T'able offense?

[fiasco]

Thanks for all the feedback.

One of the things that really amuses me is how these players actually think that I could give a crap who wins these meaningless games.

[JS 20]

Originally Posted by fiasco

Thanks for all the feedback.

One of the things that really amuses me is how these players actually think that I could give a crap who wins these meaningless games.

It's not meaningless to them. Just something to keep in mind. Might be small time to the officials, but for some of those players, the most exciting thing they do all week.

Originally Posted by JS 20

It's not meaningless to them. Just something to keep in mind. Might be small time to the officials, but for some of those players, the most exciting thing they do all week.

I know I looked forward to Wednesday nights when I played in mens leagues... and boy was I bad to the refs
Just like the no-skilled 8th grade girls games I worked last night... it meant the world to them.

Glad you addressed that JS 20, we should treat them all the same as far as respecting the GAME & it's participants.
But I'm certain this is what fiasco really meant:

One of the things that really amuses me is how these players actually think that I could give a crap who wins these meaningless games.

[Adam]

Given everything you've said, looks justified to me. I wouldn't ask off his games, though.

Some times, you just have to play whack-a-mole until the moles all go away.

[fiasco]

Originally Posted by Ch1town

I know I looked forward to Wednesday nights when I played in mens leagues... and boy was I bad to the refs
Just like the no-skilled 8th grade girls games I worked last night... it meant the world to them.

Glad you addressed that JS 20, we should treat them all the same as far as respecting the GAME & it's participants.
But I'm certain this is what fiasco really meant:

One of the things that really amuses me is how these players actually think that I could give a crap who wins these meaningless games.

Yeah I hear you.

I treat them the same. It just blows me away sometimes how seriously they take it. But I try to take my job seriously, so...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JS 20

It's not meaningless to them.

Agree. And, the game shouldn't be meaningless to you either.

This is part of my pregame conference with my partner, every game:
Every game is the most important game being played anywhere tonight for these kids, fans, and coaches. Let’s make sure we officiate the game keeping that in mind, through effort, and attitude.

Also, good call on the technical foul. He deserved it

[Scrapper1]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

This is part of my pregame conference with my partner, every game:
Every game is the most important game being played anywhere tonight for these kids, fans, and coaches. Let’s make sure we officiate the game keeping that in mind, through effort, and attitude.

While I understand the sentiment, and the desire to motivate yourself to give your best effort, this "most important game" statement just isn't necessarily true. There are truly recreational leagues. There are leagues of little kids who will forget the game as soon as the horn sounds and move on to the swings at the playground (or the X-Box at home). Even at the high school level, there are games where one team knows going in that it's going to get crushed. They want to play well, but they know the game isn't all that important.

At a lot of venues, the game is more important to the coaches and parents than it ever will be to the kids.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Scrapper1

This "most important game" statement just isn't necessarily true. There are truly recreational leagues. Even at the high school level, there are games where one team knows going in that it's going to get crushed. They want to play well, but they know the game isn't all that important. At a lot of venues, the game is more important to the coaches and parents than it ever will be to the kids.

OK. I can agree with some of what you say. Maybe some games are more important to me than other games, but, nevertheless, they still are all important. I was fortunate to work a high school varsity post season league semifinal, and a final, this past season, and I was a little more excited about working those, than I was about working my Catholic elementary school games. In addition, if the game is more important to the coaches, and parents, than it is to the kids, then don't the coaches, and parents, deserve our best effort?

We are getting paid to do a job, and many of us are fortunate enough to get well paid for some of the low level games that we do. A Forum member refereed to a "Paycheck Official" a few weeks ago in a post. That will never be me. I do it for a lot of reasons, including, but not limited to, the money, as well as trying to give something to the game that I have so much enjoyed for over forty years.

No matter what the level, I always give it my best effort. Furthermore, I have never worked a "meaningless" game in twenty-seven years, and if I ever do, that's when I hang up my whistle.

[Scrapper1]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

OK. I can agree with some of what you say. Maybe some games are more important to me than other games,

Billy, somewhere along the way, you switched what you're talking about. Your original comment, and what I disagreed with was:

Every game is the most important game being played anywhere tonight for these kids, fans, and coaches.

You were not talking about games that were important to you for some reason. You stated that the game was "the most important game being played anywhere" to the kids. That's just fiction. Have you ever worked a game on the same night that Duke/UNC is on ESPN? The kids (some of the boys, anyway) can't WAIT to get the game over so they can go watch the big boys.

don't the coaches, and parents, deserve our best effort?

Of course they do, and I never said otherwise. The fact that the game isn't the most important game in the world at that moment doesn't mean that we're not going work hard.

Furthermore, I have never worked a "meaningless" game in twenty-seven years, and if I ever do, that's when I hang up my whistle.

Again, I never said anything about any game being meaningless. I just don't like this mystical importance that you're attaching to every game. It's melodramatic, and I understand it's for a reason (motivation to do your best), but it's just not true.

[Back In The Saddle]

Not to be a **** stirrer, but many games not only don't even require our best efforts, there's no way to give it. The level of effort that's required for a high level JV game, or a rural school varsity, is way beyond what's required, necessary, or many times even possible in 4th grade boys game.

Perspective. It's a good thing.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Scrapper1

I never said anything about any game being meaningless.

You're correct, but I had no intention of attributing the word meaningless to you. Sorry. I put it in quotes because it was used by the original poster in post #11.

Also, maybe it's different for different kinds of kids, in general, or for kids today, but when I was a kid playing basketball, whether it was in a friend's driveway, with no officials, or in a gym, with officials, coaches, and a crowd, I was only excited about that game, at that time. I used to pretend that I was Bill Russell, my favorite player, blocking shots, grabbing rebounds, scoring a few points, and then go home after my game and watch the Celtics on ABC's Sunday afternoon NBA Game of the Week.

I always gave it my best effort as a player, even with my limited skills, and I always give it my best effort as an official, as I'm sure you do, based on your reputation as a top high school official, an NCAA Division I official, and a highly respected member of this Forum.