Massachusetts Handshake Update

[Scrapper1]

Well, I worked a first round boys playoff game tonight. It ended up being about a 4 point game. Lots of fouls in the second half, and the losing team just went ice cold in the fourth quarter.

Because of the close score, we probably should've left the court right away, but the AD and a police officer were ready to come on the floor with us to observe the handshake. So we stayed. The game administration did their part, so my partners and I decided that we should stay.

After the handshake, we walk to the door, where a "fan" has left his seat and is waiting for us. He says to me, "How the he!! do you sleep at night?"

I turned to the AD and said "THAT is exactly why we shouldn't be out on the floor."

The "fan" then says, "Do you want to get f***in' laid out?"

We kept walking and I think the cop stopped the guy from following us. The game site administration did everything it was supposed to do, but this moron still gets to verbally assault us.

I am NEVER staying for another handshake as long as I live and if it means I never work another high school game, so be it. I will call the tournament assignor tomorrow morning to tell him exactly that. The only reason I haven't called yet is because I know I will end up yelling at him and it's not his fault.

NEVER AGAIN!!

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Scrapper1

Well, I worked a first round boys playoff game tonight. It ended up being about a 4 point game. Lots of fouls in the second half, and the losing team just went ice cold in the fourth quarter.

Because of the close score, we probably should've left the court right away, but the AD and a police officer were ready to come on the floor with us to observe the handshake. So we stayed. The game administration did their part, so my partners and I decided that we should stay.

After the handshake, we walk to the door, where a "fan" has left his seat and is waiting for us. He says to me, "How the he!! do you sleep at night?"

I turned to the AD and said "THAT is exactly why we shouldn't be out on the floor."

The "fan" then says, "Do you want to get f***in' laid out?"

We kept walking and I think the cop stopped the guy from following us. The game site administration did everything it was supposed to do, but this moron still gets to verbally assault us.

I am NEVER staying for another handshake as long as I live and if it means I never work another high school game, so be it. I will call the tournament assignor tomorrow morning to tell him exactly that. The only reason I haven't called yet is because I know I will end up yelling at him and it's not his fault.

NEVER AGAIN!!

Scrapper:

I hope that you and your partners filed an official game report describing this incident to the MIAA.

MTD, Sr.

[Back In The Saddle]

What a moron! But the cop didn't do any more than just keep him from following? That sounds like a threat to me. I'd want him cuffed and hauled out of there.

[MadCityRef]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

What a moron! But the cop didn't do any more than just keep him from following? That sounds like a threat to me. I'd want him cuffed and hauled out of there.

Yup. See you in court!

[mick]

Good luck with that, Scrapper1.
Hope everything works out.

[Scrapper1]

I just kissed off the rest of my tournament. I called the assignor and told him there was no way I was staying for any more handshakes. He said he couldn't use me. Fine by me. I wish the MIAA the worst of luck in their future lawsuit.

[JugglingReferee]

Scrapper,

I commend you for sticking to your guns. I hope that more officials will see that this observing shaking hands is nonsense and the risk in which it places it's officials.

IMO, there is no room when threats are made towards an official.

[BayStateRef]

Originally Posted by Scrapper1

I just kissed off the rest of my tournament. I called the assignor and told him there was no way I was staying for any more handshakes. He said he couldn't use me. Fine by me. I wish the MIAA the worst of luck in their future lawsuit.

I hope you sent a report to the MIAA. And you should ask the AD to do the same.

[Indianaref]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

Scrapper,

I commend you for sticking to your guns. I hope that more officials will see that this observing shaking hands is nonsense and the risk in which it places it's officials.

IMO, there is no room when threats are made towards an official.

It's complete nonsense! I too hope more officials stand by you...if this keep up, quality officials at this level would be rare, could mean more morons at the games.

[mick]

Originally Posted by Scrapper1

... I wish the MIAA ....

Doesn't "sound" exactly like you, Scrapper1.

[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.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Scrapper1

After the handshake, we walk to the door, where a "fan" has left his seat and is waiting for us. He says to me, "How the he!! do you sleep at night?"

"Naked, next to your girlfriend."

[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.

[ace]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

"Naked, next to your girlfriend."

OK, where can I send the bill for the new monitor I just ruined? LOL