Bilas's bright idea
 

Grant Wahl wrote a column entitled "The Magic Eight" on SI.com's website. The part of that column in which I thought officials would be most interested is the part in which Wahl and Jay Bilas answer the question (posed, apparently, by Bilas): "If you were crowned Omnipotent King of All Basketball, . . . what changes would you make in the game and why?"

Bilas provided nine suggested changes; the eighth was: "[I] would pronounce no coach shall be allowed to shout at or otherwise harass an official during the course of the game. 'Working officials' in a manner that causes the veins on a coach's neck to bulge is wholly ineffective, and therefore, unnecessary. Nobody wants to get it right more than the officials. Coaches shall coach their teams. Period. If coaches wish to holler fanatically, they shall be directed into broadcasting. Or sports writing."

Amen.

I love Bilas, he is one of the few in the basketball media...Clark Kellogg and Len Elmore too...that have actually looked in a rule book, and more importantly, understood it.

Speaking of Bilas "Duke-Boy"..........I love the ESPN commercial when he is in the UNC cafeteria ! Hilarious:p

I believe Bilas and Elmore are lawyers. I know Bilas is for sure, but I thought Elmore was as well. That might explain to some extent why they can read and articulate what they read. I am not sure about what Kellogg's background is outside of commentating, but he is also very insightful and when he does criticize officials, it does not come off as personal or uneducated.

Peace

I just Google'd both of them:
- Len Elmore graduated from Harvard Law School, was a prosecutor and an assistant DA in NYC, and still works as a senior partner in a law firm. Pretty impressive bio.
- Clark Kellog went back to school and got a degree in marketing. He's involved in a whole bunch of community services and has received awards for his contributions. Impressive too.
- Jay Bilas is from Duke.:D

I will say this about these guys. I am very impressed with all 3 of them for their analyst even when I do not agree with them. They are the best in the business when it comes to talking about issues in and out of the game. I can listen to any game or analyst they give. They are definitely not Billy Packer who just rants about nothing and often is wrong.

Peace

OK...something weird is going on here...twice in one day that Mr. Rutledge and I agree on something!! It's a brand new world out there!! :D

Bilas's ninth and last thing he would do if he were Omnipotent King of All Basketball addresses the commercial!

From a Coach Forum!!!

Working With Officials

It's seldom remembered that the Head Coach is responsible for setting the tone and personality of the team. With this in mind we, as coaches, need to continually set the example. Not only now but for others working through the coaching ranks.

Part of setting examples is how you work with the officials. Below are a few guidelines you can set for the staff when dealing with officials during a competitive game:

1. A coach who controls his team helps the officials control the game.

2. The official can do a better job when he is not badgered or intimidated. How well do you play, how well do you coach when badgered or intimidated.

3. Bizarre incidents and arguments take away from the game and leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth. We need to promote the game - not belittle it.

4. A coach sets the example for his players. I do not believe at all in arguing with officials and it should not be tolerated.

5. Officials respect a coach who sets a good example.

6. Officials do not win or lose games, teams do! The officials work to keep fair play.

7. A coach that gets caught up in officials' calls does not do a good job of coaching and can let the game slip away. A coach that bellyaches after the game usually didn't coach during the game.

8. Have you ever officiated? You should try it! It is not easy and we as coaches have to make it easier on officials.

9. Treat officials with respect and class if you want them to treat you with respect and class.

I think you meant a-n-a-l-y-s-i-s on these.

I am printing this. Great stuff daddy!

What likely happened was that at some point in time, a play situation occurred that made them wonder, or they spoke with an official about a rule. Either for verification or due to confusion, their legal training led them back to the source: the rulebook, and from there, they've probably studied it a bit. The next step as announcers would be to ask officials how they enforce certain rules.

Len Elmore was my councellor at Pete Maravich's basketball camp oh so many years ago. He has always been one of my favorite sports personalities. EVen as a college kid, he was a great guy.

Actually, I've expressed the same sentiment contained in #7 here.

Seventh, the Bilastrator would decree the rules of every level of basketball be standardized. It is silly and nonsensical that the rules differ from high school to college to the international game to the NBA.