Experimenting to find all the things that don't work

[Back In The Saddle]

I did a set of poor quality men's wreck games tonight.

First game went pretty well, except I had one notable whiner. I warned him in the first half about it. Early in the second half he started in again, and I whacked him. Just business. No big deal. To me. He, of course, was an *** about it. They always are.

But, it turns out the league rule is any sportsmanship technicals require the recipient to sit out for the remainder of the half. And if it's the second half, he has to sit the first half of the next game too.

I have to say I think he had a legitimate gripe about being sat down for nearly a whole game during the tourney over an ABS technical.

Don't get me wrong. He deserved it. But that's pretty harsh.

The second game went pretty well (perhaps word has spread?) The third game forfeited. Why is it never the last game that forfeits?

The fourth game featured the archetypal wreck league men's team. Middle aged. Past their prime. Mouthy. Whiny. Want every touch called. Lazy. And always, always, always somebody was standing in the middle of my open look. And there was the requisite player who informed me that he was a ref too.

On the very first call of the game, a couple of these jokers lit me up.

But still feeling badly about the first T, I decided to try a different tactic. I got in their faces, big time. I made it clear that they would not be behaving that way tonight or I would be dropping T's on them like Hansel and Gretel dropped bread crumbs.

Smart players would have gotten the message.

These were not smart players.

Still, I decided to press on with my little experiment in behavior modification each time they got out of line. It wasn't long before I was being roundly renounced as taking everything personally.

I made it all the way to 1:30 left in the game before I whacked one of them. After that, it was quiet and peaceful.

So, what did I (re)learn from tonight's fun?

1. The T in the first game was effective.
2. Trying to avoid the T was ineffective. It was a fool's errand. They were too stupid to get it.
3. T early and T often.

So next time I'll whack the first SOB who goes off at me, without warning and without remorse. I don't care if the league rules require the offender to be beheaded in the public square. In fact, I might enjoy watching that. And if two of them go off at once, like tonight, I'm gonna whack 'em both. I wouldn't want to show any favoritism, now would I?

[grunewar]

Bits - thanks for the entertaining story over my first cup of java in the morning!

Last night, B11 "playoffs" (non-competitive league (that's for those who like to post their B11 games are in "pretty good, competitive leagues)). A1 going up for a layup, I called a foul on B1. He gave that , but I never touched him look......his mom (a chirper) on the baseline came right to his defense and says loudly - "oh, that's awful, he was no where near him" (they never are).

As my partner was administering the first free throw, she wouldn't let it go and kept yapping. I looked at her and said fairly sternly in a small gym - "Ma'am, that's enough!" Gym got eerily quiet - and she zipped it! The game continued on w/o incident and she was "remarkably subdued" for the remainder of the game.

As I was putting the ball in play at the division line later in the game, one of the other parents said to me, "I see we got a coupla pro's working tonight", and winked at me - that was nice.....hmm, I think she was a parent from the other team!

70+ games into it, and almost at the end of the season, first time I engaged a fan/parent like that. My partner said it was great!

(edited for spelling - hey, it was early!)

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

T early and T often.

Good line.

[NewNCref]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

So next time I'll whack the first SOB who goes off at me, without warning and without remorse. I don't care if the league rules require the offender to be beheaded in the public square. In fact, I might enjoy watching that. And if two of them go off at once, like tonight, I'm gonna whack 'em both. I wouldn't want to show any favoritism, now would I?

BITS-

In the intramural league that I help run, we have a rule that if a Graduate Student/Faculty league member is ejected, they are banned from intramural sports for life. I remember thinking when I first heard about this that this was way too harsh, but usually rules like this come about because of a long history of unsportsmanlike conduct on behalf of the players.

So now, I T them without regard to what the consequences will be to them. I give a T just as I would in any other game. They know the consequences.

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by NewNCref

BITS-

In the intramural league that I help run, we have a rule that if a Graduate Student/Faculty league member is ejected, they are banned from intramural sports for life. I remember thinking when I first heard about this that this was way too harsh, but usually rules like this come about because of a long history of unsportsmanlike conduct on behalf of the players.

So now, I T them without regard to what the consequences will be to them. I give a T just as I would in any other game. They know the consequences.

Yep. I agree. In fact I have posted as much in response to other people's stories along this line. I just forgot my own advice.

[Mark Dexter]

Originally Posted by NewNCref

So now, I T them without regard to what the consequences will be to them. I give a T just as I would in any other game. They know the consequences.

That's how you have to do it in intramurals. If the players are stupid enough to pick up another T, then they deserve to sit out.

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by Mark Dexter

That's how you have to do it in intramurals. If the players are stupid enough to pick up another T, then they deserve to sit out.

After all, they're there to get an education.

[NewNCref]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

After all, they're there to get an education.

Had a game a few weeks ago. Huge mismatch in the low post. One guy is about 6'3", 275, the other is 5'11", 180. Players are bumping each other a little, and have both been warned. Little guy fouls big guy as big guy is putting up a shot. Big guy turns around, shoves little guy into the wall, and holds him there, until he sees me running in, and his teammates come in to pull him off.

Boom, flagrant T, see ya buddy.

His argument? "But I didn't punch him! Are you really going to eject me for that?"

My answer? "Yes, now leave the gym"

Guy now is banned for life. He's a graduate student. Guess his undergrad didn't give him the intramural education he needed to compete at the next level.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

So, what did I (re)learn from tonight's fun?

1. The T in the first game was effective.
2. Trying to avoid the T was ineffective. It was a fool's errand. They were too stupid to get it.
3. T early and T often.

So next time I'll whack the first SOB who goes off at me, without warning and without remorse. I don't care if the league rules require the offender to be beheaded in the public square. In fact, I might enjoy watching that. And if two of them go off at once, like tonight, I'm gonna whack 'em both. I wouldn't want to show any favoritism, now would I?

Live and learn, grasshopper.

[Tweet]

So last night I am doing doubleheader men's wreck league

White Player with back to basket gets ball just outside the paint close to basket..black defender is right up next to him playing good D. White player just turns around on the spot to go for the basket and charges the black player...Tweet....PC

White player goes crazy he walks up to me as I am going to report and says "How can you call that he slapped me like this " to which he actually slapped MY ARM... and then he goes "and then he just flopped down to the floor" as he HE THEN DROPPED ON HIS *** ONTO THE FLOOR.

Tweet ...T....for being an idiot and putting up a show

This league has a 1 unsportsmanlike T and you leave the gym with possibilty of missing more games depending on actions.

Originally Posted by Tweet

as I am going to report and says "How can you call that he slapped me like this " to which he actually slapped MY ARM...

IMO, it would've been justified to stick him for that infraction alone.

[Texas Aggie]

1. The T in the first game was effective.
2. Trying to avoid the T was ineffective.

I agree completely with this, but it doesn't necessarily mean early and often. Enforce the rule and don't run from it for ANY reason. Unless its just a mistake on your part (e.g. wrong player), you can always justify a T. At the end, don't worry about consequences the league puts in you can't control.

I T'd a player this year in a game where the player, after a foul call, fell to the floor in (I guess) disbelief. I gave him one. He came up to me at half and sincerely wanted to know what I had called him for because he wasn't aware of what he had done or didn't know he shouldn't have done it. I told him what I called and he accepted it. I found out later he had to sit a game for the T, which I didn't care for. It wasn't THAT bad. But, regardless, the T was justified.