Amongst the fans

[bainsey]

Last night, I took a game between my alma mater, UMaine, and the conference leader (and frequent champion) Vermont. Our Black Bears got off to a 7-1 conference start, but have lost five straight, so it's a grumpy time in the northeast corner.

Late in the game, a UM forward drives, but is met by a UVM defender with LGP by the time of contact. I see a clear charge, but I'm the only one in my section that sees it. The rest of my section goes apedung, as stripes correctly points his fist in the other direction. Meanwhile, I'm telling my teenage son there's no question that's a charge. Sometimes, I wish people would understand what I've been taught. It's really not that hard.

Who else has stories of the trained eye amongst the untrained, yet certain and vocal masses?

[JRutledge]

There are too many of them. Where would I start?

Peace

[APG]

Try any game I watch with friends or at any restaurant.

[26 Year Gap]

I always sit in the referee cheering section so I don't have to deal with it.

[Terrance "TJ"]

I play (SSB on trumpet) for the local JuCo so I'm there every home game, which is my current alma mater, and I had been sitting court level, but the section is full of staff, parents, and just fans that are armchair refs. I couldn't take it anymore. I moved up to the uncomfy wooden nosebleeds after the berating a crew got on a very well called game. I also started bringing my MP3 player just to stick in my ears if the crowd got too bad... The fans in the upper seats be it parents or just fans are the calmer of the home team fans. I've actually explained a couple calls and the whys to the rules and they've been understanding of it. I had tried to explain the no 3 sec. when on a try or tap to a guy in the lower level and he looked at me like I was talking quantum physics or something.
Being a spectator at a game after the training we've gone through definitely takes on a whole different view.

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by Terrance "TJ"

I play (SSB on trumpet) for the local JuCo so I'm there every home game, which is my current alma mater, and I had been sitting court level, but the section is full of staff, parents, and just fans that are armchair refs. I couldn't take it anymore. I moved up to the uncomfy wooden nosebleeds after the berating a crew got on a very well called game. I also starting bringing my MP3 player just to stick in my ears if the crowd got too bad... The fans in the upper seats be it parents or just fans are the calmer of the home team fans. I've actually explained a couple calls and the whys to the rules and they've been understanding of it. I had tried to explain the no 3 sec. when on a try or tap to a guy in the lower level and he looked at me like I was talking quantum physics or something.
Being a spectator at a game after the training we've gone through definitely takes on a whole different view.

No surprise if it took you more than 3, er 2 seconds to explain it.

[tref]

"You know, I'd like to just watch a game as fan sometimes. I dont need you explaining calls to me, just let me root for my team." - My wife

Just goes to show fans dont care about whats right/wrong they want everything to go their teams way. Personally, I cant sit in the stands anymore... many of their comments are just plain stooopid!

[Adam]

Originally Posted by tref

"You know, I'd like to just watch a game as fan sometimes. I dont need you explaining calls to me, just let me root for my team." - My wife

Just goes to show fans dont care about whats right/wrong they want everything to go their teams way. Personally, I cant sit in the stands anymore... many of their comments are just plain stooopid!

I get the same comments from my wife when watching movies and TV shows about sports and military.

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by tref

Just goes to show fans dont care about whats right/wrong they want everything to go their teams way.

I think that has more to do with the heat of the moment.

At the previous UM game, this was the guy sitting next to me:
(at stripes) "That's horrible! No WAY is that right!"
(pause)
(turns to me) "What's the rule on that again?"

For a few seconds, fans react based on their knowledge, and yes, their bias. But ultimately, people want to be informed. They may not like the explanation at that time, but it does serve a long-term purpose a long-term purpose that will help us all. In other words, they'll be far less likely to complain about the same thing later, with the proper knowledge.

By the way, my wife and I have no problem telling each other we're dead wrong. It's been happily that way for nearly 20 years!

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by tref

"You know, I'd like to just watch a game as fan sometimes. I don't need you explaining calls to me, just let me root for my team."

Being an official has ruined my life as a basketball fan. Every time I go to a game in person, or watch one on television, I'm not watching the players, I'm watching the officials. This even happens when I go to UCONN men's, or women's game, and I'm not even a college official. I've had friends, or family, ask me, "Hey BillyMac, wasn't that a great pass?", to which I reply, "What pass? Did you see that official close down on the three point shot?".

When I eventually give up officiating, will I ever be able to go back to being a fan? Please tell me that I can go back. Someone? Please?

[Forksref]

How can you expect fans to understand LGP when coaches don't know it...and in some cases, officials!!??

It's a simple concept.

The blarge is the most complained about call in the game.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Forksref

The blarge is the most complained about call in the game.

How can this be? I've been doing this for thirty years, and I have never had a blarge in any of my games, nor have I seen a blarge in any that I've observed.

[letemplay]

I'll share my story on the thread subject. After about 12 years of calling hs boys varsity and some community college ball, I sat down as my kids reached hs playing age. I have to say, being in the stands as a parent of a player now was quite eye opening. At first I tried, as others have said here, to explain calls and rules to those friends/parents that sat nearby. After a bit, I gave up and just sometimes sat away from those that knew me and my background. Some folks would like the education, most thought I was only supporting my zebra brethren. They knew I knew all the guys on all the games and their preconceived notions surfaced. I found myself also in a bit of inner turmoil as I watched, just as the other parents would, my own kid perform on the court, and be involved in plays that were decided by guys I knew, mostly guys I considered top quality refs. Occasionally, the team would travel into territory of another officials association such as for regional or state play in games. Funny how my feeling of these crews changed since I didn't know these guys, and I became more of a "fan", occasionally being critical, especially, and I'll readily admit this, when I felt my kid got a bum deal. Only human nature I kept telling myself. When he moved on to play college ball well out of the area, and the few times I was able to watch him in person, I began to notice things that I made mental notes I would do if I ever came back to officiate. I felt I could become a better official, if by no other reason than kinda seeing it from that view. I saw what I perceived in hs and college as phantom calls, calls in the moment just because there looked to be something that needed to be cleaned up. Then I remembered doing the same thing at times and for instance maybe wrongfully calling the third foul first half on some nameless faceless kid on some meaningless (to me) mid season game..wrongful in that I might have been guessing on the play or trying to clean something up. I can assure you that player was not nameless to his parents or coach or their fans. That one foul could have changed the nature of the game for the kid personally and the team. I too had felt this as a Dad in the stands, and I vowed to try to do a better job when I came back, mainly in the area of referring the defense more. Try to be sure that kid has actually done something (by rule of course) to deserve that penalty, not just kinda been in the wrong spot. In discussion with my former comrades in stripes about returning to action, I was always quick to say I thought everybody should take a few years and watch from the stands as a parent as I did. Now this may mean only that I needed improvement, not others, but I did find it quite enlightening from a lot of directions.

[grunewar]

Letemplay - good post!

[Loudwhistle2]

Originally Posted by grunewar

Letemplay - good post!

+1 Letemplay, we've walked similar walks. Interesting how your perspectives and experiences matched some of mine.