Massachusetts Handshake Update

[ma_ref]

At the risk of playing devil's advocate, do you really think that guy wouldn't have given you trouble if you left before the handshake? I'm thinking just about everybody here has been harassed by a fan at some point in their career as they left a gym, even before that foolish handshake rule was implemented this year. I'm guessing that dummy would've made a bee-line to the door a little quicker to greet you, rather than waiting for the handshake ceremony to end. Don't get me wrong, I'm no supporter of the MIAA - I never stuck around once for the handshake all season, but I think this is more of a security issue, rather than handshake issue. My biggest gripe with the PGHS was my personal liability should anything happen after the game was over. Now if that idiot had come onto the floor to talk to you while you were watching the kids shake hands, then that would be a different matter...

Based on what you describe this moron to be, handshake or no-handshake, I think he was going to give you a piece of his mind regardless. It's fortunate you had a cop there nearby, or it might've been uglier. What he said to you does sound like a threat, and I'm actually a little surprised that the cop didn't do something. I wonder if you asked him (the cop) to arrest the guy, if he would've, or if he would've played deaf and say that he didn't hear anything or that there was nothing he could do? On a slight side note, does anybody know if there is a law in MA (or better yet a federal law) that specifically protects sports officials from this kind of abuse?

Your best recourse at this point would probably be to fill out one of those MIAA forms and hope for the best. It's unfortunate that most people did not fill them out when they didn't stick around for the PGHS during the regular season (myself included). AD's didn't bother to request me to fill one out either, probably because it's just more paperwork for them to deal with. And as I understand it, MIAA had told MSBOA that they didn't see that big of an issue with the PGHS during the regular season, because they (MIAA) didn't receive many of those forms, so as far as they could tell officials were sticking around because they hadn't heard otherwise.

Again, I'm not defending that moron fan, or the MIAA, but I think this is an issue separate from the PGHS. Anyway, I'm sorry to hear about your conversation with your assignor. We all know there are plenty of problems with the way their assignors hand out games during the tournament, and I think this just highlights that issue.

[Adam]

The fan wouldn't have been by the door if scrapper and friends had left the court immediately.

Scrapper shouldn't have had to ask the cop to arrest the moron, it should've been automatic.

[ace]

By waiting, for them to shake hands your giving the guy time to get up and get to the door. If the horn blew and your briskly walk off the court right then and there, chances are he's still clapping for his team and only notices you as he sees your backs clearing the doorway, and that point your not worth his trouble. BUT if sees you sittin out there on the court, he 's not got time to think about and then actually do what he's thinking about and give you a peice of his mind.

Sure some of the real nut jobs are still going to do what they want, but getting your butt of the floor quickly after the horn helps reduce the likely hood.