Link to article re: Colorado officiating
 

There are a series of articles ablout officiating in Colorado that can be reached at http://www.postindependent.com/artic...NEWS/102120023

They may require you to register, but the article is interesting enough to be worthwhile, and has links to earlier articles in a series.

Jim, are you in Colorado?

Some interesting reads. If you've got time, take a look at them. Thanks Jim.

All four were well written articles.

I am always amazed by how easily fans think your integrity is tied to where you live. Last summer I was refereeing at a weekend event in an adjoining state where I had traveled with the team my son plays for. The game I was refereeing was the team hosting the event vs a team from my home state. The local team was winning and the parents of the losing team started making comments about "call it both ways" and "we are getting homered". I so bad wanted to tell them where I lived.

No, I'm in NY, but I saw the link to the article on a feed from Topix.net.

From reading the other articles, apparently this series was sparked by the mayor of a Colorado town being ejected from the stands at a rivalry game. The local officials association has subsequently decided to no longer provide officials for this school and the school has had to scramble to find replacements.

That's perfect.

That association neighbors mine, and they switched some assignments at that school for our refs assigned at another school between our two centers of gravity. I talked to two of the guys the other day who reffed at Basalt the next game, and they said the crowd was unusually well behaved.

Great article, Jim. Truer words were never spoken than "It comes down to school management". Big ups to the Colo. officials too for being proactive when it comes to not putting up with that nonsense.

Btw, 90% to pass the exam just to become an official, and 96% to be eligible for playoffs? And people wonder why it bothers me to see certain parties posting exams and answers.

Here's my favorite quote:

"You talk to people that have tried it and they say, 'There is no way you could pay me enough money to do that,'" Cheney said. "Well then, leave the people who are trying to do it alone."

:D

I had a case several years ago involving a race track (REAL small time; not exactly Daytona) where someone who entered the pit area was struck and killed by a tire coming off a race car (yes, it was very bizarre). Anyway, part of the litigation concerned whether he had signed the necessary injury waiver required to enter the pit area. Supposedly, those that signed got a wristband (similar to a hospital one) and those that didn't, didn't get in.

I can foresee a time where it will be required at some locales that fans sign a behavioral agreement and get a wristband just to enter close quartered events like basketball games. The only thing is that I've never had any problems at schools and arenas that had put some thought into game administration, particularly concerning security and fan control. Its the ones that don't put any thought or effort into it and wouldn't have this wrist band policy where the problems would lie. Sort of a conundrum.