I guess anyone can write a blog.
 

Funny article

Peace

What makes it funny is that he actually believe what he writes.

I would've read closer if the guy could've put two sentences together without a spelling or grammar mistake. Some people just have no pride in their work.

My two favorites among the comments posted:

God only knows what over-the-back means anymore.

.....these refs, aside from getting booed and heckled, get a free pass

This has to be Padgett trying to string together as many cliches as possible into one post. I'd say more but I don't want to be considered arrogant.

Illinois guys, any truth to the "an official can only work state finals 3 times" part? Did he for get the "consecutive" in there?

Yes that is kind of true. Some very rare situations guys work 4. But the point is there are a lot of qualified officials and it takes a long time to get to your first title. They want to give other guys a shot and if you work three someone else needs a chance.

Peace

There's an argument that they could restrict people to one and you'd still have plenty of qualified people waiting their chance.

True, but if there was not a limit then there would be those that would complain that someone does not deserve more opportunities. And in the person they referenced by name is a very good official, but there are officials that are just as good and have never worked a single Super Sectional, let alone the State Finals. I think many of those guys at some point deserve a chance. Our state whether you like it or not does not just give someone their first playoff games one year and the next you get a Final. By the time someone gets their third they have been around.

Peace

Sorry, I wasn't clear in what I wrote. I am saying it's a positive thing to restrict the number of visits. Why should *anyone* get nine state tournaments (for example) when there are people out there who are good officials who get hired by all the local conferences and work full schedules year-after-year sit home?

No officials are so good that the tournament is markedly poorer but for their absence. One official or even a small group of officials are simply not that important.

I totally agree with you. And I did not take it that you were disagreeing, just I have heard that argument before by a few officials that have got to their limit.

Peace

REF in all caps
 

So, JAR, was that you with the eloquent response near the end of all those comments, or was that a case of identity theft?

Wasn't me. Can't even spell ellaquint.

Got it, I actually kind of misread what that meant and compared it to MN where an official can only work ANY state tourney game (quarter, semi or final) 3 years in a row before having to sit out a year. That's not the same as what we're talking about here.

This was my favorite comment:

"By Refump on January 31, 2011 10:49 AM
Anyone ever send this guy a note critical of his writing?
Sports writers are great at ctiticising, but are HORRIBLE at taking criticism."

I would love to know what "ctiticising" is. ;)

That's when something's really bothering someone so much they need to get it off their chest

I agree with you there. Unfortunately in Iowa, many of the same guys work year after year, both boys and girls state tournaments. There are guys who work both tournaments 15 consecutive years or more. The same holds true in baseball. I have a hard time believing there are so few good officials in the entire state that they have to use the same officials every year. It seems that once a person gets the chance, which is rare, they will get to come back on a pretty regular basis until their officiating career is finished.

Are you talking State Finals or just tournament? I am asking because the State Finals is very different than State Tournament. I have no problem with officials working in the State tournament for years if they have the ratings and considered the best. But working the State Finals would be another issue as that is the top level. And we have 4 separate tournaments that start (technically 8 if you include classes and genders) and not everyone is available to work all of them. As a matter of fact many do not make themselves available for all of them.

Peace

Is This Fallout From The Tim Donaghy Situation ???
 

"As an official, you can't go into a game, any game, with an agenda, other than to do the best job possible".

"It is apparent some refs have an agenda. It may be subconscious but it is obvious nonetheless".

I give up. For the life of me I don't know of any officials having agendas other than to do the best job possible, especially in high school varsity games. Maybe, in some low level games, we get a few guys who want to get in, get out, and get paid, but that's the exception, not the rule.

Just what agenda are they blogging about? Are they implying that some of us are cheating? If so, I can feel my shirt ripping ...

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/images/thumbn...c481284c1107f1

That is why anyone can write a blog. I have no idea what that agenda would be either. And since I am from the area in many cases we will not see a team more than once in a few years. And if we keep going back it is probably because the game we are on is a bigger game in the conference and we happened to be open. Unlike many here we do not work for one Grand Puba that puts us on big game in the area. We might not be available for certain games at all during the season for certain assignors and in which we might not work a so-called "big game" or even the top teams. Most games are not all that or have that great of players.

Peace

My guess is Mike's talking about the officials who go to Des Moines for the State Tournament; essentially the Elite 8 for each division (IMS).

That is what I thought and I am sure that is what he meant.

Peace

Correct, that is what I was talking about.

I think that is what many of them are implying, that some of us cheat or try to screw over certain coaches or teams. I can honestly say that I have never worked a game where I cared who won, nor have I ever worked with another official who seemed to care either; and we have all worked games with certain coaches who are always unpleasant to deal with. That doesn't mean we try to influence the outcome of the game to get back at them. I wish some of these coaches and fans could listen in on my post game discussions with my partners. We don't talk about who won the game; we talk about how we worked as a team and critique our own performances. I think most officials are harder on themselves than fans and coaches would believe. I always try to be critical of myself in an attempt to improve and so do most of the guys I work with regularly.

Are there bad officials? Sure there are, just like there are bad coaches, players, doctors, salesmen, welders etc. It's been my experience that the bad ones don't last very long and that those of us who stick around awhile try very hard to improve and achieve excellence. To me that is the real beauty of officiating, being able to do a difficult task that most would be afraid to try, and to work well together as a crew and call a great game. People that have never worn a whistle don't understand what goes into it and never will.