Why we avoid conflicts of interest

[Rich]

Tonight I had the championship of a holiday tournament, 3-person girls.

The dates on this tourney changed and instead of having a first round game (4 teams, 2 nights) we ended up with the championship.

My regular 3-person crew has a guy who teaches at one of the high schools. After the games were played last night, he noticed that he would end up working the school where he teaches, so he arranged a switch into the consolation game and I get one of those officials.

Fast forward to the second half. That school is getting waxed. I call a shooting foul on one of their players at the other end of the floor from their bench. I report and I hear the coach going on and on about this one call in a 20-point game.

I decide I need to deal with this, so I step into the backcourt where I'm greeted with, "that's a terrible call - I need your address so I can send you a tape so you'll see how horrible that was."

I'm kinder and gentler, so I walked away from him. He kept going, using words like terrible and brutal. I'm not a fan of the stop sign, but I used one here, figuring maybe he'll see that on film. He continued, I whacked.

I should've whacked him after the address remark. I'm getting soft.

Glad the school's teacher wasn't on the game, although I missed working with him.

[Terrapins Fan]

3 years ago, I called 20 "T's"

I got talked to about it.

Last year 7 "T's"

This year Zero so far...maybe I am getting kinder too....not a chance....just a matter of time.

It's part of the job. They know it.

[VaTerp]

How does this show "why we avoid conflicts of interest?"

Perhaps if the official who teaches at the school was in the game, the coach would have been less inclined to take his frustration out on the officials. And I'm not saying the guy should have worked the game. I think he did the right thing.

But just don't see how this really speaks to avoiding conflicts of interest.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by VaTerp

How does this show "why we avoid conflicts of interest?"

Perhaps if the official who teaches at the school was in the game, the coach would have been less inclined to take his frustration out on the officials. And I'm not saying the guy should have worked the game. I think he did the right thing.

But just don't see how this really speaks to avoiding conflicts of interest.

I just don't think it would be good for my partner or the coach if he was on the game. What if my partner would had to assess the second T at some point? It's just a situation officials shouldn't be in.

[zm1283]

I had my first "I'll send you the tape" comment a couple weeks ago in a girls tournament game. I was L on a fast break and the girl traveled after a jump stop. After I blow the whistle and give the signal, he starts in, so I briefly explain to him why I called the violation. He says "I'll send you the tape". He didn't say anything else, so I ignored him. I wanted to reply with "No, I don't want to re-live this garbage...one time is enough" or "Save your postage".

This was the same team whose AC later in the game started saying "Wow!....wow!" after I called a hand check on one of their players. I turned around and addressed it, which shut him up (Even though he said he "Wasn't talking to me"). There was a timeout shortly after this. The AC walks out of the huddle and starts to come toward my partner and I and said he wanted to apologize, but we sent him back promptly. I turned to my partner and asked him what the AC was wanting to apologize for if he wasn't talking to me in the first place...

[chartrusepengui]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

I just don't think it would be good for my partner or the coach if he was on the game. What if my partner would had to assess the second T at some point? It's just a situation officials shouldn't be in.

I have worked some lower level games at the school where I teach. This usually has happened as a last second or emergent situation. AD will come into classroom and see if I was open that night. However - I would NEVER consider a varsity contest with the school I work at. Nothing good could come of it.

I was once assigned a tournament game with my school even after I had listed that school as one I should not work with the state. I called them and thanked them for the assignment but told them I would not work the game and the reason why. After they yelled at me for "not putting that on my form" they told me I would have to just decline the game. I did. 20 minutes later they called back, admitted their error, not mine, and reassigned me to a different site. They thanked me for my "professional integrity".

Good job to you and your partners for making this switch!!

[Rich]

I came very close to ejecting him a few minutes later.

His player had the ball and started a drive. Defender stuck a knee out and the dribbler went right over it, slowing her almost to a stop. I call the block.

He started in with me, arguing the foul on the other team. Said I took away the drive. Trust me, I didn't. She didn't have the talent to drive, plus she was displaced pretty severely. This was personal. If either of the other two had whistled it, he wouldn't have said a word. I told him he really didn't want to pick up another technical.

On a dead ball he made it a point to tell a partner it was only his third T in 14 years. Good for him. I'm guessing he's deserved more.

[doubleringer]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

On a dead ball he made it a point to tell a partner it was only his third T in 14 years. Good for him. I'm guessing he's deserved more.

Don't tell me you're buying that one. I whacked a coach a few years ago and he tells me it is his first T in 10 years. I talked to another crew I know well and the whacked him a few weeks earlier.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by doubleringer

Don't tell me you're buying that one. I whacked a coach a few years ago and he tells me it is his first T in 10 years. I talked to another crew I know well and the whacked him a few weeks earlier.

I told another official (who teaches at the same school) that one and he didn't stop laughing for about five minutes.

I didn't buy it. People have sporadic and selective memories. I'm sure I do, too. For example, I can't remember any real details about my first 5 seasons officiating basketball. Of course, that was 20 years ago and I've probably forgotten more since then than I knew during my first five seasons.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by doubleringer

I whacked a coach a few years ago and he tells me it is his first T in 10 years.

"Well that's a coincidence. For all you know, it's the first one I've given in 20."
--The Book of Things We'd Like to Say

[Andy]

Originally Posted by doubleringer

Don't tell me you're buying that one. I whacked a coach a few years ago and he tells me it is his first T in 10 years. I talked to another crew I know well and the whacked him a few weeks earlier.

I will go you one better.....

I whacked a coach in a boys varsity game, I get the "That's my first T in 4 years" line...Gee, Coach, I guess you forgot the one I gave you three weeks ago at the XXXX tournament!

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Andy

"That's my first T in 4 years" line, Gee, Coach, I guess you forgot the one I gave you three weeks ago at the tournament!

I had to speak to a band director about when to legally play, and not play, during the game. He was playing on all clock stopped throwins. He told me that that was the first time he ever heard of such a rule during the regular season. I told him that I worked one of his games last season and my partner had had talked to him about the same issue. He was dumbfounded.

[doubleringer]

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

3 years ago, I called 20 "T's"

I got talked to about it.

Last year 7 "T's"

This year Zero so far...maybe I am getting kinder too....not a chance....just a matter of time.

It's part of the job. They know it.

I think this is common for many officials, I was one. I probably assessed too many early on, but as I grew to understand the job better, I don't assess as many. Also, I'm sure you're a better official than 3 years ago. You probably don't give them as much to whine about. The last component could be that you are now a familiar face to some of the coaches. You have built a bit of a relationship with them over the last few years.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by doubleringer

I think this is common for many officials, I was one. I probably assessed too many early on, but as I grew to understand the job better, I don't assess as many. Also, I'm sure you're a better official than 3 years ago. You probably don't give them as much to whine about. The last component could be that you are now a familiar face to some of the coaches. You have built a bit of a relationship with them over the last few years.

Life would be much easier if people treated a technical foul as something that isn't all that special. Of course, state associations that demand a report on every technical foul where a coach loses the box don't make it any easier to get that message across.

Coach steps over the line, coach gets whacked, we *all* move on. That's how it *should* be. Should technicals be rare? Yes. Should they be non-existent and treated as nuclear warheads being detonated? NO.

[doubleringer]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Life would be much easier if people treated a technical foul as something that isn't all that special. Of course, state associations that demand a report on every technical foul where a coach loses the box don't make it any easier to get that message across.

Coach steps over the line, coach gets whacked, we *all* move on. That's how it *should* be. Should technicals be rare? Yes. Should they be non-existent and treated as nuclear warheads being detonated? NO.

Couldn't agree more. It's just another foul. I think we all put ourselves and fellow officials in a bad spot when we don't address sportsmanship when warranted. Here in Iowa we have a adaptation to the coach's box and I'm NOT a fan. They can only stand during dead clock periods and only in front of their seat. It takes away opportunities for the coaches to coach their players and us to communicate in appropriate ways with coaches. In my opinion, this rule came about because too many officials were letting coaches be demonstrative and out of line.