Will Welmer be back for March Madness?

[jeschmit]

I worked a JV game last night and I saw that Ron Grissom was in the stands watching. After the game I went up and introduced myself and he invited me to sit next to him and chat during the varsity game. During our chat he told me that he called Hightower after the game that he did with Welmer when Steve hurt himself. Eddie told Ron that Welmer broke his foot when he was making a cut to get to position and his season was over.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by jeschmit

Eddie told Ron that Welmer broke his foot when he was making a cut....

Did they call a toe truck to get him off the court?

Sorry.

[BktBallRef]

Actually, Steve worked an NIT game last year and a first round NCAA games in each of the two previous years. Does anyone know why he's worked so few post season games the past three seasons?

[dahoopref]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

Actually, Steve worked an NIT game last year and a first round NCAA games in each of the two previous years. Does anyone know why he's worked so few post season games the past three seasons?

Welmer was didn't work the NCAA tournament by his own doing last year. He declined his NCAA tournament selection because he only got assigned one game in the first round instead of two games like most veteran officials. He felt he was not given respect.

[amusedofficial]

Originally Posted by dahoopref

Welmer was didn't work the NCAA tournament by his own doing last year. He declined his NCAA tournament selection because he only got assigned one game in the first round instead of two games like most veteran officials. He felt he was not given respect.

The world needs more prima donna officials. I plan on becoming one, just as soon as I learn how to call traveling.

[bigdogrunnin]

Originally Posted by dahoopref

Welmer was didn't work the NCAA tournament by his own doing last year. He declined his NCAA tournament selection because he only got assigned one game in the first round instead of two games like most veteran officials. He felt he was not given respect.

Wasn't there 2-3 "big time" officials last year in the same situation. I don't know why Jim Burr's name comes to mind, but I remember there being 3-4 that either did not take their games, or were not picked for NCAA tournament games. Anyone have info??

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by bigdogrunnin

Wasn't there 2-3 "big time" officials last year in the same situation. I don't know why Jim Burr's name comes to mind, but I remember there being 3-4 that either did not take their games, or were not picked for NCAA tournament games. Anyone have info??

You might be thinking of the computer problem that caused a couple of the guys to not get some required form submitted.

[biz]

Jim Burr and John Higgins were the two big names that didn't work the NCAA tourney last year because of some problem with the submission of there online background check, which is required of all officials to work the tourney.

Welmer's issues are totally separate from that situation. It's too bad he's hurt because it would have been interesting to see if he worked games later in this year's tourney with Adams in charge now.

[26 Year Gap]

Well, he could always go in studio & hike up Bobby Knight's shorts.

[biz]

Originally Posted by dahoopref

Welmer was didn't work the NCAA tournament by his own doing last year. He declined his NCAA tournament selection because he only got assigned one game in the first round instead of two games like most veteran officials. He felt he was not given respect.

Are we sure that this is the reason that he didn't work last year's tourney? I did some quick searching and Welmer only got a 1st round game in 2006 and 2007 as well.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by biz

Are we sure that this is the reason that he didn't work last year's tourney? I did some quick searching and Welmer only got a 1st round game in 2006 and 2007 as well.

It has to be personal. For a guy like Welmer who is so highly desired by so many schools and conferences to get such a crappy post-season schedule tells me the problem had to have been personal.

[jbduke]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

It has to be personal. For a guy like Welmer who is so highly desired by so many schools and conferences to get such a crappy post-season schedule tells me the problem had to have been personal.

Depends on what you mean by 'personal.' It seems like you mean "Supervisor X doesn't like Welmer."

It could just as easily be that Supervisor X doesn't share the same outlook on Welmer's work as Supervisors Y and Z. I think it's an important distinction to make, even if your explanation is more accurate.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

Actually, Steve worked an NIT game last year and a first round NCAA games in each of the two previous years. Does anyone know why he's worked so few post season games the past three seasons?

It seems that he has an ongoing personal conflict with someone who has some serious power concerning the officials in the NCAA tournament. There has been some speculation that the individual was Hank Nichols. This NCAA tournament would have served as a litmus test of that theory, since he was replaced by John Adams. However, that went out the window when Welmer got injured.

The fact is that Welmer has never worked beyond the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament. You can do the research and check that out for yourself. He has been strictly a first weekend guy only.