?:confused:

Well, come to think of it, that's kind of appropriate for a coach anyway.