Was there a resolution in Kentucky?

[zebraman]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

When the playoffs arrive, we don't even work the same teams we see all year. All officials travel to arbitrary sites to officiate teams they do not workj during the regular season. And they sent an alum from a HS to work his former school's game in the state tourney? Sorry but that's just assinine.

So if an official gets picked to do the state championship game and it's his alma mater, should he get taken off the game? That's silly.

At our state tournaments, we aren't allowed to officiate teams from our district for the first two days. After that, things fall where they may. No problems. I have reffed my alma mater (boys and girls games) many times during the regular season and in the playoffs. No problems. I graduated from there 25 years ago and it's completely irrelevant.

The situation in Kentucky was a problem because two official's involved were unprofessional. Let's not twist it to appear as if it was a problem because of the assignment.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by zebraman

So if an official gets picked to do the state championship game and it's his alma mater, should he get taken off the game? That's silly.

And your comment is stupd, even for you. We have 8 state championship games, 4 boys and 4 girls. We send one crew to work a state championship game every year. With 8 games, we've NEVER had a problem with puttung neutral crews on every single game. So no, it's not necessary to not assign an official a state final. You simply assign him a game with teams that he normally doesn't work.

At our state tournaments, we aren't allowed to officiate teams from our district for the first two days. After that, things fall where they may. No problems. I have reffed my alma mater (boys and girls games) many times during the regular season and in the playoffs. No problems. I graduated from there 25 years ago and it's completely irrelevant.

Congratulations.

The situation in Kentucky was a problem because two official's involved were unprofessional. Let's not twist it to appear as if it was a problem because of the assignment.

I can discuss any aspect of this situation that I choose to, without regard to what you think should or should not be discussed. After all, it is a discussion forum.

[Jimgolf]

Originally Posted by zebraman

So if an official gets picked to do the state championship game and it's his alma mater, should he get taken off the game? That's silly.

Absolutely. No doubt about it. The official should have the sense to recuse himself if assigned to the game. I find it hard to believe you think this is "silly". Imagine a state championship game where a foul is called with no time left and someone from the official's alma mater is shooting 3 to win the game. Heads would roll.

Also if one of the teams is from his current home town, even if (or especially if) it's his alma mater's arch rival. Imagine the situation above where it's his alma mater's arch rival and there is no call.

This is not a question of integrity of the official, it is a question of integrity of the game. There should never be any hint of favoritism.

[Kevzebra]

Originally Posted by Jimgolf

Absolutely. No doubt about it. The official should have the sense to recuse himself if assigned to the game. I find it hard to believe you think this is "silly". Imagine a state championship game where a foul is called with no time left and someone from the official's alma mater is shooting 3 to win the game. Heads would roll.

Also if one of the teams is from his current home town, even if (or especially if) it's his alma mater's arch rival. Imagine the situation above where it's his alma mater's arch rival and there is no call.

This is not a question of integrity of the official, it is a question of integrity of the game. There should never be any hint of favoritism.

We were not talking about a state tourney game. Those are chosen by the commissioner and any association with the schools (went there, wife works there, in your region, in a region you used to be in) you are not on that game. Harder to do when you deal with people in a region. But I agree that the official can use good judgement and ask for a switch.

We had one in our state tourney this year. One of the guys used to work in one of the regions that had a game saturday. He was one of the best (if not THE best) official at the tourney. He sat out the Semis and finals!

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by Jimgolf

Absolutely. No doubt about it. The official should have the sense to recuse himself if assigned to the game. I find it hard to believe you think this is "silly". Imagine a state championship game where a foul is called with no time left and someone from the official's alma mater is shooting 3 to win the game. Heads would roll.

Also if one of the teams is from his current home town, even if (or especially if) it's his alma mater's arch rival. Imagine the situation above where it's his alma mater's arch rival and there is no call.

This is not a question of integrity of the official, it is a question of integrity of the game. There should never be any hint of favoritism.

Thank you, Jim. Some people are way out in left field on this one.

[zebraman]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

Thank you, Jim. Some people are way out in left field on this one.

If I took myself off of every game where someone might think I was bias, I might not ever ref. I ref my alma mater occaisionally. I see some of our coaches at the golf course. I've even golfed with a few of them in the yearly ref golf tournament. One former coach was my high school algebra teacher. I ref at the HS in the town where I live. I will be reffing at the Community College where I attended this year. Where would it end?

I once had a coach accuse me of favoritism because he knew that my wife worked in the town where I was reffing.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Jimgolf

This is not a question of integrity of the official, it is a question of integrity of the game. There should never be any hint of favoritism.

Do you remember what happen about 2 seasons ago to Rick Hartzell? Rick Hartzell is a D1 official who happens to be the Athletic Director of Northern Iowa. Hartzell works in the Big Ten and was working a Wisconsin-Indiana game. Well the school he worked at was on the bubble late in the season as well as Indiana. He made a call against Indiana that was critical in the game and Indiana eventually lost. Hartzell was accused by an ESPN commentator of not making a critical call for Indiana, because Hartzell's school would benefit from the lost of a team in another conference, in an unrelated situation all because he happens to be the AD of this other school. Now this story was a national story and the ESPN Commentator even apologized for most of his statements.

The point if they want to find bias, they will find an appearance of bias just about anywhere. I can tell you as an African-American, suburban official, the issues of bias come up all the time where I live. If I work a game between an all-Black team verses a largely white school that is from the suburbs, you should hear the comments from the stands that suggest that myself or my partners (who can be white) have something against one of the teams based on something that may or may not be a factor. Being an alum of a school is not the only bias out there or the only bias someone can make an issue out of. As a matter of fact where I live what school you attended is almost never as much of an issue as the bias people have accused of based on race and city vs. suburban issue. Or even city public school vs. city Catholic school.

Peace