Yelling In The Crowd (Another Official)

[MOofficial]

I was working a game tonight. Fairly decent game, throughout the game I would hear my name being called from behind the losing teams bench, I just knew the general area it was coming from and didn't think much more about it.

2nd half comes around, middle of 4th quarter, I banged a block call out on the top of the key, fairly easy call, not much thought about it, all the sudden I hear my name being called again about pushing off and maybe it will be called sometime tonight. I turn around and all be damned if it wasnt another official that I have worked with (it was his son I called a block on). To top this all off I work with the guy Saturday.

My question is: Should I bring it up Saturday and say anything? Or play it off? I guess I could say that I finally figured out who your kid was halfway through the 4th when you started yelling. Let me know what you all think.

[Back In The Saddle]

I think the guy is an ***.

[btaylor64]

I understand where he is coming from. He is just one of those engulfed parents, but there is no way on this earth I'm letting him get away with yelling at me without cracking on him about it or straight out ridiculing him, whichever goes with your personality. I wouldn't let him off the hook so easy. That's for sure!

[truerookie]

I would remind him that being an official attending a game, you must remain impartial because the view from the stand is different then the view on the floor.

[Juulie Downs]

I would have tossed him during that very game. And then puked on his shoes. But as to Saturday, don't bring it up yourself, but if he even hints at the incident, be sure you mention how completely unprofessional it was for him to say anything about your calls. It's inexcusable. ALso be sure your assignor/commissioner knows.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by Juulie Downs

....completely unprofessional...... It's inexcusable.

It's bad enough to comment about another refs calls publically, but, to yell your name out for all to hear? I agree with Juulie - low. Personally, I'd say something to him.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by Juulie Downs

I would have tossed him during that very game. And then puked on his shoes. But as to Saturday, don't bring it up yourself, but if he even hints at the incident, be sure you mention how completely unprofessional it was for him to say anything about your calls. It's inexcusable. Also be sure your assignor/commissioner knows.

I agree.

That kind of behavior would not fly in my area.

Unfortunately, MOofficial may be in a location where there isn't an assignor, or even a referee association, who can do anything about it. He could be somewhere where the ADs hire their own officials, and associations have no say at all.

[SamIAm]

Originally Posted by Juulie Downs

I would have tossed him during that very game. And then puked on his shoes. But as to Saturday, don't bring it up yourself, but if he even hints at the incident, be sure you mention how completely unprofessional it was for him to say anything about your calls. It's inexcusable. ALso be sure your assignor/commissioner knows.

Why the new moniker?

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Juulie Downs

I would have tossed him during that very game. And then puked on his shoes. But as to Saturday, don't bring it up yourself, but if he even hints at the incident, be sure you mention how completely unprofessional it was for him to say anything about your calls. It's inexcusable. ALso be sure your assignor/commissioner knows.

Well said, Amen.

the only thing I would do different is bring it up at the game; fella would know what I thought of him, and his response would dictate whether I blackball him or not. Either way, the assigner finds out.

My guess is if you're in an area with varied partners, you have an assigner. If not, it should be easier to not work with him again.

[SmokeEater]

Originally Posted by grunewar

It's bad enough to comment about another refs calls publically, but, to yell your name out for all to hear? I agree with Juulie - low. Personally, I'd say something to him.

The way this guy was acting is unacceptable -I agree.

I also disagree about going directly to assignor/association. It would depend how well you actually know the guy. Alot of times you can handle these with a simple "what the Heck was with that act at the game." Like you say point out its innappropriate and then let his reaction dictate the next step.
You have all indicated the view from the stands is different and as a parent sometimes the emotions can take over. A little knowledge about the game can sometimes be dangerous, you know.

Now that your all going to rip me a new one for saying my opinion. I do not condone this behaviour and calling a fellow official out to show them up is plain wrong. I was not there and don't really know how this actually went down. Just so you all know a similar situation happened to me and when only one side of the story is presented it can be misinterpreted.

Thats it. Let er rip!

[Raymond]

I work as part of an association. I would call him after the game and ask him "WTF!!!???", especially the part about him yelling out my name. If I wasn't happy with his response then I would address it with my commissioner.

Or I wouldn't say anything then in the pre-game for our game together I would talk about how we are going to handle a$$hole fans.

[rockyroad]

While I agree that the use of your name was completely unprofessional and should not have been done, I also understand the "dad" yelling about calls - I have been known to do the same thing from time to time. I never use any adjectives or other words to describe a call (That's a horrible call, etc.)...but when my sons are playing, I have a hard time not noticing things that are just not right. Example: son establishes LGP and then gets rolled by the kid driving to the basket - ref calls block on son. Explanation to coach is "He was moving backwards coach, never got set. He needs to take it like a man to get a charge call from me." I said some things to that official - and when he brought it up at a meeting several weeks later, he heard the same things again. The notion that someone has to stop being a dad just because they are an official is incorrect. I need to remain calm, and have had to get up and walk out of gyms at times, but when something blatantly wrong occurs, I will say something to the officials. I will never call them by name, I will never call them out, but I will say "How can that be...?"

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by Juulie Downs

I would have tossed him during that very game. And then puked on his shoes. But as to Saturday, don't bring it up yourself, but if he even hints at the incident, be sure you mention how completely unprofessional it was for him to say anything about your calls. It's inexcusable. ALso be sure your assignor/commissioner knows.

Juulie - so glad you're "back". I know you know the Immortal Dave. Toward the end of one game I was working, he was in the stands waiting for the next game. He yelled, "Hey, Padgett. Are you pregnant?" I ignored him until he yelled it a few more times. I finally responded, "OK, Dave - I'll bite. No, I'm not pregnant. Why do you ask?" He answered, "Because you missed three periods!"

BTW - thanks for using the "puked on his shoes" reference. It brings back fond memories.

[OHBBREF]

Don't care who he is or about next Saturday, If he shouts my name while talking about calls from the stands it's personal and I hope the game is on the radio because that is the only way he is going to experience the end of it.
the administration would do it though I would not directly toss him.

As an official you are always an official when watching a game, you can root like a parent no problem, but you have to remember that people who know you, - know that you are an official so what you do is liable to come back and haunt you some time.

Even as a parent, he can disagree with a call, but to "call you out on it personally" that is classless, feel free to Puke in his shoes or shorts for that matter. As an official you have to remember that once people see you on the floor you will always be an official in their minds, so how you act will reflect upon everyone else in the profession.

I believe that you have to call him on it though, directly or with some association back up, it just gives us all one more black eye.

Think about the guys a couple of years ago in the locker room that said some inappropriate things that were over heard through an air duct that ended up getting suspended for a few games. More recently there were some guys who went out to have a burger and a beer after agame and there was some issue about something they said amoungst themselves.

I like the idea about bringing up how to deal with A$$ hole fans in your pregame especially if it is a three man crew to see how he responds.

[ChrisSportsFan]

I am of the opinion that we are a brotherhood...even if we don't like what a fellow official is doing/calling. The other parents on your team know you are an official and they already think ALL officials are blind and don't know the rules. Now you start yelling at the officials and only reinforce their thinking. I go to my kids games and see all kinds of things I don't agree with but I never say a word. If they come to me later and ask I always preface my comments with "of course I didn't have the same look you did but this is what I thought". Being an official has somewhat distanced me from being an overzealous fan.

Now to answer your question...I had this happen and had a fellow official removed. I never brought it up with that official and never will. I know this official is a very smart person and I truly believe they realized what they did was inappropriate. If this person brings it up then we will discuss it and hopefully it will be a professional conversation. Since this happened there has been enough opportunities and it has not been brought up so I doubt it ever will.

What would I do if this happened again? I would handle it almost the exact same way. The game management would be notified that this overzealous fan has to leave and I would wait til he brought it up. The only thing I would change from the first time is to make sure I notified the assignor right away. This was just brought up at a recent meeting so I'm sure those in attendence will not be doing any of this nonsense.