Race card played

[LarryS]

I was at a camp this last weekend (did pretty well and heard that my local chapter assignment secretary was saying good things about me…but that is not the purpose of the post). Teams were part of a boys 11/12 grade tournament.

Sunday’s schedule got messed up by a double OT game early so the director told everyone to forget their game schedule and stay in the main gym…he grabbed us as needed and did a good job keeping all of us working. Late in the afternoon, he walks up to me and asks if I am ready for a challenge…two good teams that like to run…said it would be a tough game to call. I figure it is worth rolling the dice so I take the game. Home team is all Caucasian, visitors are all African-American…this comes into play later.

Things are rocking along real well. None of us have a lot of three whistle experience but we never miss a rotation, are communicating well and have the game in control. At halftime, the evaluator compliments us and mentions a couple of minor things. Early in the second half, #42 for black starts whining about calls. We talk to him with little success, but he doesn't cross the line. Game is tight (3 points) with just under a minute. White has a break going and #42 clearly takes out the shooter attempting a lay-up. I am at lead, so I call the foul. He immediately starts to complain and gesturing with his hands. I say “Cool it, you don’t want to make this any worse.” He turns, takes two steps, then looks back and yells “Bullsh!t call!” I can’t let that go, especially with an evaluator sitting in the stands so I give him the T. After letting my partners know what I have, I go to report. The black team assistant starts onto the floor complaining. I hold up my hand and ask him to get off the floor. He yells “Ill do what I want and there is nothing you can do!” I show him there is at least one thing I can do and stick him.

About this time, one of my partners gets there and is trying to get between the two of us. I take a step back, then to the side but the assistant is persistent. He is still vocal, and I’m thinking my partner is going to run him any minute. Finally, he sticks his finger at me and yells “You are a bigot!” I hold for a second, giving my partner a chance…no whistle from him…so I run him.

White makes all 8…game over. BTW, I double checked the score sheets after they were picked up at the table…foul count was 6-6 in the second half, 12-13 for the entire game.

[truerookie]

LarryS,

Being African American, I believe you handled the situation properly. I would not have stood for that type of behavior either. However, it is sad that you did not have strong partners to assist you because, it appeared from what you describe as the bad guy out to get them.

[tomegun]

Originally Posted by truerookie

LarryS,

Being African American, I believe you handled the situation properly. I would not have stood for that type of behavior either. However, it is sad that you did not have strong partners to assist you because, it appeared from what you describe as the bad guy out to get them.

Can someone who has been an assigner, on any level, comment on this? Do you have a problem with an official giving a coach two T's when a coach's behavior is directly aimed at that official?

[TADW_Elessar]

Originally Posted by tomegun

Can someone who has been an assigner, on any level, comment on this? Do you have a problem with an official giving a coach two T's when a coach's behavior is directly aimed at that official?

I'm not an assignor, but I'm sure I would not have a problem with that official. I would maybe have a problem with his colleague(s).

[tomegun]

This happens sometimes. I wouldn't consider it a big deal.

1. How many times are you going to talk to the same player?
2. Why are you holding your hand up for an assistant? I wouldn't hold my hand up for anyone, but that is another story.
3. If the comments were directly aimed at you, IMO T him up three times if you have to!

Many evaluators know what is going on. This is still a dynamic game and unwritten rules can't always be followed, depending on the circumstance. Three years ago, I got hired by a conference because I was tired and had the wrong two teams for the last game of the night. 5 T's later the evaluator looked at my partners and said, "Where are you guys at?" Do what you have to do.

Question: If he would have called you a bigot before you gave him the first T, what would you have done?

[Raymond]

I assuming you're an African-American official, black team (uniform) is the Caucasian team, and the white team (uniform) is the African-American team???

Sounds like you did what you were supposed to do in the scenario you described. I wouldn't have bothered to check the score sheet. You had an evaluator watching you, what did he say about how you and your partners handled the situation in particular and the game overall?

[LarryS]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

I assuming you're an African-American official, black team (uniform) is the Caucasian team, and the white team (uniform) is the African-American team???

Sounds like you did what you were supposed to do in the scenario you described. I wouldn't have bothered to check the score sheet. You had an evaluator watching you, what did he say about how you and your partners handled the situation in particular and the game overall?

Sorry if I wan't clear. I am Caucasian. Home team was all Caucasian and wore white. Visiting team was all African-American and wore black uniforms.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by LarryS

Sorry if I wan't clear. I am Caucasian. Home team was all Caucasian and wore white. Visiting team was all African-American and wore black uniforms.

what did the evaluator say after the game????

[BktBallRef]

And more specifically, what did he say about your partner's failure to take care of business?

[LarryS]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

what did the evaluator say after the game????

He complimented me on taking care of business and told my partners that one of them should have given the assistant the second T...and qucikly when he kept trying to get in my face. He added that he was not going to get on them very hard as we all did a great job in the game.

Suprisingly (at least to me) I stayed calm the entire time. Probably because I was trying to remember the number of the player and if the shot went in

The really good part of all this is that the evaluator is a personal freind of my assignment secretary. As we were finishing up, he grabbed my arm. When we were alone, he said he saw me work last summer and that "I have elavated my game significantly. I'll work with you anytime, anywhere...and I'll make sure the right people know that." That sure made the drive home more enjoyable...now I just have to do perform at the same level at our camp in a few weeks.

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by LarryS

He complimented me on taking care of business and told my partners that one of them should have given the assistant the second T...and qucikly when he kept trying to get in my face. He added that he was not going to get on them very hard as we all did a great job in the game.

Suprisingly (at least to me) I stayed calm the entire time. Probably because I was trying to remember the number of the player and if the shot went in

The really good part of all this is that the evaluator is a personal freind of my assignment secretary. As we were finishing up, he grabbed my arm. When we were alone, he said he saw me work last summer and that "I have elavated my game significantly. I'll work with you anytime, anywhere...and I'll make sure the right people know that." That sure made the drive home more enjoyable...now I just have to do perform at the same level at our camp in a few weeks.

Congrats on the compliments & on handling this well. Like Tom said, what this jerk said is not really a big deal, unless you make it a big deal. Just quietly take care of business.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by LarryS

He immediately starts to complain and gesturing with his hands. I say “Cool it, you don’t want to make this any worse.” He turns, takes two steps, then looks back and yells “Bullsh!t call!” I can’t let that go, especially with an evaluator sitting in the stands so I give him the T.

Good call. It's a T even if there is no evaluator there.

Originally Posted by LarryS

The black team assistant starts onto the floor complaining. I hold up my hand and ask him to get off the floor. He yells “Ill do what I want and there is nothing you can do!” I show him there is at least one thing I can do and stick him.

Good call.

Originally Posted by LarryS

About this time, one of my partners gets there and is trying to get between the two of us. I take a step back, then to the side but the assistant is persistent. He is still vocal, and I’m thinking my partner is going to run him any minute. Finally, he sticks his finger at me and yells “You are a bigot!”

Maybe I'm a hard-a$$, but this is a flagrant technical. Write it up so. Your P bailed on ya here - definitely ask him why in the post-game.

Excellent job!

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by LarryS

The black team assistant starts onto the floor complaining. I hold up my hand and ask him to get off the floor. He yells “Ill do what I want and there is nothing you can do!” I show him there is at least one thing I can do and stick him.

About this time, one of my partners gets there and is trying to get between the two of us. I take a step back, then to the side but the assistant is persistent. He is still vocal, and I’m thinking my partner is going to run him any minute. Finally, he sticks his finger at me and yells “You are a bigot!”

Flagrant technical foul as soon as that remark was made. Write it up after the game and turn it into the league/TASO. It's an obvious racial comment, and racial comments like that have no place in any sport- ever.

Your partner really showed a lack of testicular fortitude in this situation imo, Larry. If he doesn't wanna take care of bidness out there, then he should find something else to do in his free time.

[tomegun]

I think it is funny to say someone calling someone bigot in this situation isn't racist. He called the guy a bigot because he felt like he was making calls against his team based on race. That isn't racist? Now we have brought ignorance into the conversation.
Is there some organization that determines when a word like "bigot" can be used and not be racial? If there is, I don't know of such and organization. This is probably one man's opinion which isn't the deciding factor.
The term "race card" makes me roll my eyes. Racism happens everyday and many people like to dismiss it by using the term "race card." Furthermore, if someone doesn't think things like burning crosses are a thing of the past, they must be ignoring what happens in our society.

Back on point, correct JR - Flagrant T immediately. I still think the official who is the focus of this attack should have the first shot at this T. This would cause my ears to perk up immediately and a T would probably be a quick reaction. I'm black and I've had black coaches make similar remarks. I put the wonder twins (my two index fingers) in the form of a T!!!!!

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by tomegun

Is there some organization that determines when a word like "bigot" can be used and not be racial? If there is, I don't know of such an organization. This is probably one man's opinion which isn't the deciding factor.

I've been in similar situations in the (fairly long ago) past when religion and ethnicity were put into play also. My partner and I were accused once by a coach of favoring Catholic players over his Protestant school. That coach actually was a JV coach that was providing color commentary on a cable tv broadcast of his school's varsity team, and he made the remarks on-air. He ended up being suspended for those remarks, and he also got warned that if he ever repeated anything like them, he'd be fired. He was also ordered to make a written aoplogy to both my partner and myself, which he did. I also had a game once between a Hebrew league all-star team and a Yugoslavian team where players on both teams accused me of favoring the other side for religious/ethnic reasons. Those players went buh-bye too.

One of the reasons that people are hired to officiate games in any sport is to try and keep out any hint of bias- no matter what type of bias it might be. Anything of a racial/ethnic/religious nature just shouldn't be tolerated by officials anytime imo.