Rick Riley Artcle on ESPN.com

Thought everyone on the site would have fun with this one. Plus I'd be interested to hear if there are any guys on here who have officiated some of these games and what their thoughts were.

ESPN The Magazine - Rick Reilly: A high school basketball coach runs up the score - ESPN

[26 Year Gap]

In FL, there is a 35 point rule. If you are up by 35 in the second half, the clock is running except for timeouts & the end of the qtr. Something like that passes in TX, problem solved.

[Mark Padgett]

I think the other coaches should get together and refuse to play this team. Taking a forfeit is much better than being belittled and having it rubbed in. Someone should bolt this to his head with a jackhammer.

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

I think the other coaches should get together and refuse to play this team. Taking a forfeit is much better than being belittled and having it rubbed in. Someone should bolt this to his head with a jackhammer.

They might be in some kind of a conference that prohibits it. [not the emblem--the ability to forfeit]

[jearef]

I know I'll take some heat for saying this, but if he's up 75 and still pressing, I'm calling a foul on every steal. Anything close to contact gets a whistle. If he says anything other than "I get the message", he gets whacked.

He is everything that is wrong with high school sports. Shameful.

[SCalScoreKeeper]

Very good article!

I agree completely with those who say that this guy is everything wrong with HS basketball. He needs to be FIRED as an example to other coaches who think this is a perfectly acceptable practice! This would not be possible in California as we also have the mercy rule which runs the game clock when the spread reaches 40 in the 4'th quarter. The AD's in his league need to realign and motion to eject them from their league! If that does not work I would forfeit out of principle as an opposing administrator/coach.

[APG]

Originally Posted by jearef

I know I'll take some heat for saying this, but if he's up 75 and still pressing, I'm calling a foul on every steal. Anything close to contact gets a whistle. If he says anything other than "I get the message", he gets whacked.

He is everything that is wrong with high school sports. Shameful.

As much as I might not like a coach's tactic, I'm not going to make up fouls that aren't there.

[just another ref]

The other thing which is notable from an official's perspective, is that the whining and sarcasm in a game like this tends to come from the side which is losing.

"I guess they never foul."

"Oh, yeah, he called another one on us."

"Come on, call something."

You're down 60 and I'm the one to blame?

I think many take it for granted that the officials will/should "help us out a little bit."

And many officials will. It is hard not to sometimes, and not something anyone is likely to complain about even if it is obvious that it is happening.

But it ain't part of our job.

[Judtech]

I have had two of these types of blow outs the last two years but they were both different. In one game, the team won by 85 points. However, the winning team did not press, ran what I would imagine would be EVERYone of their offensive sets all the way through and did not fast break. All of the players played, the skill level was just that disproportionate.
In the other game the team ended up winnig 125-24. This team however had their stars in the whole game (2 girls only got in for less than 2 minutes at the end). They continued to press and fast break all nite. While I was not going to make up any fouls, I was going to have a lower tolerance of contact from the winning team. Most of the time the losing team would just dribble it off their feet etc. I remember calling one foul on the losing team and the coach wanted to know why I called that ticky tack foul when her team was losing by so much. I replied "Coach, I figured you would want to set up a defense instead of giving up a fast break" She smiled and agreed. I figured we LET that type of call go for a team SCORING a lay up, why not switch it!!! This type of 'coaching' has no place in HS sports.
(As a side note, a team this year beat a team 84-4. Their coach told them that they either had to score 100 or hold the other team under 10 or they would run. While this team won the conference, none of the coaches voted for this coach as COY - which traditionaly goes to the coach of the conf champs - and only put 1 of his players on the first team all Conference squad!)

[Amesman]

Administrators need to grow some and stand up to this. It's prep sports and teaches nothing otherwise.

[GoodwillRef]

Originally Posted by Jerry Blum

Thought everyone on the site would have fun with this one. Plus I'd be interested to hear if there are any guys on here who have officiated some of these games and what their thoughts were.

ESPN The Magazine - Rick Reilly: A high school basketball coach runs up the score - ESPN

What a A$$ BAG!!!!

[grunewar]

Jerk.

Nuf sed.

[riden]

Originally Posted by jearef

I know I'll take some heat for saying this, but if he's up 75 and still pressing, I'm calling a foul on every steal. Anything close to contact gets a whistle. If he says anything other than "I get the message", he gets whacked.

He is everything that is wrong with high school sports. Shameful.

You won't take heat from me.

[Rich]

I call these games straight up. I am such a small part of the process, I don't feel I have any place inserting myself into the coach's a$$baggery.

I worked a 73-12 game on Tuesday night. I've seen talk of a mercy rule / running clock and frankly, I don't see it as necessary in basketball. Game's over pretty quick as it is.

WOW 73-12? I hope that wasn't post-season action. Talk about game management!