"fanboy" with a question -- and then i'll leave

[Adam]

Sarcastic response: You're right, there's a secret conspiracy that no ref has ever admitted to publicly until now.

The respectful response is reserved for those who will actually listen and pay attention. Sometimes, however, it will turn into the sarcastic response very quickly.

Typical response:

[PJS59]

when you say there is a "respectful response" do you mean there is a response based on whatever the specific situation is, or there is blanket response? if it's the latter i'm curious what it is. again, my intent isn't to challenge, just trying to understand the dynamic better.

[Adam]

It's the former, and usually comes in a live discussion with someone. It's rare, though, because the people who honestly think the refs are out to screw their team aren't really amenable to a decent discussion about it. They're definitely not going to listen to anything we say. There's no blanket response, other than, "Look, these guys get evaluated on every call and no-call. They have to answer to league commissioners and NCAA evaluators for everything they do during the game. There is no way they're getting away with inserting bias into their games. If the conspiracy were as big as it would need to be to work, then someone would have flipped by now and come clean. Honestly, the CIA and mob get leaks regularly, do you think the NCAA and/or CBS would be better able to control leaks than an agency full of government spies?"

[JRutledge]

The bottom line is that most officials pass a lot of schools to work at the school they are currently working. This is at least true at the HS level. At the HS level I might not see a particular team for several years after a single game.

At the college level there is much more accountability and more scrutiny to calls and situations during games. Officials will not stay around if they are screwing one school over another. There is too much money involved and too many good officials waiting in the wings.

Peace

[OHBBREF]

At lower levels up to high school the fans, as long as they do not get personal and way out of line the response is none.
If they get way out of line then they could get to see the outside of the building and what ever punnishment the local administrators deem necessary.

This would include some high school venues also but in most cases at this level and above you tune them out and /or tell jokes about them at halftime.
did you hear the one about the fan that ...

Two fans walked into a bar ...

It comes with the territory and you have little control over them. If you get directly involved with them they win. It is best to let others handle it if possible.

[Adam]

OH is right with regard to behavior during games. My posts here were in reference to discussions off the court with people who know I ref.

[PJS59]

appreciate the responses. my curiosity has been satisfied.

now about this whole swallowing your whistle late in the game...

(just joking...smart *** irish coming out in me)

[rockyroad]

Originally Posted by PJS59

appreciate the responses. my curiosity has been satisfied.

now about this whole swallowing your whistle late in the game...

(just joking...smart *** irish coming out in me)

My typical response to comments about the refs costing someone a game is to ask them which official won their last game for them...usually gets a blank look and "Huh?", and then I tell them "Well, if the refs last night cost your team the game, but you won on Thursday night, one of those refs helped you win. Who was it?"

Pretty much ends the conversation every time...

[jimpiano]

Originally Posted by rockyroad

My typical response to comments about the refs costing someone a game is to ask them which official won their last game for them...usually gets a blank look and "Huh?", and then I tell them "Well, if the refs last night cost your team the game, but you won on Thursday night, one of those refs helped you win. Who was it?"

Pretty much ends the conversation every time...

Good answer.

Sort of like telling a UT fan after the loss to OSU, how come you had no problem with the officiating when you were up 20 points and the Vols could not miss a shot?

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by PJS59

when you say there is a "respectful response" do you mean there is a response based on whatever the specific situation is, or there is blanket response? if it's the latter i'm curious what it is. again, my intent isn't to challenge, just trying to understand the dynamic better.

I start off respectful but sometimes (most times, really), fans don't want to hear a professional, non-bias response. They are hoping that someone like Old School will chime in and say "Yeah, where I'm from you don't make that call. I did it once and I had a gun pulled on me in the parking lot and I had to use my special stare to disarm the unhappy fan."

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

I start off respectful but sometimes (most times, really), fans don't want to hear a professional, non-bias response. They are hoping that someone like Old School will chime in and say "Yeah, where I'm from you don't make that call. I did it once and I had a gun pulled on me in the parking lot and I had to use my special stare to disarm the unhappy fan."

I heard they were making a movie about that incident.