Good luck or not?

[chartrusepengui]

Originally Posted by Welpe

Agree completely. I think it is a sign of respect for a player to offer a hand shake or fist bump. I'm not going to pull the ol' Smitty Little League ump move and get in line behind the players to shakes hands but I'm not going to run away from it either.

Agreed! I think that if you will not shake/bump the hand offered you appear to be aloof, disrespectful and unapproachable. If a hand is not offered by one team - fine - no problem but I am always going to shake/bump when it is offered. It is a sign of the kind of young men and women we would like them to become IMHO. I believe it shows a sign of their maturity as well.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by chartrusepengui

Agreed! I think that if you will not shake/bump the hand offered you appear to be aloof, disrespectful and unapproachable. If a hand is not offered by one team - fine - no problem but I am always going to shake/bump when it is offered. It is a sign of the kind of young men and women we would like them to become IMHO. I believe it shows a sign of their maturity as well.

Quite frankly, I only see it here when I work junior college games. The WIAA has a strict protocol for pregame introductions and teams are instructed not to seek out the other players or coaches or the officials for handshakes/fist bumps/etc. They are introduced and come onto the court right in front of their benches.

[chartrusepengui]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Quite frankly, I only see it here when I work junior college games. The WIAA has a strict protocol for pregame introductions and teams are instructed not to seek out the other players or coaches or the officials for handshakes/fist bumps/etc. They are introduced and come onto the court right in front of their benches.

I don't get it much with WI schools either. Mostly with my JUCO schedule and when I am in MI. When the WI schools play a MI school is when I usually get the MI captains shaking hands and the WI captains that won't

[RookieDude]

I don't need or want the fist bump/hand shake during player introductions...I'll interact with the players DURING THE GAME.

Some players...and I do mean SOME...take this oportunity to smash their fist against yours. I turn my fist, so that they hit the "meaty" part of my hand instead of the knuckles...but, it still pi$$es me off when they try the hard fist bump. (call me sensitive, but I wish we would ELIMINATE this pre-game formality...such as some of the college ranks have done)

[Redneck Ref]

"AMEN" Rookie Dude. We should not be part of the pre-game "show" that takes way too long. They run all over the gym shaking hands with coaches, players and some, the student section. The fans are not here to see us.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Redneck Ref

"AMEN" Rookie Dude. We should not be part of the pre-game "show" that takes way too long. They run all over the gym shaking hands with coaches, players and some, the student section. The fans are not here to see us.

Who *cares* about the fans?

Sigh, another ref who wishes we could wear an invisibility cloak. We're not the center of attention, but we *are* part of the game. Why are so many people ashamed of that?

[tref]

Originally Posted by richmsn

who *cares* about the fans?
sigh, another ref who wishes we could wear an invisibility cloak. We're not the center of attention, but we *are* part of the game. Why are so many people ashamed of that?

*amen*

[Adam]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Who *cares* about the fans?

Sigh, another ref who wishes we could wear an invisibility cloak. We're not the center of attention, but we *are* part of the game. Why are so many people ashamed of that?

Yeah, I get tired of that statement, too. We know the fans aren't here to see us, but they aren't there to see the coaches either (at the high school level). They aren't there to see the cheer leaders, either. They aren't there to see the table personnel, either.

I know in this context it's relatively innocuous, but the statement can lead to officials shrinking at the end of a close game. It seems to me it would take more noticeable effor to avoid the handshakes/fist bumps than to just stand there and accept them.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Sigh, another ref who wishes we could wear an invisibility cloak.

Does Honig's carry those?

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by RookieDude

I don't need or want the fist bump/hand shake during player introductions...I'll interact with the players DURING THE GAME.

I disagree strongly.

Dissuading sportsmanship is not the way to go. If the players want to take a few extra seconds and shake/bump our hands, enjoy the respect. I'll even notify the coach of a "best handshake award" (firm, eye contact).

When the teams stress respect for us, it can only make thing better. To even suggest that you don't want handshakes only makes us more distant and unapproachable.

[tref]

Originally Posted by bainsey

I disagree strongly.

Dissuading sportsmanship is not the way to go. If the players want to take a few extra seconds and shake/bump our hands, enjoy the respect. I'll even notify the coach of a "best handshake award" (firm, eye contact).

When the teams stress respect for us, it can only make thing better. To even suggest that you don't want handshakes only makes us more distant and unapproachable.

I agree! In addition to our attire upon arriving at the school & taking the floor in a professional manner, the fist bump only helps set the the tone prior to the toss.

[RookieDude]

Originally Posted by bainsey

Dissuading sportsmanship is not the way to go..

Who said anything about "dissuading sportsmanship"?

Originally Posted by bainsey

enjoy the respect.

Respect? The coach probably MAKES them do the hand bump/shake...so they don't SEEM disrespectful, since almost every team does it now.

Originally Posted by bainsey

To even suggest that you don't want handshakes only makes us more distant and unapproachable.

Brother... Then there must be a lot of "distant and unapproachable" conferences, associations, and officials who would prefer this formality go away. Like I said...I'll interact with the players DURING THE GAME.

Hey, if you think you need a fist bump with the kids to show your "sportsmanship"...fine...but, to question ones lack of respect or approachability because they would prefer not to, is silly...IMHO.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by RookieDude

Who said anything about "dissuading sportsmanship"?

Respect? The coach probably MAKES them do the hand bump/shake...so they don't SEEM disrespectful, since almost every team does it now.

Brother... Then there must be a lot of "distant and unapproachable" conferences, associations, and officials who would prefer this formality go away. Like I said...I'll interact with the players DURING THE GAME.

Hey, if you think you need a fist bump with the kids to show your "sportsmanship"...fine...but, to question ones lack of respect or approachability because they would prefer not to, is silly...IMHO.

I agree, while I have no issue with the handshakes/fistbumps per se, I'm not under any illusions that they are some sort of altruistic display of sportsmanship either.

It's like my 5 y/o son saying please; he does it because he's told to (most of the time).

And to even suggest that one person suggesting he doesn't care for the pleasantries means anything with regard to approachability is the very definition of "non sequitur." It's also hyperbole.

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by RookieDude

Who said anything about "dissuading sportsmanship"?

Actions speak louder than words. If you prefer not to receive a handshake from a player, you're sending a message that sportsmanship isn't important to you. Interpersonal relations go a long way on the floor.

Respect? The coach probably MAKES them do the hand bump/shake...so they don't SEEM disrespectful, since almost every team does it now.

And why do coaches make the players do it? Because coaches are role models -- as are we -- and it's the right thing to teach the kids.

Hey, if you think you need a fist bump with the kids to show your "sportsmanship"...fine...but, to question ones lack of respect or approachability because they would prefer not to, is silly...IMHO.

Never said we "need" it; that's up to the players and coaches. I'm saying it's bad to discourage it. If a player wants to pay us some respect, accept it with a smile. If you prefer to be jaded, that could come back to haunt you later.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by bainsey

That's the crux of our disagreement.

The fact My opinion is, like it or not, much of what we do has a ripple effect, intended or not. If we come off as unsportsmanlike, it just plain doesn't look good.

Fixed it for you.

Originally Posted by bainsey

JRut nails it. People will draw conclusions, sometimes just to suit them. However, nearly everyone will infer that something is wrong if an official has an aversion to handshakes. That's not hyperbole, nor hysteria (talk about overstatements). That's reality, and it's far from meaningless.

My overstatement was inentional (thus making it hyperbole); but I admit it was an overstatement. You're drawing way too much.

I don't think even Rookie Dude would walk away from a player trying to shake hands or fist bump. Here's your post to which I took exception:

Originally Posted by bainsey

I disagree strongly.

Fair enough. That's what we do around here.

Originally Posted by bainsey

Dissuading sportsmanship is not the way to go.

Generic and unobjectionable opinion.

Originally Posted by bainsey

If the players want to take a few extra seconds and shake/bump our hands, enjoy the respect. I'll even notify the coach of a "best handshake award" (firm, eye contact).

I really hope you're kidding here, so I'll refrain from saying it's stupid. If you're not, and you get laughs with it, well, there's not much more for me to say.

Originally Posted by bainsey

When the teams stress respect for us, it can only make thing better.

Here I disagree. Telling their kids to shake our hands only reinforces a pleasantry; that's it. The best way a coach can stress respect for the officials is to display it during the game; not insist on a meaningless formality before the game.

Originally Posted by bainsey

To even suggest that you don't want handshakes only makes us more distant and unapproachable.

This is hyperbole (it's what I was referring to before); unless you really think RD is going to damage player/official relations by his anonymous statements on an officiating board. In that case, I can't help you.