Blame my wife. That's how she says it.

Here is the man...62 years old and still officiated in the NBA !


Earl Strom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm 40, but my right knee is about 100 and smells of Icy Hot.

I'm going to use the "coffin makes your butt look big" when I talk to my parents later today. My mom retired yesterday, so I'll need some good "old" jokes.

I used to ref in Tennessee with a guy who had called for over 50 years. All the locals loved him since he'd been around for so long. He refereed several generations of coaches/players and became a local legend....he could get away with just about anything.

We were calling a three man girl's game - he was trail and I was in lead. Had a quick steal in front of me so I hustle going the other way. About the half court line I look up and there's Mo about 5 feet from me, running as fast as he could. Almost lapped him! I also heard stories of him getting tired at trail and rotating behind the scorer's table to take a break. Suddenly your calling two man while he's chumming it up with the fans. What a character.

Here's one reason Earl is my personal hero:

"Strom was officiating a NBA game during the mid-1970s between the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets with Dick Bavetta as his partner for that game. The game was close at the end and Earl made a last-second call against the Nets, ending the game with a win for Sixers. Suddenly Dick Bavetta ran across floor to the scorer's table, saying, "No! No! I got a push off against [George] McGinnis!" Earl Strom then challenged Bavetta, "Are you over-ruling my call?" "I got pushing off right here!" Bavetta insisted, which reversed Strom's call and the Nets wound up with the victory. With the game over, players were walking to their respective locker rooms when the door to the referees' locker room flew open and Dick Bavetta came staggering out. His uniform was ripped and he was wearing a big welt over his eye, running to get away from Strom. Strom stepped out into the hallway and hollered after Bavetta, "You'll take another one of my ****ing calls again, right, you mother******?"

Ya' gotta love the guy. :)

ha
 

i just finished reading his book this morning!

Do they load people face down in Oregon?

Haven't you ever heard of a turnover? :D