Welmer out...

[biz]

Originally Posted by Mr. Ref

He certainly looked to be laboring a little bit while running.

He's been laboring running for the last decade, but the coaches and the conference assignors obviously love him.

For my money I think he calls a good game, but one has to wonder if he had scaled down his schedule, like some of his contemporaries (Higgins and Burr to name two), he might have been able to avoid some of the injuries.

[jdw3018]

Originally Posted by biz

He's been laboring running for the last decade, but the coaches and the conference assignors obviously love him.

For my money I think he calls a good game, but one has to wonder if he had scaled down his schedule, like some of his contemporaries (Higgins and Burr to name two), he might have been able to avoid some of the injuries.

Scaling down obviously would have decreased his chances of injury. But, it also decreases (pretty significantly) his earning potential. When you're to the point he is, if that's your primary source of income, it's easy to take a "get it while you can" mentality.

It's easy for us to sit here and say he should take some time off. But it's awful hard when taking a night off means giving up more than what many take home every two weeks.

[biz]

Originally Posted by jdw3018

Scaling down obviously would have decreased his chances of injury. But, it also decreases (pretty significantly) his earning potential. When you're to the point he is, if that's your primary source of income, it's easy to take a "get it while you can" mentality.

It's easy for us to sit here and say he should take some time off. But it's awful hard when taking a night off means giving up more than what many take home every two weeks.

I totally agree with you, but some of the guys his age have realized that reducing their schedule might allow them to continue working.

If I were Welmer I'd want to keep doing games for as long as possible and doing 100 games (along with the requisite travel) every year is going to shorten his career.

To the Final Four point...He hasn't worked the 2nd weekend in a long time, so I think that he knew the Final Four ship sailed long ago. I wonder (and there's probably no answer to this) if he worked fewer games if he would have been fresher at the end of the season and might have got that FF assignment that every DI ref dreams of somewhere along the way.

[bigdogrunnin]

Welmer is almost 60 years old. He has been at the highest level for more than 25 years. He isn't worried about "extending" his career, he wants another shot at THE Dance!

As for INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS, well, they are their own business, and they are able to dictate how much or how little they can handle.

As for the rest of us who wish we were in his shoes . . . the door is opening, now what are we going to do about it.

[biz]

Originally Posted by bigdogrunnin

Welmer is almost 60 years old. He has been at the highest level for more than 25 years. He isn't worried about "extending" his career, he wants another shot at THE Dance!

As for INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS, well, they are their own business, and they are able to dictate how much or how little they can handle.

As for the rest of us who wish we were in his shoes . . . the door is opening, now what are we going to do about it.

I assume that Mr. Welmer enjoys what he does and would like to continue for as long as possible.

As for the Final Four...bigdog, do you really think he has any shot at a Final Four? He hasn't worked the tournament at all for the last two years, and he worked one game each in 2006 and 2007.

Now you and I would love to have worked a career that even remotely resembles his and I would come close to killing for one shot to work a game in the NCAA tourney, but he's been there and done that. Judging by his recent record I would be shocked if he ever got the chance to work the FF even if he comes back completely healthy

[mbyron]

His assignors will be looking for a replacement.

I'm available.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by mbyron

His assignors will be looking for a replacement.

I'm available.

Shameless.