An amazing story was reported today here in Portland in The Oregonian newspaper sports section. One of the most well-respected HS coaches in the nation, Brad Smith, was kicked out of a game - and he wasn't even coaching at the time. Smith, whose Oregon City girls team is ranked number one in the state and who has won many state championships and two national titles has been coaching for over 20 years. In all that time, he has received only one technical foul!

However, last Friday night, he was sitting in the stands watching the JV game. Apparently, he did his howler monkey impression so well, an official gave him a T. After a discussion, the official realized he couldn't do that, but could have Brad removed from the gym, which he proceeded to do. Brad said he would go to the next gym to watch the freshman game and then return to coach the varsity. The official told him he could not do that.

Brad then used a cell phone to call Howard Mayo. Howard is the commissioner of the Portland Basketball Officials Assn. (PBOA) and a former long-time NF rules committee member.

According to the story, Howard ruled that Brad could return to coach the varsity game because his behavior occurred while he was in the stands. But, if he had been on the bench at the time he was ejected, he could not return for the varsity game.

BTW - his varsity team won by 60.

After the game, Brad was quoted as saying he was "embarrassed" because people will jump to false conclusions about the incident.

I do not know who the official was, or if both officials were involved. I do know I have worked Brad's games in tournaments and I consider him a real gentleman.

Of course, I was not there that night.

In most places if you get run from the gym, game mgmt will remove you from the building as well. I don't see how he could come back to coach the varsity game.

Having said that, it is in poor taste, but yes they could T him in the stands, and second, who was he trying to impress by calling the commish?

If he is that well respected, he would drop a notch in my book.

Interesting...being just "across the river" I have worked Coach Smith's teams before - both in season and in summer ball, and he has always been a piece of cake to work for... I wonder what was said...we have a coach in our area (boy's varsity coach)who likes to sit in the stands and harass the jv officials...our stand (and confirmed by the State) has been that if he gets tossed, he is free to come back to do the varsity game - on a very short leash...I have walked over to him during a jv game and told him "Those two people are friends of mine, and you screaming at them is putting me in a real bad mood tonight" at which point he left the gym until his game...right or wrong, it worked...varsity coaches shouldn't be screaming at jv officials...I believe that is one of the main reasons young, up-and-comers quit reffing...

Seems to me this would be a building management decision. We can disqualify a person from a game, but can we disqualify them for 2 games??? Certainly not if we're not even working the 2nd game. But as I read the manual, it appears that disqualifications count only for the current game. Is this correct???

I think everyone is making too much of him being a coach. In this case he is a fan, and when you run a fan game mgmnt should ban them from the building. Around here if a fan is run they are toldto leave the building and if they come back they will be arrested for trespassing.

For a regular fan, fine. However, do you think game management is going to ban a coach - especially if it is the home coach (don't know if it was in this situation). I think the only time a coach would be banned is if Bobby Knight's team is playing in PR.

I think it depends on the area. If it was the principal, or board member, would they? I would hope yes.

I am not going to stick around to see if they enforce it, but my gut tells me if it gets bad enough to chuck him, there would be consequences, at least around here.

If he is away, they might not let him back in. If it is home, his AD will be there to see it.

Under NCHSAA policy, if he was ejected during the JV contest, he would not be able to coach in the varsity contest. He would also be suspended for the next 2 games. If a team from his school is playing, he doesn't stop being a coach from that school, just because he's sitting in the stands.

Just FYI - he was in a visiting gym.

It was a home game, and Brad Smith is very much beloved in Oregon City. I cannot imagine the home "folks" keeping him out. My understanding is that he called Howard, not to pull rank, but because he wanted to be correct. If Howard had told him he couldn't coach the Var game, Smith wouldn't have done it. He is one of the few coaches that teaches the players how to win WITHIN the rules. He uses the rules to his advantage.

I'm saying all this to illuminate the subject at hand. I'm not an unmiti1gated Brad 2Fan as man3y around here are.4 But I do admire and appreciate the way he respe5cts and 6works with the rules6.7

Juulie - The Oregonian reported that the game was at Milwaukie HS. If you are going to the PBOA meeting on Wed. night, maybe you can find out more. I would ask Josh, but he has a game scheduled at Westview that night. Thanks.

BTW - we miss you at The Hoop.

I read that in the Oregonian yesterday. I still wonder whether it was Howard Mayo's call to let Brad Smith coach in the varsity game. I respect Mr. Mayo but isn't it the OSAA's decision as to whether the ejection of a coach in the stands is justified in the rules? If so, when does the one game suspension penalty take effect? If the ejection is valid, I think that the penalty would take affect for the game after it has been reviewed by the state association. I don't think the JV official had the authority to say that Brad Smith couldn't coach in the varsity game. It wasn't that officials game.

eeks, you're right about Milwaukie (spelled the Oregon way!). That explains why he needed to use a cell phone instead of the one in his office!!

There is no PBOA meeting this Wed -- I mean, today, but next week. I'm keeping my ear to the gossip lines -- and I"ll pass on any relevant juicy details --within proper ref guidelines, of course.

Juulie and daves - I got a call yesterday from a reporter at The Oregonian (Patrick O'Neil) who is doing a story on violence in youth sports. He contacted NASO and they referred him to me, since I worked on the referee assault legislation here in Oregon. I mentioned the Brad Smith story and some other things and he is going to call Howard to get his version and also ask if he can speak to some other refs.

I asked him if the story was "triggered" by the hockey incident, but he said he was working on it long before that happened.

The strange part is that the story (if it actually happens) will be in the Living section, not Sports.

BTW - I told him that coaches are generally referred to as howler monkeys. It cracked him up.

As you may know, one of The Oregonian political columnists, Steve Duin, has coached his daughter's rec team in LO for a few years. I've done some of his games and never had a problem with him.

The story will cover more sports than just basketball. I also suggested to the reporter that he check out this website.

If the story comes out, and there is something significant in it which would be of interest to the entire group, I will post it.

Thanks for the info Mark. I would be interested to hear more about this. I'll keep my eye out for the article.

I didn't know that you were involved in that legislation. Way cool! Our commisioner gave us all a copy of that bill for our packets at the beginning of the season. Senate Bill 482 I think.

In reference to Steve Duin, I'm glad he's a good coach because he's a jerk as a journalist. I never did like him, even when he was a sports journalist. That's just my opinion however.

Take care, Next time I get down to the city maybe I'll come and watch you officiate.