Wanted to let my fellow officials know about a case I've been involved in. In Sept 2000, I was sucker punched while officiating an adult league basketball game.

My attacker did not like a call I made in a 2-0 game, cursed me, and as I called the T and gave the number to the scorer I was punched so hard that I received permanent damage to my eye. After a year, my attacker agreed to and later turned down a 9 month sentence in county jail.

Now after being convicted of two felony counts he faces up to seven years in California state prison! Hopefully, after hearing the trial and seeing the defendant waste the courts time with his lame defense and knowing his previous history ( not to mention the fact that he was going to plead guilty), the judge will give him the prison time and not the county time.

I guess anytime your freedom is taken away, it's hard time though, so I won't complain! :) Anyway, after a lot of bitterness and anger, I will get to address my cowardly attacker in the courtroom before sentencing. I can't wait to see this 6'6'' supposed former Euro league player squirm as the judge reads the verdict. I am still a little bitter as I type this and remember that my eye will never be the same. Onward and upward I go!

Well, at least we (all of us as officials) got this FELONY conviction! Any questions or comments are welcome.

Peace to All,

Kevin

Let me express my gratitude to you for being willing to see this through. I can't imagine the pain and personal suffering that you've had to endure, and I admire you for persevering. Such stupidity has become too common place in our society. It takes people like yourself to stand up to such thugs. I'm sure it's been a difficult experience. I don't know how you feel, but I would also look at taking civil action against this person.

I wish you the best.

I hope you take this a**hole for all he's worth in civil court.

I agree!!!!

Me too, but I'll betcha this former Euro playing, current
rec league star ain't worth a whole heck of a lot. He
needed to get a life back then, and he's about to get
a whole new kind of life now.

Good luck Kevin.

One thing's for certain. In prison, he'll learn a whole new meaning to the term "back door play." ;)

He will also learn what "illegal use of the hands" really means!! Good job of sticking with this case to the end, Kevin...blast the crap out of the guy when you face him in court!

DJ

Thanks for the support to ALL! I was having a bad day until I started reading your post!

Obviously, a guy like that is not worth much. He will pay though. At worst, I'm going to small claims court. No matter what though...between now and late January, this guy is a basket case wondering how much time he'll get. And to think...he asked his attorney to mention to me he was trying to get custody of his 2 kids so I would agree to house arrest! :(

I did take his kids into consideration when I told his attorney where he could go with that story. What sane person would want those kids with that father?!

Thanks to all! :)

Kevin

Kevin

Re: your signature - do they really yell "Come on Blue" at you during basketball games? Where are these games - Colorblind Prep? ;)

Mark,

Yes! They really yell, "Come on Blue!" I was wondering if anyone would catch that.

What good (bad)lines do you hear?

Kevin

Some of my favorites include: "gethimoffhim", "that's a reach" (I wish I had a dollar for every time I've heard that), and my all time favorite (I swear this is true) - "that's a, a, a, whatchacallit, ref!"

I reminded the coach that the whatchacallit rule had been changed the year before.

??
 

I saw something on the news a while back...mmmm...can't remember how long ago but it was a sports highlight that showed an official being punched HARD, knocked out, blinded for life I think, that was in Europe or something. Did anyone else see that? also, how many of you are in states where it is a felony to assault any game official? in AZ we tried to get it to be like a class one felony, but it died in the state senate. There's some articles about it in the following: http://www.cactusumpires.com
just click on the box under the cactus and scroll down to "assault legislation".

Re: ??
 

Three years ago, I worked here in Oregon to get a referee assault law passed. NASO was a huge help, and they have a program especially geared to doing this. Just contact them for info.

One shortcut I learned is to find a legislator in your state who is also a sports official. He (or she) will carry the bill through for you.

Our law here in Oregon makes it a Class A misdemeanor to assault a sports official. That may sound like a minor level to you, but all Class A misdeameanors in our state are prosecuted.

From the bench:

"You are the f*cking worse I have seen in 20 g*d damn
years doing this sh*t! Why the f*ck don't you just
get your a*s back to the CYO where you belong, you
worthless hunk of sh*t!!!"

Me:

"Coach, please ask the Monsignor to settle down or I'm gonna
have to T you up."

Kevin,

Like my fellow officials on this site I congratulate you for seeing this matter through. Such things need to be exposed and punished under the law.

However, let me also respectfully encourage you to work through your own admitted issue of bitterness. If that kind of "baggage" stays with you, your attacker will have left you with something far worse than a damaged eye.

"... all ball!" seems to come to mind real quick. Yesterday I had a coach continuously yelling "5 seconds" while his girl guarded an opponent dribbling. (California rules modification for girls: 5-seconds closely guarded applies only when a player is holding the ball, but anywhere on the court.)

Or how about "3 seconds!" as the opponents stand in the key bouncing the ball off the rim?

Richard,

How could I leave out..."ALL Ball" or "THREE seconds!"

Both are classics! :)

Kevin

I just had to insert one of my favorite Davisms here. Coach yells (for the umpteenth time) "CALL IT BOTH WAYS", just as Dave is ready to report the foul.

Dave looks at coach and says, "OK, I will." He then says to scorer, "Blue, 42, a hold - OK, coach, other way - 42, blue, a hold." Looks at coach and says, "Coach, that's all the ways I know."

Kev,
Ditto to all the above. Sue the ******* and take his trailer, pick up and dawg! Better yet, let him keep them and his toothless girl friend.

On the sayings things (and this will get Mark going on "Davism's", you watch)

Regarding 3 seconds: That player must be a "Winnebago", becasue he's been camping out in the lane all night.

He's in my kids shirt ref.

COACH: You're missin' a good game ref. REPLY: I know, but I was assigned this one.

Take it away Mark....