I was reading thru some old posts and found a couple recommendations for "Calling the Shots" by Earl Strom. So I just placed my order. Hopefully should have it by the end of next week. I'll let you know if it's really as good as people say. :)

Chuck

Actually, it's even better than that. Earl even got into fights with people in the stands. He even called traveling on Bob Cousy in the Boston Garden - and then gave Cousy a T when he complained!

He's my hero.

Got it!!
 

Hey!! My copy of "Calling the Shots" just came in the mail today. I'm going to start in on it this weekend. Plus, I'll be vacationing in Florida next week, so I'll take it with me to read by the pool :cool:

Can't wait!

I read the book 10 years ago when I was a senior in college. At that point, I had never even considered refereeing as something to do. My brother (another ref) said I would like it just because I like basketball. The book is very entertaining and Strom doesn't pull punches in what he writes about people.

If you can get your hands on a copy, I would definitely recommend it.

I got my copy in last week from Amazon.com, they had four used copies available. I've read half of it so far. It's an excellent book.

Chuck should be getting stock options from Amazon, I ordered mine about 10 days ago, hoping it will be here soon.

Well, I finally finished the book last night. (It took longer than I expected b/c I didn't get much chance to read it on vacation.) I want to throw out some comments on it, but I don't want to taint Jim's and Dev's opinions. When you guys finish it up, let me know what you think of it, ok? I'd like to compare notes.

Chuck

I'm interested in your comments on this book because I am Earl's son, Eric. It's amazing to me that 12 years after my father worked his final game in 1990, and 8 years after his death in 1994, people still talk about him and his views on officiating. Although I've got to say that some people have strange interpretations on some of the things in his book.

For those who are interested, I wrote a series of 50 short stories about my father's career which appeared on a site called http://www.onhoops.com. This site died last year, but I found the stories on http://www.archive.org. Just enter onhoops.com in the search panel, then click on the archive for 1999 or 2000, then click on the Earl Strom Memoires link. Feel free to let me know what you think.

Eric Strom

FYI, Eric - I read your stories about two years ago. I tried to read only five per day, so I could really enjoy each one. I highly recommend these to everyone. Your insight into your father's world was fascinating to me.

If there's any chance you may have more memories to share, please let us all know when and if you do. Thanks.

BTW - about two years ago, my wife accidentally (I hope) put the book on a pile for a garage sale. I grabbed it off the pile and gave her a flagrant T.

Damn,Mark,a classic Marx Bros. quote!Will you marry me?
PS-We ARE older than dirt.

Eric, I read your Dad's book as well as your stories and
have been inspired by both. Needless to say I have nothing
but admiration, nice to (virtually) meet you!

Eric,

I'm glad you spoke up and let us know you were there! Welcome to the forum and thanks for the link and the stories.

I read Calling the Shots right after it was published. With all this talk, I think it's time to pull it out and read it again. I especially enjoyed the stories from the old ABA days.

I always enjoyed watching your father work. He was fun to watch because he wasn't a cookie cutter mold like most of the other officals who were working during the later part of his career. He was a great official!

TH

Duck Soup was on American Movie Classics this past weekend. Even though this quote isn't from that movie, it's my personal favorite Groucho quote and seeing the movie (for the millionth time) reminded me of it.

In Duck Soup, he says to Margaret Dumont, after she told him her late husband left her his entire fortune, "Will you marry me. How much did he leave you? Answer the second question first."

Mark,I've taped 'em all over the years,and still pull 'em out every now and then.I still break out laughing--I just can't help it.

Rufus T. Firefly for President!!!

My main impression after reading the book was that if I had to make a choice between working the NBA when Earl came up or never working the NBA at all, I would choose not to work the NBA.

I can't imagine:

routinely having to fight my way out of gyms;
holding a full time job to support my family while still having to fly around the country, getting in at 4 am;
having partners that were regularly unreliable;

among other things.

The story about working the second half of an NBA game alone b/c his partner was up in the stands trying to close a sale is unbeLEEEEEEEEEvable. If I had a partner do that to me in a JV game, I would go berserk and probably try to get him removed from the association. That's just inconceivable to me.

I know it was a different era, and I know that guys didn't get the same training then that they do now before working the league. But this is the second time in just under maybe 3 months that I've read about an NBA official who didn't understand that you walk away after giving a technical foul. How can you work the top level of basketball in the world without somebody mentioning this little "game management" gem to you? Again, I find that remarkable.

I enjoyed the book and the stories of his conversations with players. It was very cool to hear about how he worked the first game ever played by such-and-such a player and then years later also worked that guy's last game. As an official, I also enjoy watching the kids come up from younger levels through high school, so I think I can identify a little with that experience.

I also wish that some things could be a little more like they were then. For instance, the strict "non-fraternizing" rules were not in place then. You could get to know the coaches or players and they could see that you were a human being. Now, that kind of interaction is strictly taboo.

Other than that, though, I'm glad it was Earl trying to push his way through the crowds and not me :)

Chuck