Bob Knight's Latest Comments about College Officials

[chartrusepengui]

Originally Posted by stmaryrams

There will always be an issue with getting additional officials who are actually qualified to work at a D1 level.

Just how do you get officials who are "actually qualified to work at a D1 level" if they start coming up through the ranks and never have a chance to work any D1 games due to the politics? Who should determine who is actually qualified? Everyone has an agenda! If some of the guys working 6 games a week jetting around the country cut back to 4 or even 5 games - it is going to open some slots for others that might already be "qualified".

They need to mentor in some new people using the members of the "qualified" crews. It should work that way from MS to Frosh to JV to Varsity to JUCO to D3 to D2 to D1 for the people who do the work and show the inititive and drive to become D1 officials - BUT we all know it doesn't work that way in all areas and politics play a huge role. It would help to get new guys and rest old legs and bodies.

But Knight does have a point - whether you like him or not. He may be an a$$ but he has been around and sure as he!! knows the game better than most! I am not a Knight fan per say - but I do respect his basketball knowledge and opinions - not always his practices.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by chartrusepengui

...BUT we all know it doesn't work that way in all areas and politics play a huge role. It would help to get new guys and rest old legs and bodies.

$$$ play a huge role also. Those top-level officials are making $1,500-$2,000 a game. For an official to cut back from 5-6 games/week to 3-4 games/week could cost that official about $3,000 a week. If an official is in such demand that the ACC uses him 2 times a week, the Big East 2 times, then throw in 1 or 2 mid-major games that coincide with their travel plans do you really expect that official to turn down those games so someone else can work?

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by chartrusepengui

Just how do you get officials who are "actually qualified to work at a D1 level" if they start coming up through the ranks and never have a chance to work any D1 games due to the politics? Who should determine who is actually qualified? Everyone has an agenda! If some of the guys working 6 games a week jetting around the country cut back to 4 or even 5 games - it is going to open some slots for others that might already be "qualified".

They need to mentor in some new people using the members of the "qualified" crews. It should work that way from MS to Frosh to JV to Varsity to JUCO to D3 to D2 to D1 for the people who do the work and show the inititive and drive to become D1 officials - BUT we all know it doesn't work that way in all areas and politics play a huge role. It would help to get new guys and rest old legs and bodies.

But Knight does have a point - whether you like him or not. He may be an a$$ but he has been around and sure as he!! knows the game better than most! I am not a Knight fan per say - but I do respect his basketball knowledge and opinions - not always his practices.

I think there is this major myth in our society that people are hired on pure merit. College Student Applications are not based purely on merit. Why would you expect college officiating hiring to be based on that as well? Not to make a political statement, but do you really think that George W. Bush was the most qualified in the country to become President? If you know anything about Chicago Politics, people are being elected left and right based on who their parents were or who they are related. Officiating is not at all different in the way people are hired.

Peace

[jmkbball]

I guess I'm really old school. Bob Knight doesn't care about being politically correct and really doesn't need anyone to defend him -- so I won't.

For a few weeks each season, my schedule lets me work a bunch of days, perhaps as many as 12-14 games in a week because of high school tournaments -- we all do that to help out.

But, Knight's comments dealt with guys flying or driving long distances to work five or six major college games a week.
On those weeks that I have to fly to three or four cities for business and only have to sit through meetings -- I can't wait for the week to end. Like several others have said, I can't imagine traveling real distances to get to five or six games in a week.

Knight's comments and concerns are often rash but his reputation for graduating kids first, keeping his program clean and occassionally winning in spite of those odds, are just a few of the things that basketball was supposed to be about.

Take his comment today on the stupidity (at least for colleges) of the NBA rule that requires high school players to wait one year before being signed.
His comments will certainly make enemies -- probably more with coaches. I would guess however, that you would have a pretty hard time finding one exceptional freshman in any real classes in Austin this week/semester.

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I think there is this major myth in our society that people are hired on pure merit. College Student Applications are not based purely on merit. Why would you expect college officiating hiring to be based on that as well? Not to make a political statement, but do you really think that George W. Bush was the most qualified in the country to become President? If you know anything about Chicago Politics, people are being elected left and right based on who their parents were or who they are related. Officiating is not at all different in the way people are hired.

Peace

And as long as we're getting political about this, I think it's fair to say that some officials are hired based on their race.

Popcorn anyone?

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Whistles & Stripes

And as long as we're getting political about this, I think it's fair to say that some officials are hired based on their race.

Popcorn anyone?

Yes. And their gender, and their geographic location. And their job. And who they know.

Peace

[IREFU2]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Yes. And their gender, and their geographic location. And their job. And who they know.

Peace

I would hope race wouldnt have anything to do with it.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by IREFU2

I would hope race wouldnt have anything to do with it.

If gender is a factor in the Women's game, I expect race to be a factor in the Men's game. Also considering that the majority of college players tend to be of a certain race, I would expect Men's assignors to find officials that look like many players and even coaches. I bet the MEAC and SWAC are looking more for a certain race of an official as compared to other conferences. We need to stop living in this fantasy world where we only think people are chosen for anything based on how good they are. How good someone is very subjective anyway. People are hired at the college level for all kinds of reasons and often it has nothing to do with how good you are.

Peace

[cmathews]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

If gender is a factor in the Women's game, I expect race to be a factor in the Men's game. Also considering that the majority of college players tend to be of a certain race, I would expect Men's assignors to find officials that look like many players and even coaches. I bet the MEAC and SWAC are looking more for a certain race of an official as compared to other conferences. We need to stop living in this fantasy world where we only think people are chosen for anything based on how good they are. How good someone is very subjective anyway. People are hired at the college level for all kinds of reasons and often it has nothing to do with how good you are.

Peace

I agree with what you are saying Jeff, but it still doesn't make it right, it just makes it a reality...

[archer]

Reason all these older guys are working and you are not seeing younger officals is because the coaches trust the older guys and know how they call.
Its getting harder and harder for a white guy to be a college offical. Im not trying to use the race card. Im just passing on what a D1 offical told me. They are looking for black men in mens and looking for women or a black woman is a plus in the womens side of basketball.
As for the amount of games worked.... If you got travel expense like the college officals do you would gobble up as many games as you could. Ex. An offical lives in Dallas. They are assigned a game at UCONN. They get travel from dallas to UCONN. Then the next night they have a game at UMASS. Well they get travel from Dallas to UMASS, instead of from UCONN to UMASS.

[REFVA]

You really think there would be a shortage of officials wanting to work D1 games?

I'll take myself as an example. I want to stipulate right up front that I'm speaking for myself. I work for a couple of associations. I accept the games and the work that benefits me most. If one of the other associations sends me 60 to 75 miles away all the time and the other send me 10 to 25 miles away. where do you think I going to accept more games? The same goes for when and if someone tells me where and when and how many games I'm going to work. It's a choice. These officials get those D1 assignment have earned and diserve that honor. Again why and what does it matter if they work 1 or 6 games a week. Becuase Coach Knight says so. Maybe he should learn how to treat his players nicer. I don't tell him how to coach..

And yes I think that we are human, most will take the path of least resistance. it will bring a shortage to the pool..

Also keep in mind of all the abuse, the threats, the violence that we face. At what point does that small amount of money we earn make it worth it. I primarily do it becuase I love it.

[tomegun]

Originally Posted by Whistles & Stripes

And as long as we're getting political about this, I think it's fair to say that some officials are hired based on their race.

Popcorn anyone?

Would you like to be more clear about that statement?

Are you saying some officials are hired because they are black, white or other?