Summer Ball - all this fun and I get paid too?

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

And I completely disagree with an attitude like that. Imo you should try to treat the next situation exactly the same way that you treat every situation. You react to that particular situation based only on what happens during that particular situation. And all coaches(good and bad) should always be treated exactly the same as any other coach, no matter what happened in the past.

Treat exactly the same? I cannot agree with that at all. Even coaches do not treat their players exactly the same. Why would I treat coaches the same when they do not treat us the same. I am not saying go out and get a coach, but if a coach and I have had a problem, I might say little to nothing to that coach. I know I would probably tell my partners that I have had "history" with that coach.

There is a coach in my state that me and him never seemed to get along. It all started in a summer basketball game and every time I had him after that things would get worse. And I would have this guy every year in a major tournament. Then because I worked in his conference, I would have him again during the season and in a tournament shootout. It was to the point where it was becoming a distraction to working the games. And I never gave this guy a T, but he would go around and tell people that I was trying to throw him out of games. He even told partners this during the game and I would have the fewest fouls and say almost nothing to him unless he had a question (which he never did, just whined the entire game). And one of the reasons I hate the stop sign is the interaction I had with this coach who I gave that sign to him and it did nothing but make the situation worse. Then this same coach confronted me off the court, in a hospitality room where my mom happened to be there and even media members were present. And you think I do not see this guy in games and think of him the same as if nothing happened? Not a chance. It was so bad or obvious, that it became a running joke in a small circle my relationship or lack there of with this coach. He has not let it go; you think I am going to just be like, "OK, clean slate." I might not hold a grudge, but I certainly am not going to be phony either.

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

As officials, what we personally think of any participant in a game should never have any bearing on any call that we make or influence us to do something that we would normally not do in similar situations. It's human nature to maybe like or dislike someone for varying reasons, but that should never be a factor imo in anything that we do during a game.

My comments have nothing to do with calls. I am not talking about what I call. I am talking about what I might do to handle a very hostile situation with a particular person. If it was hostile before, it might be hostile again. And in order to prevent that, I would like to act like there was a past and not act like nothing took place before. I know the coach or player will not give it a clean slate, so I would not treat it the same either.

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

A comment like "going to enjoy T'ing him up" sends the wrong message to anyone that believes that officials should be neutral and have short memories. I've had good, level-headed coaches blow up at me when I screwed up a call at a critical point in a game. I deal with it and then forget it. There's no need ever to treat the dickhead coaches any differently imo.

Fair's fair.

I agree in principle that makes since. But reality is that we have all had situations with coaches and we walk away thinking we did not handle the first situation the best and try to learn from them. And then we go into the next game thinking we will not allow that to happen again and might say something to that effect. In my experience I have said to myself a similar thing, but then the coach realizes they are on borrowed time and do not reach the same level and nothing happens. Funny how that works sometimes.

Peace