Huntington HS in trouble!

[Johnny Ringo]

There are probably many areas in the country where a high school official could not imagine a Div. I official working a high school game - some of the associations I have been in don't sniff that level of a guy belonging. And then others I have been in have several.

Also, you won't see these Div. I officials working high school games that involve the worst teams in the conference - most come out to work the biggest game sin the city/area/state - O.J. Mayo!

[Rich]

Originally Posted by orangeump

D3 is different than D1....are you aware of how much faster the D1 game is than the HS game? That is why I was wondering about this. Just doesnt seem like something that is normally done or that I would do given the chance.

As far as the post that said "OJ Mayo was playing, thats why." I am sure he cares....if he is a D1 official he gets to see better players on a daily basis...come on now.

Who said anything about D3?

[tomegun]

Originally Posted by orangeump

As far as the post that said "OJ Mayo was playing, thats why." I am sure he cares....if he is a D1 official he gets to see better players on a daily basis...come on now.

Besides the fact that a lot of D1 guys don't work enough games to sit at home when they aren't doing D1, you are out of touch.
If you knew who OJ Mayo is you would realize that it is easy for an official to work D1 and not see anyone that good at all, let alone on a daily basis. I was fortunate enough to work Kevin Durant's last high school game, do you think every D1 official sees someone that good on a daily basis?

[Mountaineer]

Sheeeeesh orangeump - he works Mens D2 in the WVIAC and Mens D1 in the Big South and one other one (can't remember what conf.). Granted it's not the SEC or ACC or Big East - but it's certainly D1. I actually have 2 HS games with him this year as well . . . I didn't say he was Ted Valentine - I said he was D1.

Here's the latest - as Mike walked to the scorer's table - Mayo bumped him and Lazo fell. If anyone has a myspace you can go to the videos and search for OJ and see this incident
(or try this link http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...oid=1822220161)

I talked to a couple of people this morning and a sports writer in Charleston said that the contract stipulated that OJ had to play in the game - someone else told me that "yes, that clause WAS in the original contract when it was unclear that OJ would be in school at HHS and was removed after he enrolled." According to a co-worker whose son is the Asst. AD at HHS, they are planning (at this point, I would add) on OJ sitting his two games - which happen to be against teams that can beat them (Artesia, CA and Scott, KY).

[Rich]

The video is entitled "The Flop" and it does look like a flop of WWE (or at least NFL punter) proportions. Did the official really get hit hard enough to make him go down like THAT?

What hadn't been mentioned up till now is that Mayo had already been tossed before the bump happened and was going after the official who bounced him.

Is this what happens when HS basketball is made out to be more than it should be?

[wildcatter]

After the ref near the table got bumped and fell to the ground, what was the other ref with the ball doing? Just standing there? Is that what you're supposed to do when your partner gets bumped to the ground after ejecting a player?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by wildcatter

After the ref near the table got bumped and fell to the ground, what was the other ref with the ball doing? Just standing there? Is that what you're supposed to do when your partner gets bumped to the ground after ejecting a player?

My question comes in before this -- a player is ejected and is walking after the official that tossed him -- what are the officials doing THEN?

Maybe it's much more natural if you're a baseball umpire who deals more frequently with ejections, but another official should've been moving towards that well before Mayo got to him.

[Jurassic Referee]

If that happened to one of our officials and we had that film clip, we'd lay charges and let the court sort it out.

Two games only for that is ridiculous. Somewhere along the line people are forgetting that this is still high school basketball, ESPN or not.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

If that happened to one of our officials and we had that film clip, we'd lay charges and let the court sort it out.

Two games only for that is ridiculous. Somewhere along the line people are forgetting that this is still high school basketball, ESPN or not.

If the suspension is only 2 games, JR, it means he got NOTHING for the bump. He already HAD 2 technical fouls before that and the ejection carries the 2 game suspension. I can't believe he didn't get another technical there, either. It's not the NCAA where a third technical is forbidden.

I still say it looked a bit embellished (the bump/flop), but I'll give the official the benefit of the doubt.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Rich Fronheiser

If the suspension is only 2 games, JR, it means he got NOTHING for the bump. He already HAD 2 technical fouls before that and the ejection carries the 2 game suspension. I can't believe he didn't get another technical there, either. It's not the NCAA where a third technical is forbidden.

Two games only would be a farce imo.

[Mountaineer]

Again, I haven't spoken with Mike (the official) but I tend to agree with the "flop" thinking too. One, the guy is in his late 20's and in fantastic shape. He played quarterback at Fairmont State College. My thinking is that it would take a helluva bump to knock him to the ground. The fact that he fell or flopped is not what's important - he was BUMPED by a player. I also agree that there was a problem with none of the other officials doing anything. Mayo certainly went after him and bumped him - something other than 2 games for the ejection is in order.

I'll probably be blasted for this statement - but I guess you can take the thug out of the hood but you can't take the hood out of the thug!

[Tim C]

OrangeUmp = PWL on the baseball boards.

[tomegun]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer

Again, I haven't spoken with Mike (the official) but I tend to agree with the "flop" thinking too. One, the guy is in his late 20's and in fantastic shape. He played quarterback at Fairmont State College. My thinking is that it would take a helluva bump to knock him to the ground. The fact that he fell or flopped is not what's important - he was BUMPED by a player. I also agree that there was a problem with none of the other officials doing anything. Mayo certainly went after him and bumped him - something other than 2 games for the ejection is in order.

I'll probably be blasted for this statement - but I guess you can the thug out of the hood but you can't take the hood out of the thug!

If you are going to say a comment - which is stupid in this case anyway - at least get it right. I hope you meant to put "take" after "can."

I know Mike and I have worked with him in the WVIAC and at the Nike camp (we were roommates). I just tried to call him and I imagine he is on the court right now. Maybe it was a little bit of a flop, maybe not. Whatever the case may be, the player made contact with him and that should be punished much more severely than two games. I also think his partners were probably less experienced than him and shook up under the bright lights.

[Mountaineer]

Originally Posted by tomegun

If you are going to say a comment - which is stupid in this case anyway - at least get it right. I hope you meant to put "take" after "can."

I know Mike and I have worked with him in the WVIAC and at the Nike camp (we were roommates). I just tried to call him and I imagine he is on the court right now. Maybe it was a little bit of a flop, maybe not. Whatever the case may be, the player made contact with him and that should be punished much more severely than two games. I also think his partners were probably less experienced than him and shook up under the bright lights.

Fixed it just for you! Yeah, he probably is on the court. Great official. Another friend called him tonight and his explaination of the "flop" was this - he saw something out of the corner of his eye and stepped back, which sort of put him off balance and then OJ hit him which knocked him down. I'll say this about him - I've never known him to embellish the truth at all - if he said it wasn't a flop - it wasn't a flop.

Actually Mike is a relatively young official - only about 5 years experience. He's just got "it". One of the other officials calls womens in the WVIAC and has done the state tournament and the other one has probably 15-20 years in HS. They shouldn't have been bothered.

I've talked to a lot of other officials today and some think OJ should be suspended for the remainder of the year. I've heard some that think he should press charges. It will be interesting to see what happens.

[tomegun]

Obviously, the other officials' experience didn't help them. They looked like they didn't know what to do.