A tale of Two Games - by mplagrow
 

I had a 8th grade season end tournament this weekend. I happen to be the assignor for this tournament. I reffed the third place game, which was played right before the championship game. It was great--two teams and coaches that demonstrated great sportsmanship. Everyone was having fun. At the end of the game, a boy hit two free throws with .6 left to send it to OT (my first of the year). A kid from the other team rimmed out a 3-pointer as time expired in OT, or we would have gone to a second OT. Nobody cried, pouted, complained. It was everything basketball should be, IMO.

I stuck around to watch the championship game. It was the complete opposite. The refs I assigned are both doing varsity high school semi-final games this year, top notch guys. They let the teams play a little, and are as consistent and mechanically solid as anyone. The coaches were jerks, the players were angry pouters, and the fans from both schools were just downright terrible. Watching from the stands, it made me want to quit reffing. Then I'm asking myself why I let this ruin the high from the third-place game. I have one more tournament next weekend, maybe it will leave a better taste in my mouth.

Is there really that much of a decrease in sporstmanship from year to year, or am I just letting the bad ones get to me?
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->__________________
"There's three rules in life: One, there's always a victim; two, don't be it."
"And three?"
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Response by Jurassic Ref.
 

Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by mplagrow
Is there really that much of a decrease in sporstmanship from year to year, or am I just letting the bad ones get to me?
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The players make the game. All we can do, as officials, is just react. You can't make chicken soup from chicken sh!t.

Enjoy the good ones. Forget the bad ones.
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mplagrow and Jurassic Ref.
I am sorry I screwed this up.

I was messing around and messed up.
I am an idiot.
mick

HUH? I dont' get it.

Mick deleted the original thread, I think, and had to re-create it. No biggie certainly.

I echo your sentiments. Did some AAU ball this weekend: 7th/8th grade. The concept of advantage/disadvantage is foreign to parents at this level. According to them, every touch should be called, and every time a player goes up for a shot and misses, it had to be a foul.

I was told by a parent that a ball that touches the top of a rectangular backboard is out of bounds; that 3 seconds doesn't end on a shot, among other interpretations.

And, in addition, I was admonished to "Call the Obvious." I was surprised I didn't hear "Referee the Defense," also.

I lit some extra candles at church Sunday for my soul.

d@nm moderators. Can we replace mick with Old School?






LOL I'm soooooooooooooooo kidding on that one. ;)

Yes.
Now. <font>

<B>This Week's Sign The Apocalypse Is Upon Us:</B>

(With apologies to Sports Illustrated.)

Don't even kid about that.:eek: Shudder.......

I object. :)