Very inappropriate comments from fans and how to address
 

It has now happened 2 times to me where a fan has made a very inappropriate racial comment towards me during my basketball games.

The first situation, I was called a "chink" in some manner where they yelled about either my calls or not having calls for their team. I was offended, but did not let it bother me. I looked into the crowd to let that individual know I heard them, but could not pinpoint the individual.

Today, I had someone say something similar with chinaman in it. Same thing...I could not tell who it was.

What do you think is appropriate to do in this situation? I know certain races/ethnicities are highly offended by certain words used against them, so being a proud Korean, I do take offense to these comments.

Any words of wisdom would be helpful.....

Thanks...:eek::confused::(

I am disgusted too...
 

I would suggest you inform game management, and your partner(s), about the comments from that section of the gym. GM should deal with it from that point.

When racism towards an official comes up, it needs to be dealt with immediately, and to the fullest extent of your authority. The game is stopped and the person is removed immediately. For me, this is about as close to "always" as I can imagine.

If a team is on a scoring threat, wait until after the basket before stopping play. Find game management and inform him of the situation... that the game does not start again until the fan is identified and removed.

Even if some comment didn't bother you, the same comment might offend another official, and we need to be consistent in these matters.

If you can identify the fan, have the fan removed immediately by the game administrator. If you can't identify the offender, have the game administrator stand or sit near that section of fans. Racial slurs should never be tolerated and are immediate grounds for removal.

:d

Yeah, That's What I Really Think ...
 

good advice

That is what I was trying to say...
 

The challenge comes when you do not have readily available "Game Management." Some of the lower level games I have worked the GM was the home team coach. However, at that level it is much easier to identify to disrespectful "fan" and have them removed.

I know that I very well may be in the minority, here, but I try to completely block out any comments directed at me. My hair is rather short; My forehead is a bit, uh, long; I have bushy eyebrows to the point that I have been referred to as "unibrow"; I am somewhat taller than average; and I weigh a decent amount less than average (some may say thin); I have pretty big feet (not quite clown-like, but big); I get up and down the court rather quickly, but my long arms and legs can look stork-like to some; I happen to be Irish and German (so I like to drink and I can get mad when I do); and I'm not the best lookin' guy in the gym. The bottom line is that there are lots of things people can identify to try to get under my skin.

Each of my regular officiating partners have a similar length list of personal characteristics (or deficiencies). When one or more of us are being pestered by a fan, we do our best to work as a team to block out the individual(s).

Yes, you can, in many cases, go to the AD and have the individual(s) removed. I personally choose to ignore the commentary. I attempt to stick to the old adage "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me."

I will not criticize you for asking for assistance from an AD, but I try to focus solely on the game. I will typically only take action against a fan in two situations:
1. The fan is using language that may be offensive to either the players or spectators around them or
2. The fan's verbal outbursts are affecting the attitudes of the players (his constant badgering is causing the kids to complain about the officiating).

Other than that, I try my darnedest to just ignore them. I do not want to give them the satisfaction that they have been able to get under my skin.

As I stated at the outset, my views on this topic very well may be in the minority, but it has worked well for me.

Big difference from the OP's complaint. BIG difference.

Pretty simple for me:

1) Racial slurs


2) Profanity


Those two can get you booted...otherwise, pretty much ignore.

Believe it or not, I understand your choice....
 

If you followed my first response.... I did not advocate for a stoppage of the game. I suggested making the AD/GM aware of the comments and trust they will promptly deal with the situation. At that point, I refocus on the game.

How is it different if someone calls me a Mick or a Big Hitler or a Nazi? Why is that different than the OP? Because of the color of my skin? These are still slurs. Or should these slurs be treated differently for some reason? They are still inappropriate. I still maintain that blocking out such commentary is the most effective.

But, once again, I understand that I am in the minority, here.

I would also add that if, as an official, you are losing your focus on the game due to the commentary being used, you now need to get game management involved to have the individual(s) removed. It is a corollary to my reason 2. for removing a spectator. In this case, their actions are not affecting the play of the players, but are affecting the ability of the official to perform his/her duties as an official.

----Op,.Or if a player comes up to me and says they are hearing racist things then I'm getting some sort of admin person over there to the trouble area right away.
I wasn't a ref at the time but I've known of trouble from white fans and I've seen a black fan get kicked out for it too. schools don't want to be embarrassed or have that sort of rep so hopefully they will deal with it promptly.

Yes, a very big difference. Not even close. :rolleyes:

Peace

If I hear racial slurs coming from the stands, they're done. I don't care if it's directed at me (white) or a partner of any skin tone. When I'm with my friends (of various races), we've been known to joke around with that stuff, but not in this setting, not ever.

For the first time ever, I dealt with some fans this year. Some kids were sitting in the corner during a Freshman girls game making a bunch of comments all game. Then I heard a couple of F-bombs, and told them to cool it. They responded less than favorably, so I ignored it the rest of the game (it was almost over).

On the way to the locker room to wait for our next game, I informed the GM that she had a couple knuckleheads in the corner dropping F-bombs and she could deal with it however she wanted.

Gonna fall on the side of getting game management involved.

As an aside I have had fans call me "ELvis". But I take that as a compliment. And no I don't look like the fat,drugged out Elvis,I look like the good looking younger version. :)

Once had a student section chant "Elvis sucks" . It was music to my ears.:D

Those are racial slurs and will earn a quick ticket to the outdoors. If they harp on my weight, eye sight, foot size, hair color, or whatever, I'm fine. Don't get into race, though. Riots don't start from arguments about foot size. They do come from racial arguments, though.

BTW, racial slurs fit into your category 1.

I've been asked twice at the same school, don't know if it was the same guy, if I'd ever been told I look like Chuck Norris. I wasn't offended, but I imagine Chuck would be.

Tell them you are Chuck Norris, you'll get far less grief.

Tell them no but you taught him how to fight.

Chuck Norris wouldn't just call a violation. He would prevent it from ever happening again. :eek:

A few years ago, a small rural school. Older man in overalls on the front row tells me I need to "help my boy", speaking of one of my partners... a young black man.
At halftime, my partner asked me why I let him make a racial comment like that. I was a little embarrassed that I had taken it to mean he was young and inexperienced.
Dead ball in the second half. I'm in C, right in front of the old man. This time he says, "You should know better than to bring one of them with you".
Told the school administrator I wanted him gone.
He got a round of applause as he left... I got hammered the rest of the night... it was worth it.

I had this problem in a college game over the past weekend. There was this one fan making borderline comments to the opposing team. My partner looked at security and then the armed guard started moving over towards the person making the comments and he shut up for the rest of the game.

As I read these posts I just find it utterly incredible that we are even talking about these types of situations in 2009! Amazing, in a sad way. I hope I never have to deal with it. But, as always, the Forum has given me food for thought in case I do.

Why?

The accumulation of three steps forward, one step back is in fact progress, but often the one step back is what makes the news.

Picture yourself as a historian from 400 years into the future, looking back at the period of time of your lifetime (and earlier).

The most racist situation I have ever been in is working an inner city JV game. I was one of maybe 10 white people in the gym. I was called everything but a white Man. Did my Black partner stand up for me? Did the Black Administrator, Coaches or Security Officer not hear what was being said?

I have worked many times in the rural areas that our association covers with a single Black official in our 3 man crew. Never has there been any crowd activity directed at my Black partner like what I have experienced working inner city schools.

Where is it written that racism is only 1 way? :(

I would think that such information is a refresher course for those who may have forgotten. You always need the past, look back and see where you have came from. Not dwelling in the past, but reflecting!!!!

Don't think anyone said it was. Someone gave some poor examples as a basis of comparison, but there is nothing different in what you posted from what the OP posted.

Nowhere on this board.

Why are you asking us? Where did someone say racism is one way?

Just because I haven't seen it or heard it in any of the areas and leagues I've done - ever. I've had my share of name calling, and I suck, and I'm blind, and I missed it, and I don't know the rules, etc. But, it has never degraded to this point....and I just think it's sad to hear that this type of behavior still exists when we're talking about a game. JMO

Yup...........anything racial should be dealt with swiftly, in any situation, anywhere.

I certainly have seen it go both ways. I tossed a black kid one time for calling a white opponent a very insulting racial epithet. Black coach didn't have a problem with it!

I don't blame you for not assuming the worst. Years ago around here most schools got just whoever to call jr. high games, basically anyone who would put on a whistle, with no affiliation with any officiating group. One year I was the senior member of a team at age twenty-something, frequently accompanied by a protege who was about nineteen at the time. I think at first fans honestly took a "He doesn't know any better approach," to the kid. I told my young partner I would be glad when he got old enough that people would give him his own criticism instead of piling it all on me. It was a gradual process. After reading me a list of my own shortcomings on the way out one night, one lady added a postscript: "And your boy was bad, too!"
For the record, all parties involved in the story are white.

Many fans truly know no prejudice when it comes to basketball officials.

"There is no racial bigotry here............ Here you are all equally worthless."**


**Gunnery Sergeant Hartman Full Metal Jacket

I was in basic training before I found out "boy" was an epithet. I grew up in a small farm town in the middle of Iowa; our only minorities were a Laotian family. It wasn't that I used the term ignorantly, I had never even heard it used in that way.

One guy (a black guy from Montgomery, AL) in our flight took offense when another guy called him a boy (the initial comment may have been innocent, I don't know). After things calmed down a bit, I learned a lesson on southern racial history.

I grew up in a small (250 people) farming town in Eastern, Central IL. I knew nothing of racism until I played Jr College basketball with several team mates from inner city Detroit. I went and lived ~month with one of my team mates in the 5 mile drive area of inner city Detroit. My introduction to racism was were I was the minority. That is why I find irony in most racism stories being myopic. To those who took offense, I apologize.

Wasn't there a recent case in a pro sports league (NFL?) where an athlete was called "boy" by a game official?

I think it was baseball, and I don't know that it was verified.

Found it. It was Baltimore Ravens cornerback Samari Rolle claiming that an NFL official called him "boy". I remember that the news reported that Samari said that the official "never played football". I remember thinking how he would know the official hadn't ever played football. A pretty dumb comment, imho.

I was thinking of the Milton Bradley incident, I think. Bradley claimed he'd been taunted by the ump. I must have confused the two.

Aww, poor Milton. He's always been such a saint.

If no one else will say it, I will say it. You were called a white man and you were offended? Really??

I get identified all the time by my race and I do not get upset, nor do I consider the reality of that identification as racist (because it has nothing to do with racism BTW). It is not the identification that is problem; it is a slur or a stereotype that is offensive.

And I bet that most people here that are white, it they choose to work in places that did not look like them, they would pass. I do not have that choice and I live in a highly racially mixed area where most of the people of color in the state lives and if I am assigned in a place where only people of a certain race that look likes me takes place, it is rather rare. A vast majority of time of my games I am just about the only Black person in the gym (players, coaches, fans and administrators).

Peace

Do you need the benefit of the doubt?

NBA this year too. Vince Carter and Derrick Stafford (Ref). Stafford gave 2 T's and ejected Carter. Carter got in his face and Stafford allegedly called him a boy.

In response to the OP . . . fan(s) get(s) the buh-bye in several cases:

1. Interfere with players, coaches, game on the court. Keep their butts in the stands.
2. ANY profanity. See ya!
3. ANYTHING racial. Later!
4. Loudly, brazenly, and repeatedly questioning the integrity of the officials (e.g., calling the officials cheaters is one). I know some may disagree, but there comes a point when it shouldn't be ignored.

Just my take. Also, I HIGHLY recommend NEVER attempting to handle fan situations by yourself. Always get game administrators/management to address the fan. No one wins when a game official attempts to confront a fan. Just google it . . . NEVER a good outcome!

I will admit though, that as I work "higher level games" (i.e., college, varsity) that I am far less likely to hear anything from the stands (if anything). But, in those sub-varsity, JH, Little Dribblers, and rec-league games, I tend to put up with far less nonsense . . . and that's just me. I know others won't agree.

What was he called? I do not know too many racial slurs that identify white people that are widely considered offensive.

What, did they call him stupid, terrible, "you are not from here," or any number of things and that is boiled down to racism? At least the person in the OP used the exact term that he was called. That word (that was used) is not simply a name being called that we all have been through as officials. That identified nothing else but his races. And if he was called names, get in line; it happens to all of us on the court in some capacity.

Peace

OK, Rut a few quotes for you. Blind F**cking Cracker, White Boy, Redneck. The most vocal was a guy setting in the second row at mid-court. Coming up the floor as trail after making a call against the home team I was threatened with "I'll cut you white boy". Next dead ball I tell the black security officer who and what had been said. He said "what do you want me to do?" I tell him I would like you to remove him. He tells me "get over it, I'll walk you out after the game."

Your responses so far have proven my point. You state "I do not know too many racial slurs that identify white people that are widely considered offensive." The common societal assumption is that only a White person can be racist toward a minority. Myopic

I grew up without racism, I do not practice racism but I have experienced racism as player and since moving to TN as a referee.

A racial remark does not necessarily contain any certain word. One night I heard one black woman in the stands say to another, "That's _______. He doesn't like it when the black folks win." I was 10 feet away. Did she think I was deaf, or did she want me to hear her?

Also fan talking directly to a player with intent to intimidate, e.g., when player goes to free throw line. Booted fan for this. :(

Goodbye.

And you left it at that?

I really hate to break it to you, but I really am not concerned with what I am called. I am sure there are comments made that in my direction that are racially motivated, but I tend to not worry about that. And if you want someone to get upset, I have heard things from people of my own race that I would be much more offended by in the things they say to me and the expectations they have of me. I am much more concerned about equal opportunity and giving officials that reflect the game much more than officials that look nothing like certain individuals on the court. For example, there is a big time tournament in my area where the vast majority of players, coaches are not white. But you cannot find a single game in the tournament where more than one African-American is officiating any single game and the people hosting the tournament are not white. That is evidence of true racism to me, not just name calling.

Secondly, if you did not report the actions, that is on you. Because I would not have left the situation alone with what happen at the game site. And I would have been more concerned with the threats. I have worked in places that literally had the Klan meetings in that community before the season or had what they called "Sunset laws" and I went into those communities fully aware of that racial history. I know I was called things based on my race and I functioned. No one directly said anything to me because they were either afraid to do so or they people around them took action.


I grew up with it and all around it. I grew up in towns that never saw Black people unless they came to my little college town. It was not until I moved to a metropolitan area that I was even exposed on a more regular basis. And it has never gone away and never will. It is just hidden and it is subtle and the last thing I worry about is being called a name. It is about how I am treated and things that are implied by my race rather than words alone. I can only think of one situation that was called near my face a racial slur. But I have had many people tell me about comments made to them or things implied by my racial background. And that is much more of a concern than being called "Black boy."

Peace

You are right and if it did I would have to eject everyone from the gym on certain occaions.

Peace

It was the Ravens/Pats game on MNF in 2007. Rolle whined about a play by telling the official he had probably never played the game before. The official had in fact played in the NFL (KC Chiefs I believe). I imagine his response to Rolle was something along the line was "Boy, you don't know WTF you are talking about". Kinda like I address my son when he starts flapping his gums about sh!t he knows nothing about.

To each his own. A racial remark means very little to me. If you hurl a racial remark at me, you are trying to be hurtful. I am not much interested in your little game. You are the one with the problem. I would find it worse to be called incompetent or stupid than anything racial, except that the huge majority of people that call us incompetent or stupid are not qualified to make this judgment. By far the worst thing to me is when fans/coaches/players question our integrity. These accusations, of course, are motivated by a wide range of reasons, real and imagined, one of which quite often is race.

Call me blind. Call me stupid. Don't call me a cheater.

Whether or not racism offends us, we need to be aware that we are there for the kids. When kids hear stuff that shouldn't be said, and it is intended to be hurtful and dehumanizing, and no one does anything about it, it affects them negatively, whether they are of the race doing the hurling, or the race receiving the hurl. If someone is shouting something negative that is race or gender-related, whether it's at the refs, or the players, or the coach, or the guy running the concession stand, if I have jurisdiction, that person is out of here. Period. Not just because of who is doing the yelling or who is receiving the yelling, but because I want everyone around me that this is not to be tolerated by civilized human beings.

Happy 200th Birthday ...
 

Wait a minute. Didn't you write the Emancipation Proclamation, and make an important speech called the Gettysburg Address? I would suggest that you don't buy tickets to Our American Cousin at Ford's Theater.

Some people think that I look like Steve Garvey. Fans yell, "Cheater", and, "Paternity suit", at my games. I don't favor one team when I officiate, and I think that I look good in a suit, so the yelling doesn't bother me.

About this time of the season, I can FEEL like I am about 200....:D

Thank you
 

I was quite entertained, educated, relieved, etc. from all the posts to this thread. I definitely feel I could have done something with game management regarding my situation that has now happened two times. I know that by contacting game management that this situation could've been rectified or at least addressed, but it is something difficult to do..as pointing out to individuals that this is happening. This also brings the situation up again, where it can play with your head. I guess I did the easy thing by ignoring it, which in the big picture is not the best thing. I think if it happens again, I will talk to the game manager, so at least that individual and other fans know that this will not be tolerated. It is just not my personality or nature to ruffle feathers, even though I was not the individual to start the conflict. Although I have done better dealing with normal "t's" with unsportsmanlike acts by coaches and players, I still feel uncomfortable dealing with fans when they do something like this. I also don't like to cause attention to myself in dealing with a racial comment.

Thanks again and good luck with the rest of your season!

Thanks for your support...

-KG