Letter to Big South Commish regarding Joe Forte

[ncaambbref]

Commissioner Kyle Kallander
Big South Conference
7233 Pineville-Matthews Road, Suite 100
Charlotte, N.C. 28226

October 17, 2009

Dear Commissioner Kallander:

Greetings. It is with great displeasure that I am writing you about an issue that some officials feel is unfair and unprofessional treatment that is being displayed on and to some of your officials within your conference regarding officiating men’s basketball.

Unfortunately, the National Basketball Association and its referees are at odds pertaining to contract negotiations. Due to the fact that no agreement has been reached, the NBA has decided to lockout its officials until a contract agreement can be reached. In the meantime, Joe Forte, the supervisor of officials in the Big South Conference and current NBA referee, has decided that he would either fire or not assign games to any NCAA official who decided to take the opportunity to assist the NBA and gain invaluable experience by working the lockout for the NBA.

Joe Forte’s actions lack integrity and scream unprofessionalism by disregarding the fact that NCAA officials are independent contractors and have no obligation to honor the negotiation disputes that the NBA referees are currently experiencing with the NBA by not accepting an opportunity to officiate in the NBA during the lockout.

The NBA is a dream for many NCAA officials just as the NBA is a dream for many NCAA players. For Joe Forte to take a personal agenda against officials who have been identified by the NBA should be cause for him to be fired immediately or at the very least, publically reprimanded for his actions. Joe Forte has shown that he cannot separate his personal agenda from business and his actions are denying the Big South Conference from having some of the best officials it can have on the floor because he is mad about the NBA using some of the Big South’s referees.

We request that the officials who Joe Forte has fired or denied games be immediately reinstated or given games. To sit back and do nothing would be condoning his actions and allowing him to take out his personal agenda against officials who had nothing to do with the issues that are between the NBA and its referees.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

CC: David Stern, NBA
Ron Johnson, NBA
John Adams, NCAA
Dawn Turner, Big South
Joe Forte, NBA and Big South
USA Today
Yahoo Sports

[mick]

Lack of signature shows the depth of sincerity.

If the NBA refs picketed, would the players' union cross the line?

[dahoopref]

From what I've heard, John Adams is not too high on NCAA officials working for the NBA either.

Interesting letter.

[Back In The Saddle]

While I agree it seems unfair, independent contractorship is a two way street. Just as NCAA refs -- a term I use for convenience in speaking, we all know the NCAA does not have an officiating staff -- are free to work wherever and for whomever they like, assigners and commissioners are free to hire whom thy like.

This issue is definitely not unique to this situation. Anyone who works for multiple assigners has to deal with it to some extent. Even in my officiating career, which is modest by any standard, I have run into this issue.

Nevertheless, good luck with the letter.

[B-Ball Assignor]

In the referee world you always make decisions. The referees who decided to work these NBA games during the lockout had to make that decision knowing the pro and the cons. Many turned the NBA down because the cons far out weighed the pros. If you accepted the NBA offer and worked you had to know there will be some backlash. I have that decision to make on the people who worked the NBA games.

[ncaambbref]

Moderator Mick:

While the lack of signature may indicate lack of sincerity to you, you failed to take the letter for its content instead of focusing on whether or not the letter is signed. The content of the letter is nevertheless true. That is what matters.

Regarding John Adams, he has publically already stated at NCAA clinics that unless you work in a high profile league, i.e. the Big 6, you will not officiate in the regionals. What difference should it matter to the NCAA if officials work the lockout. The NCAA season has yet to play a game!

Furthermore, officials who have mid-majors as their primary leagues have NO opportunity to advance past the 1st or 2nd rounds, no matter how well they officiate in the tourney IF they get selected at all. That is "elitist" treatment in itself. However, that is another story.

The fact of the matter is that Joe Forte should not exercise his PERSONAL agenda against officials who decide to take the opportunity of officiating in the NBA during the lockout. Another fact...17 of the veterans NBA referees were at one point in time lockout referees themselves. For Joe to treat them the way illustrates a bit of hypocrisy.

If an official makes a decision, he has to live with that decision, but to hide behind the title of assignor or coordinator of officials to hinder someone or attempt to control who they work for or when they work is nothing but an attempt to demonstrate power. That is NOT treating someone fairly.

Keep it real!!

[B-Ball Assignor]

Any referee will tell you that they have been treated unfairly sometime during their career. Coaches blackball you, conferences drop you, you don't move into the tournament, etc.. “It's choice--not chance--that determines your destiny.”

[bb_ref]

Let’s be honest, Joe Forte and all the other NBA referees have every right and reason to lose respect for the college referees who have chosen to work for the NBA during the lockout. Every “scab” referee who has agreed to work during this time has significantly weakened the referee’s bargaining position with the League. I commend those officials who refused the NBA’s offer. It’s ironic that ncaambbref says that it’s always been a dream of his to work as an NBA referee, yet he fails to recognize and respect the recent sacrifices made by Joe Forte and the other NBA referees as they demand fair compensation and benefits and fight for the integrity of their profession, not only for current referees but for all those referees who join the League in the future.

Ncaambbref, you have chosen to work for the NBA during the lockout, you are an independent contractor with the NCAA, and as an independent contractor you have never been entitled to game assignments in any conference. Those assigning referees to NCAA games SHOULD give the games to the officials who have shown their loyalty to college basketball and are not currently working for the NBA.

My guess is that ncaambbref didn’t sign this letter because he’s been advised that if Joe Forte is fired or publicly reprimanded based on these ridiculous and unproven accusations, ncaambbref will be defending himself in a defamation suit.

FACT CHECK: Joe Forte, Steve Javie and others REFUSED to work the lockout in the early 80’s prior to being hired by the NBA. Clearly, he’s no hypocrite.

[ncaambbref]

It is not defamation when it is true. Yes every official has probably been treated unfairly at some level (high school or college) and yes officials get dropped by conferences from time to time. But don't claim that we are independent contractors just as a matter of convenience. If Joe is going to do this to officials, why not make it known? Bottomline is, his treatment of these officials for this reason is TRUE! Everyone in the Big South knows it.

The game of basketball is bigger than any one referee and any one union. Everyone may have a difference of opinion on this matter, but bottomline, the GAME of BASKETBALL WILL BE PLAYED no matter WHO officiates it.

Also, I stated that 17 at one time worked during a lockout. I never said that Forte was one of them. And never did I mention Javie's name.

Let's pose this scenario: would it be right if high school assignors FIRED every official who got a chance to work Jr. College or NAIA? What if every DII assignor fired officials who worked DI? Silly as it may seem but think about that when you criticize this letter. Stand on principle...right is right and fair is fair. Period!!!

Oh yeah, and when you discuss that Forte is fighting for the integrity of their profession...let's not forget that he is a CONVICTED FELON!!! Let me say that again...FELON!!! Do you think the NCAA would let a felon work? But the NBA referees' union made it so that they could still be a part of the NBA. How many other jobs would allow a felon to make six figures? Give me a break...

One more thing...I never said that I was a replacement ref either. You assumed that...

Have a nice day.

[B-Ball Assignor]

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

[Rich]

Originally Posted by B-Ball Assignor

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

And an assignor serves at the pleasure of the league. If I was a commissioner and my assignor used a personal conflict of interest to make hiring decisions, I would be looking for a new assignor.

(And I'm just a little ole HS ref (who works an occasional JC game) who has no skin in this game whatsoever.)

[ncaambbref]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

And an assignor serves at the pleasure of the league. If I was a commissioner and my assignor used a personal conflict of interest to make hiring decisions, I would be looking for a new assignor.

(And I'm just a little ole HS ref (who works an occasional JC game) who has no skin in this game whatsoever.)

Well said...again, right is right.

Yes, assignors are free to assign whomever they wish, but it should not be done based on prejudicial feelings or discrminatory in any manner. Because these officials took an opportunity, Forte exercised bias toward them.

BTW, word on the street is that he is under fire because of his actions. The NBA may not approve him to have outside employment (Assignor of the Big South) now and the Big South is investigating his treatment of these officials. So again, it is not defamatory when the allegations are TRUE! This may be the end of his assigning days...hopefully, anyway.

[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.