Burr???Welmer???
 

Now I know that Steve Welmer is obviously not highly thought of by the NCAA (see the fact that he has never worked a Final Four and rarely works beyond the first weekend), but Jim Burr does not appear to be working in this year's tournament.

That's right Jim (freaking) Burr...Hank Nichols, you do remember assigning him to work 15 Final Fours, right? How do you not give him a game? He is obviously available, he worked NIT games last week (along with Welmer).

I have to believe that Mr. Burr was ranked pretty high by the commissioner's he worked for. In fact he worked the Big East tournament final with Bob Donato and John Cahill who both got assignments in the NCAA tourney.

Doing some further research there are two other prominent officials who have worked deep in the tourney in the past who did not get any assignments this year: John Higgins, and Steve Olson. Two very respected officials who I am very surprised aren't at the "Big Dance."

Any info or ideas on the reasons for these apparent snubs? Could it be the coach's box/bench decorum POE????

Read the other threads. There was a computer error and I believe some paper work did not get filed so that's why he was not assigned.

Actually we do not disagree at all, but you obviously do not know how to read very well and comprehend what you read so your response does not surprise me.

But like TJ said, there was a computer mistake and many guys were left out.

Peace

Sorry guys I missed the thread about the paperwork/computer mistake...Still too bad I'm sure that Jim Burr had quite a long streak going of working the tournament. Any word on whether they are going to rectify the situation in some way?

Rut, Is the above directed at me?? Doesn't seem like it is so until you tell me different I'll assume that you were responding to someone else.

Computer mistake? Is that how Roger Rabbit got in there?;)

Higgins worked the UCLA vs. Texas A&M game. Burr and Welmer are probably going to come in the regionals. I haven't seen Dick Cartmell work either. I think they are saving those guys for the reginonals, semis, and finals. Then they will probably fill the crews with guys who are working the 1st and 2nd rounds.

Cartmell worked round 1 and 2. Way too good to be sitting.

Nope, that's not the way it works. If you're good enough to work the Swwet 16, Elite 8 or Final 4, you work the 1st two rounds as well.

What type of paperwork was not sent in? If they were legal all year they sholud call in the big dance!

I think it had something to do with background checks. No, because during the season they are hired by conferences, that's the difference.

I guess their background changes from year to year, they look like shady guys?

Criminal Background Checks ...
 

tjones1 is correct. Jim Burr didn't turn in the paperwork for his criminal background check, probably due to this photo of him from fifteen years ago. This is not his usual referee uniform, as he would want you to believe. Note that the stripes on the jersey are going the wrong way. He also wants us to believe that he forgot his all black pants, his black socks, and that the school didn't provide a secure place for him to store his bracelets. He has his back to us in the photo, but I've been told by an unnamed, reliable, source, that this is really Jim Burr.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2373/...6de042.jpg?v=0

Guess so, thank Timmy Dumbas* (Donaghy) for that one.

So I guess its ok to fix an NIT Game, but not NCAA

WTF? That doesn't make any sense to me.

Why is he allowed to officiate in the NIT and not the NCAA. Different standards??

Bob:

You need to calm down. Its not worth it letting these guys get to you.We understand that the officials that are selected to do these games are giving their best effort, the ones that dont think that are obviously fans.

I know that's how it works... Sorry i forgot to put that in. I was thinking since it was Hank Nichols last year, maybe he wanted to do things a little different.

Someone post a photo of Jim Burr for me, please. I like putting faces to names.

You're kidding....right?

You don't know who Jim Burr is?

Are you really that lazy? It's quite easy to do yourself, you know...

Because the NCAA is not the same people or organization that runs the NIT and certainly do not assign the officials the same way. The background checks are for the tournament, not all levels of basketball.

Peace

what's your point?

Different requirements / different process / different organizations.

AFAIK, no one (at least, no official) has been accused of fixing any NCAA or NIT tournament games.

Jim Burr is the one who's NOT whining like a baby. . .

http://blog.syracuse.com/axeman/2007...heimvsburr.jpg

From the NIT website:

"A new chapter in the long and storied history of the NIT unfolded in August 2005, when the NIT, L.L.C., which is owned by the NCAA, took over the tournament reigns."

Obviously no English professor made it to their committee.

"HEY REF, NO HITCH HIKING ALLOWED"

So just for the heck of it i did a google search on Jim Burr images... I can see why there might be some confusion over what he looks like because google included this picture in what they sent back to me:

http://www.redsoxtimes.com/blog/wp-c...rinandrews.jpg

I have to admit that I'd never heard of Erin Andrews, but she's much nicer to look at than Jim Burr.

Geeze. Madeline Albright is nicer to look at than Jim Burr.

Now that's a stretch.

Yeah you're right.

My apologies to Mr. Burr.

Hubba Hubba Va Va Voom (for you old school guys out there)

And you're complaining why?

Good lord, Scrappy, this may go down as the understatement of the century.

The NCAA may own the NIT, but it is not assigned by the same people. I know for a fact the background checks only involve the NCAA Tournament. The NIT does not determine the champion of all of college basketball. So yes, there would be a difference in standards or requirements to work the NIT. Not sure why that would be hard to understand.

Peace

I think his point was the word in bold should be reins.

LeeBallanfant usually doesn't have a point.

That's why I love this site............I learn something everyday;)