Last weekend of spring league - fun, fun, fun

[Mark Padgett]

Where should I start? OK, first game of six for the weekend. Started with varsity boys. Final score was 114-102. They play 22 minute running halves. The court is pretty short, so there really wasn't much running by me and my partner. By the time we would get about to half court from trail, the ball would already be inbounded after a basket and coming back toward us so we would mostly just work in about a 25 foot path.

Not much of interest in the second game but in the third on Saturday, freshman boys and my partner tossed one coach and three players - one from that coach's team and two from the other team. All of this happened in the first 10 minutes of the game. After complaining about some non-calls, the coach used some pretty offensive profanity directed at my partner. Buh-bye. Two of the players were tossed for fighting and the other for profanity. That coach came up to me after the game as I was walking out and said he thought I called a good game! I just ignored him and left.

On Sunday, I had another freshman boys game and two 7th grade boys games. In the freshman game, one of the coaches was a long-time friend of mine. His son is their star player. The kid finished with over 30 points out of 55 for his team. He also had about 10 clean steals and they won by over 20 points. It was cool watching him. OK - this was weird - in one of the other games that day, one of the kids was named Kobe Bryant. At first I thought they were just calling him that, but the scorekeeper verified that really was his name. He played pretty well, too.

My final game was a fitting way to end the season. It was a 40 point blowout and I got to T up a coach. I was in a generous mood and gave him two warnings first, but he didn't take the hint.

Summer league starts the end of June. That almost gives me enough time to rest up.

[Mark Padgett]

There was something else that was kind of enjoyable. I think I mentioned in a previous post that this league does not enforce uniform rules (except no jewelry). Prior to one of the games, one of the coaches complained that the other team had two players with the same number. I told him we weren't enforcing uniform rules. He said, "That's not right. It's a rule. You have to use it." I said OK, that we would. I then declared the game to be a forfeit and that his team loses because none of his players had numbers on the fronts of their jerseys. He looked shocked. Then I told him that if he wanted us to enforce the uniform rules, that's what would happen.

He gave in.

[AKOFL]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

There was something else that was kind of enjoyable. I think I mentioned in a previous post that this league does not enforce uniform rules (except no jewelry). Prior to one of the games, one of the coaches complained that the other team had two players with the same number. I told him we weren't enforcing uniform rules. He said, "That's not right. It's a rule. You have to use it." I said OK, that we would. I then declared the game to be a forfeit and that his team loses because none of his players had numbers on the fronts of their jerseys. He looked shocked. Then I told him that if he wanted us to enforce the uniform rules, that's what would happen.

He gave in.

It's funny how coaches are all in favor of using the rules when it suits them. I would have loved to see the look on his face when you said the word forfeit. It was probably pricless.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

OK - this was weird - in one of the other games that day, one of the kids was named Kobe Bryant. At first I thought they were just calling him that, but the scorekeeper verified that really was his name. He played pretty well, too.

Well, Kobe has been in the NBA for 13 years now, believe it or not. Damn I'm getting old.