Of course not! First, I'd ask the clock person to turn the clock off, and then announce to both coaches that I was suspending the game for the moment. Then I'd hightail it into the locker room, get my cell phone and call my assignor. "Howard?" I'd say. "These guys are onto me. You're gonna have to get someone in here that can handle this game, cuz I suck!" :rolleyes:

In my rulebook this is a technical foul.

I am a little confused about other rulebooks here that don't interpret this as a technical foul, please feel free to enlighten me...or explain what part of "these refs suck" is not grounds for a technical foul. It's not funny, it's not something friends say to each other, at best it's a very sarcastic comment towards an official a player has become too familiar with...and you know what familiarity breeds!

This should be left up to the officials on the court. There really could be more to the story (a kid from church, a boss's kid, etc.). Maybe, just maybe, the officials and the player have developed a good rapport over the season(s), and the officials absolutely know the player was joking.

And yes, it is something a teenager would say to a friend in jest.

In my past life i coached for 12 seasons and organized a local basketball league and ran some camps. During that time I met many players and coaches. When I ref they are not my players, friends or buddies...they are nameless / faceless bodies with numbers. I have a hard time being a buddy and a ref. Some players approach me before games to say hello and shake hands..it's all I can do to try and dissuade them from being friendly. The most I will do is say to them after game: "good work, nice to see you again". I think refs need to show a level of impartiality. If an opponent/coach heard a player come up to me and say "not you again ...you suck!" and us laughing together what message does that send? Turn it around: ref approaches player he knows pregame and says "I see you still stink as a outside shooter, I guess I won't be using my three point fingers tonight...hahaha".

Not good on so many levels.

I don't really disagree with that; my only point is that it could happen in such a way as to not be unsporting. I'm not saying it's the most appropriate conversation; only that it may or may not be unsporting.

I think I would treat this the same as a pre-game dunk. We've always been taught not to sound the whistle. Just inform the table and coaches. I would think that I would do the same in this situation, unless somebody can offer a good reason for blowing the whistle.

i agree with this -- i would do the same except I dont call Howard...

Sound the whistle, give the sign
 

I will tell you why I think that a whistle would be appropriate in this circumstance.

Last week, I attended a game as a spectator in which there was a pregame dunk. I was not in the game when the dunk occurred, but after a phone call just now to the calling official, he did not sound his whistle or make any indication of what had happened. He did immediately walk over to the player of the coach though and informed him. I came in with about 7 minutes on the clock before the game started.

After the teams were introduced, the calling official stepped into the reporting area, sounded his whistle, indicated the team, number and gave the T signal, and then said "Dunking before the game" along with a nice 2 handed rim grasp motion. I wish I had had my video camera running from right behind the table for this one.

Anyhoww, as they went and shot the FTs, I heard 2 different conversations around me of people asking why the visitors were starting with 2 FTs and the ball.

While everyone in the gym at the start of the game may not have been in the gym when the dunk happened, I don't think it hurts to sound your whistle when something does happen during warm-ups that warrants a technical, and give the T signal. That way, when you do start the game with FTs, at least the people who were in the gym when the incident occured may have some idea as to why.

If we want all the people in the gym to always know what and why we do certain things all games would last hours for all the stops and powerpoint presentations we would have to do on the court.

Powerpoint? Hmmm, now there's a useful addition to my gear bag! :D

They didn't have a public address announcer?

Yeah, but it was Dick Vitale, and all he said was, "Steps, Baby!"