Weird non-game incidents on the court

[Mark Padgett]

A buddy told me the other day that during a game, there was a power outage in the 3rd quarter. The custodian tried to get the power back on for about 30 minutes but couldn't, so they called the game. He found out later (on the news) that some driver hit a power pole in that neighborhood. Ironically, it was a player's relative who was coming to the game to pick up the player to take him home. He asked me if I ever had something that weird happen that wasn't part of the actual playing of the game. I told him about an incident a few years ago when a dog ran out onto the court during play. Some lady brought her "teacup poodle" to the game inside her purse. She put the purse down during the first quarter and the dog ran out, down the bleacher steps and onto the court. We caught it and gave it back, telling her that if it happened again, she'd have to leave. I also told both coaches that players had to wait to be beckoned and needed to have jerseys. Not only that, the dog wasn't even in the book!

Any good stories?

This may not come close to yours, but about two months ago, just a few days before Halloween, I go to work a high school YMCA league at a middle school gym. The middle school is being renovated, and therefore has a temporary electrical line that sways when it is quite windy. That particular day was very windy, and the line kept swaying, and some of the lights would go on and off in the gym, but we still had enough light to continue play. However, the electrical shortage sometimes caused the scoreboard to go off and we had to resort to having the timer use a stopwatch.

There was a point where the lights flickered as I was ready to administer a throw-in and a couple of the lights actually went out. The boy looked at me and asked, what the heck is going on? I just replied, you never played halloween ball before?

[derwil]

I had a game at an old worn out gym in the middle of a huge thunderstorm. Roof started leaking onto the court. We had game management wiping the floor everytime down the floor, but the floor was still getting wet. We finally stopped play mid-way in the second quarter. The R told game management to put a towel down where the floor was wet. He told the coaches we were going to play with it there and to make their players awair it was part of the floor.

Played rest of the game with the wet towel on the floor. Weirdest game I've been in but coaches didn't say a word.

Thank God nothing bad happened, sounds like a violation of our Code of Ethics.

[jdmara]

Originally Posted by derwil

I had a game at an old worn out gym in the middle of a huge thunderstorm. Roof started leaking onto the court. We had game management wiping the floor everytime down the floor, but the floor was still getting wet. We finally stopped play mid-way in the second quarter. The R told game management to put a towel down where the floor was wet. He told the coaches we were going to play with it there and to make their players awair it was part of the floor.

Played rest of the game with the wet towel on the floor. Weirdest game I've been in but coaches didn't say a word.

Not a chance..That's a lawsuit waiting to happen...yikes..

-Josh

[Freddy]

Mark P.,
I picked up a turd last year during a frosh boys' game, thinking it was a Baby Ruth, but it wasn't.
Does that count?

[Freddy]

Mark P.,
Back in '81 (back when tight pants were in, even for referees), I recall having the zipper on my pants somehow break during a game. Hustled into the dressing room during a time-out and thought I'd do a quick repair with a safety pin.
Safety pin gave way very soon thereafter and . . . OUCH!!!
Had to hustle back into the locker room, very carefully as I ran. OUCH!...OUCH!...OUCH!!!
Can't remember how I resolved it after that.
Does that count?

Originally Posted by Freddy

Mark P.,
I picked up a turd last year during a frosh boys' game, thinking it was a Baby Ruth, but it wasn't.
Does that count?

Aye, that explains the sign in the bathroom when I ate at Fazoli's today, which gave five instances when one should wash their hands. Number 5: After touching any body part.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

A buddy told me the other day that during a game, there was a power outage in the 3rd quarter. The custodian tried to get the power back on for about 30 minutes but couldn't, so they called the game. He found out later (on the news) that some driver hit a power pole in that neighborhood. Ironically, it was a player's relative who was coming to the game to pick up the player to take him home. He asked me if I ever had something that weird happen that wasn't part of the actual playing of the game. I told him about an incident a few years ago when a dog ran out onto the court during play. Some lady brought her "teacup poodle" to the game inside her purse. She put the purse down during the first quarter and the dog ran out, down the bleacher steps and onto the court. We caught it and gave it back, telling her that if it happened again, she'd have to leave. I also told both coaches that players had to wait to be beckoned and needed to have jerseys. Not only that, the dog wasn't even in the book!

Any good stories?

I once went to see a fight and a hockey game broke out.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

The fire alarm went off in the middle of the second quarter of a boys' H.S. varsity game. My partner, who as sinced passed on due to cancer, was the police chief of a neighboring community and I looked at each other and kept the game going. About a minute later during a timeout, an announcement was made that the alarm was a false alarm.

MTD, Sr.