Letter to Big South Commish regarding Joe Forte

[bb_ref]

So you’re saying you’re not a replacement referee and therefore haven’t been personally affected by Joe Forte’s alleged bias against replacement referees???? Sounds like you have a personal vendetta against Joe Forte, which make your accusations even less credible. Or is it just that you weren’t assigned enough Big South games and you’re unhappy with your schedule?

If by “convicted felon” you are referring to the federal prosecution of 50+ NBA employees who all failed to pay taxes on their per diem, then yes, he is a convicted felon. David Stern decided to bring back the officials who were prosecuted because they are considered the best in the world. In an effort to “keep it real,” good thing “convicted felons” are given an opportunity to return to their professions or I wouldn’t have the pleasure of watching some of my favorite athletes.

Maybe the NBA referees should look into working college games during the lockout. My guess is your schedule would be even lighter.

[Back In The Saddle]

Give me a break. My teenager can make more well reasoned and convincing arguments. Once you scrape away all the vitriol and personal attacks, your only real argument is, "It's not fair." I don't think anybody disagrees.

Unfortunately none of us live and work in fairy tale land. We live in a world where most of us have to "keep it real" every day to put food on the table. So let's do a little keepin' it real here, shall we?

Basic fact of life: If you want to keep your job, you need to keep the boss man happy. If you knowingly do something to make the boss man unhappy, you knowingly chose to suffer the consequence. In fairy tale land, a man may chose both his actions and the consequences of those actions. But here in keep it real land, you only get to chose your actions. You have to live with whatever consequences flow from them. These are all grown men who willingly accepted to work those games knowing that there might be a price to pay for doing so.

That, my friend, is keepin' it real.

(Yeah, I know. It just isn't fair. You already said that.)

[dahoopref]

Many assignors are from the old school of "loyalty." If an assignor hires you into their conference first, he/she expects that you will take games in their conference above all others until you move up the ladder into more "prestigious" conferences. Sometimes that assignor has a working relationship with the assignor of the "prestigious" conferences and it works out best for that official. When there is no working relationship, then it can turn very ugly.

In my humble opinion, I believe Mr. Forte is exercising his loyalty card. He hired these NBA replacement officials first into the D1 conference he assigns, probably worked diligently over the years to get their schedules with other D1 conferences for a maximum number of games. Then these replacement officials show them their thanks and loyalty to Forte by working his games when the NBA locked him out; he didn't walk out or strike.

I wonder if Forte hired some new officials into the Big South to replace the ones who now work the NBA games? Someone is always willing to fill in the gap that others left behind.

[BBref 654]

To ncaambb ref

Grow a pair, have some courage, and sign your name at the bottom of your letter.

I've been officiating college basketball for many years now and have never been happy with the number of assignments I've received. No one ever is. My suggestion to you: stop whining and get better! Joe Forte has more courage and integrity in his little pinky than you do in your whole body. I hope Kyle sees your letter for what it is, a coward's way of complaining and, taking a cheap shot at someone behind the safety a computer.

Sign your name or do us all a favor and go away.....

[ncaambbref]

Originally Posted by BBref 654

To ncaambb ref

Grow a pair, have some courage, and sign your name at the bottom of your letter.

I've been officiating college basketball for many years now and have never been happy with the number of assignments I've received. No one ever is. My suggestion to you: stop whining and get better! Joe Forte has more courage and integrity in his little pinky than you do in your whole body. I hope Kyle sees your letter for what it is, a coward's way of complaining and, taking a cheap shot at someone behind the safety a computer.

Sign your name or do us all a favor and go away.....

Really? How could ANY felon have integrity?

[ncaambbref]

Originally Posted by BBref 654

To ncaambb ref

Grow a pair, have some courage, and sign your name at the bottom of your letter.

I've been officiating college basketball for many years now and have never been happy with the number of assignments I've received. No one ever is. My suggestion to you: stop whining and get better! Joe Forte has more courage and integrity in his little pinky than you do in your whole body. I hope Kyle sees your letter for what it is, a coward's way of complaining and, taking a cheap shot at someone behind the safety a computer.

Sign your name or do us all a favor and go away.....

This isn't about a number of games. It is about how Forte interjected HIS personal feelings on referees who worked the lockout. Plain and simple, that is unprofessional and lacks integrity.

Who cares what my name is...that is NOT the issue here. I have a pair when I have my whistle in my mouth...that's for sure! LOL

[NJB]

Originally Posted by ncaambbref

Who cares what my name is...that is NOT the issue here. I have a pair when I have my whistle in my mouth...that's for sure! LOL

Wow - looks like someone has some serious emasculation issues. Maybe this is why there is such controversy with refereeing these days!

[Rich]

Wow, look at all these people registering just to vote in this poll never to be heard from again. Including the OP.

I don't consider the NBA officials to be part of some brotherhood, to be honest. Personally, I would prefer if NASO and other national organizations put some everyday HS and small college people in their leadership rather than a bunch of names who forget what it's like to drive 100+ miles to work a $55 game in front of 500 people.

[ncaambbref]

Originally Posted by BBref 654

To ncaambb ref

Grow a pair, have some courage, and sign your name at the bottom of your letter.

I've been officiating college basketball for many years now and have never been happy with the number of assignments I've received. No one ever is. My suggestion to you: stop whining and get better! Joe Forte has more courage and integrity in his little pinky than you do in your whole body. I hope Kyle sees your letter for what it is, a coward's way of complaining and, taking a cheap shot at someone behind the safety a computer.

Sign your name or do us all a favor and go away.....

hum...

[gottalovebball]

Ncaambbref: From the complete lack of valid information in your claims and tone of your complaints, you're clearly inadequate yourself and feel the need to start throwing punches to take the attention off of your own inability. Instead of spending your energy blaming people with completely baseless accusations, spend some time looking at yourself and instead find ways to better yourself as a human being. You would clearly benefit from it.

Shame on you.

[ncaambbref]

Originally Posted by gottalovebball

Ncaambbref: From the complete lack of valid information in your claims and tone of your complaints, you're clearly inadequate yourself and feel the need to start throwing punches to take the attention off of your own inability. Instead of spending your energy blaming people with completely baseless accusations, spend some time looking at yourself and instead find ways to better yourself as a human being. You would clearly benefit from it.

Shame on you.

Personal attacks on me do not change the FACTS!!!

This has NOTHING to do with my ability as a referee. For all yo uknow, I could be in the SEC, Big East, or any other D1 conference. I am voicing my opinion on a situation that again is unfair to those who are working the lockout and were at one point BS referees. Forte excercised his personal agenda against them...plain and simple. Your personal attacks on me matter not.

If Forte had nto treated these guys as he did, we would not have this thread!

[Texas Aggie]

When your job is to assign referees for ball games you get to pick whatever person you want, plain and simple.

Not in all conferences. I know of one high profile conference who fired or didn't renew the contract of a supervisor of officials who didn't assign the conference tournament to the commish's liking.

If I were the conference commissioner, I would call the supervisor and say something like, "while you are the supervisor and you were hired to exercise your discretion, if I find out you were using any criteria other than the quality of officiating -- based on your own criteria -- for assigning officials, you will be terminated. Obviously, your discretion is reviewable, but generally in a long term sense."

Some instituted a drop dead date by which the officials had to chose the NBA or NCAA.

Absolutely nothing wrong with this. I really don't want officials working both NBA and NCAA games in the same season -- or at least, same stretch. But termination -- i.e. not allowing them back at any point -- would not be considered.

[ncaambbref]

Originally Posted by bb_ref

So you’re saying you’re not a replacement referee and therefore haven’t been personally affected by Joe Forte’s alleged bias against replacement referees???? Sounds like you have a personal vendetta against Joe Forte, which make your accusations even less credible. Or is it just that you weren’t assigned enough Big South games and you’re unhappy with your schedule?

If by “convicted felon” you are referring to the federal prosecution of 50+ NBA employees who all failed to pay taxes on their per diem, then yes, he is a convicted felon. David Stern decided to bring back the officials who were prosecuted because they are considered the best in the world. In an effort to “keep it real,” good thing “convicted felons” are given an opportunity to return to their professions or I wouldn’t have the pleasure of watching some of my favorite athletes.

Maybe the NBA referees should look into working college games during the lockout. My guess is your schedule would be even lighter.

I simply said that I NEVER said I was a replacement ref. I said you assumed that. However, I never confirmed or denied your assumption...nuff said.

You can call my allegations whatever you want to call them. Why don't you simply ask officials in th Big South (if you know any of them) if what I am saying is true. Do you own investigation IF it really concerns you...nuff said.

I have no personal vendetta again Forte. I am simply expressing MY opinion on the matter. I did state that many will have a difference of opinion, which you and I clearly have and the poll is 50-50...nuff said.

Yes, I am referring to the tax evasion and it wasn't just on not paying taxes on their per diem...it was clearly an effort to make MORE money by downgrading airfares from 1st class to coach and not paying taxes on that money too. Some would call that stealing! You and and I have to pay our taxes correctly don't we? Obviously, if the FEDS got involved, it was very serious and a felon is a felon regardless of the charge. And most felons cannot VOTE...I may be wrong in this. But, you never responded to whether the NCAA would allow felons to work in the tourney...hum. And Stern did allow them to continue to work. He placed their ability over principle which has come back to bite him and is something that those felon referees have appeared to forget that they are lucky to even still have their jobs in the NBA at all.

But, if the NBA refs worked college hoops during the lockout that would be fine with me. But I guess you're so good that YOUR schedule would not decrease one bit if this happened. BTW, when a few NBA refs got fired from the NBA a few years ago, they went right back to some of the Big 6 leagues...I have no problem with that.

It is a sad state of affairs that if you have talent and are a felon, you are given more opportunity than if you are just a plain Joe...this applies to anything and not just sports. What does that say about our values?

Have a nice day...

[ATJ Ref]

ncaambbref,

Everyone knows that anonymous message boards are a hotbed for disgruntled individuals to vent their frustrations with no consequences. You are clearly a replacement ref who feels slighted, someone with an axe to grind against Forte, or just a plain old internet troll who wants to stir controversy. In any case, you have no spine. For if you did, you would've signed your letter with true conviction, not the principles of a 13 year old girl wanting to sling mud with the other gossip girls.

Good Day.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by ATJ Ref

ncaambbref,

Everyone knows that anonymous message boards are a hotbed for disgruntled individuals to vent their frustrations with no consequences. You are clearly a replacement ref who feels slighted, someone with an axe to grind against Forte, or just a plain old internet troll who wants to stir controversy. In any case, you have no spine. For if you did, you would've signed your letter with true conviction, not the principles of a 13 year old girl wanting to sling mud with the other gossip girls.

Good Day.

And your post should get the same consideration then.

If Forte didn't have a personal conflict of interest, I'd have no problem with his stance. But either he is protecting his job or giving the appearance of trying to protect his job. In this biz, appearances are (apparently) everything.

This is why they shouldn't hire NBA officials as conference assignors, though.