Cell phones at the table

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

I also thought you were making a comment about society's overuse of TLAs.

WTF are you talking about?

[Adam]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

WTF are you talking about?

Exactly.

[M&M Guy]

Hey...wait a minute...

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

I know... my response was in case anyone asked what TLA is for.... just as they asked for OOO.

I also thought you were making a comment about society's overuse of TLAs.

IMO it's no BFD so why don't we all just CTFD (that would be a FLA).

[tjones1]

Just think... someone that has an iPhone at the table. Texting, e-mailing, talking, listening to music, surfing the internet.

You laugh now... but it's coming.

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by Dan_ref

IMO it's no BFD so why don't we all just CTFD (that would be a FLA).

Hey, I know another FLA...

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by tjones1

Just think... someone that has an iPhone at the table. Texting, e-mailing, talking, listening to music, surfing the internet.

You laugh now... but it's coming.

Just wait until they download the rule book and try to correct you on the floor.

[tjones1]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

Just wait until they download the rule book and try to correct you on the floor.

Nah, we don't need them. Coaches already know the rules and they always help us when we need it!

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

Hey, I know another FLA...

Why is FLA a TLA?

[Stat-Man]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

Stat-Man I know this isn't addressed to me, but I'm just trying to understand what you're saying. I don't see in your OP where you clearly say that someone else was the official scorer. You call the person a "student score-keeper" which could be the official scorer, or the visiting stat person, or whatever. I'm just wondering ...

Rain-Maker: Thanks, you do have a point.

At this particular school, they use students as the home book (for the most part). That's why I referred to the official scorer as a student. I was trying to convey that someone other than me was doing the home book. Perhaps I could have been clearer in this regard.

###

Back to the original discussion, I won't disagree that the official game crew of the official scorer, timer, and even the shot clock operator, should give their undivided attention to the game (meaning no yapping on cell phones). Anyone else (visiting scorer, sports info. directors (SIDs), statisticians, media at an adjacent "press row") is not in an official role and as long as they aren't editorializing official's calls or creating an unignorable distraction, I don't think it's a big deal. At one of the schools in this particular league, the sports info guy comes and does computer stats for his team and he also serves as the league info director. So, he talks calls all night form the other schools with their scores while he's inputting the game stats (without missing a beat). I don't remember being distracted by his phone ringing, but perhaps he has his on vibrate.

I just think that an official telling him he has to leave the table for taking phone calls, when they are brief and don't seem to distract anyone is making more of a scene than the SID doing his job. But I guess in dblref's judgement, anyone using a cell phone or having a ringing one is subject to being asked to leave.

I guess we agree to disagree here.

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by Stat-Man

Rain-Maker: Thanks, you do have a point.

At this particular school, they use students as the home book (for the most part). That's why I referred to the official scorer as a student. I was trying to convey that someone other than me was doing the home book. Perhaps I could have been clearer in this regard.

###

Back to the original discussion, I won't disagree that the official game crew of the official scorer, timer, and even the shot clock operator, should give their undivided attention to the game (meaning no yapping on cell phones). Anyone else (visiting scorer, sports info. directors (SIDs), statisticians, media at an adjacent "press row") is not in an official role and as long as they aren't editorializing official's calls or creating an unignorable distraction, I don't think it's a big deal. At one of the schools in this particular league, the sports info guy comes and does computer stats for his team and he also serves as the league info director. So, he talks calls all night form the other schools with their scores while he's inputting the game stats (without missing a beat). I don't remember being distracted by his phone ringing, but perhaps he has his on vibrate.

I just think that an official telling him he has to leave the table for taking phone calls, when they are brief and don't seem to distract anyone is making more of a scene than the SID doing his job. But I guess in dblref's judgement, anyone using a cell phone or having a ringing one is subject to being asked to leave.

I guess we agree to disagree here.

I think that what dbl was saying was that for a scorer to have his or her own cell phone ringing would be a distraction. I don't think I'd ask someone to leave just for forgetting to turn the thing off, but I'd definitely make them turn it off. I think, especially for a student but even for a lot of adults, it would be hard to ignore.

I'll tell my own cell phone during a game story. About three years ago, I went into a classics tournament and before my own games I was watching another guy working. He talked on the cell phone for about half of the game as he was running up and down, when he was at the table. He did hold the thing away from his head when he reported, but he never put it clear down. It wasn't the same person the whole time, sometimes he was dialing or checking his phone book.

Then, a year ago, a friend of mine asked if I'd help him with a tournament he was assigning refs for. I always work for him every year, but that year he had a new job and he couldn't camp at the gym as he normally did, just to keep an eye on things and help out when he was needed. I owed him a huge number of favors so I gladly volunteerd to do it. I knew all the folks that were working and knew there would be no problems. HA!

First morning, I get there about 5 minutes before game time, no refs. Hmmm... Well, I was a little worried, because I'd left my then 8 (7?) year old at home alone and sick on the couch. The gym was only 5 minutes from home, and I figured I'd just check in and then go right back. I called home to be sure Mason was okay, and then looked around a little. Still no refs. I called my friend, the assignor. He said there was no one to call, and I'd have to fill in. I put on my shirt, got my whistle in place and started praying.

Meantime, I had to figure a way out of there. Can you see where this is headed? I spent the entire first half of the game on my cell phone, and then when the battery got too low, on another lady's phone. (yea, I know, not a good phone with only 15 minutes on the battery!). I had to laugh at myself later, to be doing the very thing I was so critical of in someone else.

Anyway, one guy who was assigned to that first game showed up late, but the other guy never did show. This one who did show was so bad that my friend begged me to stay for the first two games. I had to call and call to find a girlfriend to go sit with my son until I was finished. That was quite a day.

[Stat-Man]

Cute story, rainmaker.

At the site where i did pro games during the summer, they also have a high school and college league with games prior to the pros on many of the game days. since the gym is a converted church building, locker room space is very scarce, so the officials put their bags under the scorer's table.

As a result, it's quite common to hear beeping, ringing, and (depending on how the bag is packed), vibrating against the bleacher the bag is sitting on.

Would be curious to see an official's reaction if they inquired about the cell phone, only to be told it was either theirs or one of thier partner's phones making the noise.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

First morning, I get there about 5 minutes before game time, no refs.

Juulie - you should have called me. Oh wait - if the gym was only 5 minutes from your house, it must be on the east side. Never mind.

[Junker]

Originally Posted by Stat-Man

Would be curious to see an official's reaction if they inquired about the cell phone, only to be told it was either theirs or one of thier partner's phones making the noise.

Personally, no matter what level I'm working, as soon as I leave the car, the phone is off. I'm getting my head on the game or games ahead of me. Just a bit of a ritual for me to get ready to go on the floor.

[Mark Dexter]

I've once had a scorekeeper on the phone during a game. I called a foul, went to the reporting area, and just gave her "the look" while I waited there. She sheepishly put away the phone, and we didn't see it for the rest of the game.