A tale of two partners

[Mark Padgett]

Worked two competitive middle school rec games last night at two different schools with two different partners. Never have I had as much contrast between partners. The first guy (a 10 year vet, I think) called maybe 3 fouls in the entire game. Pretty much if the player didn't require reconstructive surgery, there was no foul. This was a 7th grade girls game, so there was plenty to call. Also, he never raised his hand when administering OOB plays. It's a good thing the clock guy knew to start the clock when the ball was touched on the floor. Also, he never wanted to switch. Now, in these type of games, we usually use what's called "convenience mechanics" but he didn't want to switch even when it made sense and would save steps.

The second guy was just the opposite. He called a bazillion fouls. Virtually all contact was a foul. He's in his second year. I tried reasoning with him all night about not doing that, but to no avail. Eighth grade boys, pretty decent level of ability, but both teams in double bonus both halves. He probably called 80% of the fouls at least. The game took just short of two hours - and this with only two minutes between quarters and a four minute halftime! Oh yeah - he wanted to switch on virtually every whistle unless it was an OOB right next to him.

Man - it was a really weird night and I just had to vent.

[M&M Guy]

Don't forget to deposit your nickel.

[26 Year Gap]

And then you can call someone who cares when you're done.

[hugheske44]

This drives me crazy! When officials arent consistent it can possibly make us all look like crap!~~~

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by 26 Year Gap

And then you can call someone who cares when you're done.

I'm sure that some of our younger ofificials are wondering what this is. It kind of looks like a phone, but what's the round thing with the ten holes at the top. Only ten cents a call?

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I'm sure that some of our younger ofificials are wondering what this is. It kind of looks like a phone, but what's the round thing with the ten holes at the top. Only ten cents a call?

It is a very early model cell phone. It even predates "the brick" by a few years. It was about 2 feet tall, weighed about 20 pounds, and since it wouldn't fit in your pants pocket it was just screwed to the wall. The great thing in those days was that they seemed to be mounted on walls and poles and in little booths all over the place.

Oh, and that round thing is a dial. These were before buttons were invented.

Just think about it, for a mere dime you could call your mother, your boss, even your wife when you were away from home...but they couldn't just call you anytime they wanted.

Ahhh, the good old days.

[Bearfanmike20]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I'm sure that some of our younger ofificials are wondering what this is. It kind of looks like a phone, but what's the round thing with the ten holes at the top. Only ten cents a call?

Rotery dial... I'm a young official, but... old enough.. and my family was poor enough to have still owned a rotery phone when i was a kid.

Did your guys' rotor ever break??.. had to dial the phone by pushing the hang up buttons down real fast... LOL It was like morse code...

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

Just think about it, for a mere dime you could call your mother, your boss, even your wife when you were away from home

A dime?!?! When did it go up from a nickel?

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I'm sure that some of our younger ofificials are wondering what this is. It kind of looks like a phone, but what's the round thing with the ten holes at the top. Only ten cents a call?

I modified the saying from: "Got a dime? Call someone who cares!"

[RANCHMAN]

I am a second year official, so out of respect and to improve my game, if I am working with a veteran official, I will ask he or she to give me constructive criticism during the game. I make it a point to ask during the game if he or she could make any suggestions on my calls, etc. Even though each veteran official might have a different perspective on the way we should call the game, and handle game management, I have learned valuable information that has saved me in games with officials with less experience. I appreciate those officials that give their time to help educate me. You cannot gain this kind of knowledge by reading a rules book.



"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance"

[dblref]

Originally Posted by Bearfanmike20

Rotery dial... I'm a young official, but... old enough.. and my family was poor enough to have still owned a rotery phone when i was a kid.

Did your guys' rotor ever break??.. had to dial the phone by pushing the hang up buttons down real fast... LOL It was like morse code...

We had one of these when I was just a wee lad (I'm now 64), and my Mom still had the same original one when she passed away 8 years ago! To the best of my knowledge, it never, ever broke. The "letters" underneath the corresponding hole were just about worn away.

[BillyMac]

Before I retired from teaching, I brought a group of middle school students to volunteer to help out at a bloodmobile at our local Moose Lodge. One student asked to use a phone to call his parents about a carpool issue, nad he was directed to the kitchen. He came back in a few minutes and asked if I could help him use the phone. It was a rotary phone and he never had seen one before. Boy, did that make me feel old.

http://www.vintagerotaryphones.com/blog/

[Rich]

I really liked this video showing Seattle's World Fair in 1962, since my mother graduated HS that year and I lived in Seattle for a while.

Look for the part on "Bell" at about 4:45 of the video.

[TimTaylor]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

I really liked this video showing Seattle's World Fair in 1962, since my mother graduated HS that year and I lived in Seattle for a while.

Look for the part on "Bell" at about 4:45 of the video.

Got a link Rich? Would like to see that video. My family did the 1962 Seattle fair as our vacation that year. Instead of a hotel, we stayed on board a ship called the Dominion Monarch - she was moored in the Seattle harbor for that purpose. It was pretty cool for an 11 year old.......

http://www.ssmaritime.com/dominionmonarch.htm

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by 26 Year Gap

I modified the saying from: "Got a dime? Call someone who cares!"

A dime? That just reminded me of a poem that my grandfather taught me. When I was a bit older, I asked what it all meant, and he told me.

Here I sit broken-hearted,
Paid a dime and only farted.
Yesterday I took a chance,
Kept my dime and **** my pants.