Forde: Blow the whistle on overworked officials

[Scrapper1]

Without going into the specifics of the article, haven't we all said something similar? Jeez, how can these guys work 90 games in 120 days with all the driving and air travel in between?

It's a reasonable question to ask whether the schedule and the travel induce enough fatigue to impact performance. The guys in question work that much because somebody feels confident in their performance. But it's not an unreasonable question.

I will agree that some of the assumptions in the article are not warranted.

[Rich]

The only way this is going to change is to make these guys employees and pay them a salary -- something no conference (or the NCAA) has been willing to do.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

The only way this is going to change is to make these guys employees and pay them a salary -- something no conference (or the NCAA) has been willing to do.

Use some common sense? And develop new officials at the same time?

Blasphemy! Blasphemy, I tell ya.

Next thing you know somebody might come up with the dumb idea of also maybe using the senior guys as trainer/evaluators on their rest days if they actually were salaried. Get 'em out doing that in the smaller conferences. Maybe get a further positive return on their knowledge and experience. Naw, that'll never happen.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

The only way this is going to change is to make these guys employees and pay them a salary -- something no conference (or the NCAA) has been willing to do.

Or put stipulations in the contracts about activities permitted during a specified time frame before the game.

[jdw3018]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

Or put stipulations in the contracts about activities permitted during a specified time frame before the game.

This would work, but only once all conferences do it. The Big 12 (for example) isn't going to be the first to essentially limit guys when the big dogs would then be incentivized to say, "Thanks, but no thanks, B12. I'll just go work B10/SEC games on those days and still be able to work MVC/Southland/Sun Belt/Whatever the night before."

While only those officials with real clout could pull it off (because they'd get hired in any of those conferences), they are the ones the rules are written for.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Scrapper1

Without going into the specifics of the article, haven't we all said something similar? Jeez, how can these guys work 90 games in 120 days with all the driving and air travel in between?

It's a reasonable question to ask whether the schedule and the travel induce enough fatigue to impact performance. The guys in question work that much because somebody feels confident in their performance. But it's not an unreasonable question.

...

As someone who is on the bottom rung of a few college conferences I will b!tch and moan to my buddies about this. But then I look at my HS schedule and notice and me and a 3 or 4 other guys are always working the "big" games when we are available. Or how me and a D1 guy are working a run-of-the-mill private school game this Friday when our board only has 2-3 games to cover.

The problem isn't really the major (BCS) conferences over-working these guys. It's that the mid-majors and D2/D3 conferences want to work these guys every chance possible. So if Teddy V has an open date you can be rest assured that the Southern Conference and SWAC are going to utilize his services.

Check out the boxscores for the A-Sun or Southern or Sun Belt on days when the Big 6 don't have games.

[26 Year Gap]

I wonder if that is what happened to Billy Packer?

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by Scrapper1

I will agree that some of the assumptions in the article are not warranted.

Assumptions may have been avoided with one simple sentence: "Calls to Mr. O'Connell were not returned."

Yes, officials don't talk to the media, especially D-I officials, and I'm sure the author knew this. Still, had the author made an attempt to contact the subject and tell him the reason for the piece, and the subject declined comment, at least the author said he made an attempt. Without an attempt, such assumptions are more difficult to accept.

[youngref33]

Whats the numbers mean next to their names?

[biz]

Originally Posted by youngref33

Whats the numbers mean next to their names?

That was my question. At first I was thinking age, I'm not sure how old O'Connell is, but he certainly looks older than 30, and given that he's been around for awhile that can't possibly be true. Then I saw 31 next to Teddy V's name and I KNOW he's not 31 years old...Hell I think he worked his first Final Four almost 25 years ago.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by youngref33

Whats the numbers mean next to their names?

Some sort of footnote. They are also numbers next to team names in another part of the article.

[Rich]

He drops so many names or teams in an article. That's his count. Nothing more.

[KenThree]

Author's name is Pat Forde (pronounced "Forty") and the column is called Forde Minutes. Makes sense with the pronunciation guide. He puts a number next to each subject of his column, counting from 1-40 each time he writes. O'Connell was the 30th team or person he mentioned this week, while Valentine was 31st.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by big jake

Tony Greene work last Friday night in Louisville and game was not over untill after 11PM. He was in Knoxville the next day for a noon tip off and on sunday he was in Miami for another afternoon game.

So?

[Adam]

Originally Posted by big jake

Tony Greene work last Friday night in Louisville and game was not over untill after 11PM. He was in Knoxville the next day for a noon tip off and on sunday he was in Miami for another afternoon game.

So freaking what?

It's not unusual for high school officials to work a day job Friday, drive an hour to a double header, get home at 11:00 pm, then get up the next day and drive an hour to a 3:00 double header on Saturday.