Fun, fun, fun!

ChuckElias · #1 (**permalink**) Tue Dec 03, 2002, 11:01am

Juco game last night. Community college vs. the JV of a 4-year college. Juco team (playing at home) took an early lead, but then began playing out of control, I called about 8 offensive fouls and my partner had a few more. They blew the lead and 3 minutes into the 2nd half, they found themselves down by 20. Frustration set in, and play began to get more and more rough. My partner and I were calling a LOT of fouls. I should've called one intentional, but didn't. Around 7 minutes left in 2nd half, JV player bobbles the ball while taking a couple steps. No whistle. Juco player #4 tells me my officiating ability is sub-par. I T'd him.

At 4:56 (2nd half), juco player #34 commits his 5th personal foul. He then shouts to the crowd a word that begins with F, ends with K, and isn't "Firetruck". My partner T's #34. Juco head coach then yells across the floor to my partner (and I quote, ok? I'm not making this up), "Are you wearing a reffing patch, or a smoking patch?!?"

Now aside from the fact that this is quite possibly the lamest, stupidest put-down I've ever heard, you have to understand that we don't wear any patches for our college games around here. Also, he had made the exact same comment to me earlier, except that he said it when I was right next to him and I don't think anybody else heard it. I was so stunned by his lameness, that I just put my arms out to show him no patches and gave him a look that I hoped said "Huh?!?!"

Anyway, b/c it was shouted across the floor and everyone heard it, my partner T'd him. While we're shooting the FT's good old #4 is giving my partner the Rasheed treatment. Trying to stare him down, telling him that call's just not right. Parnter tells him to stop talking, and stop eyeballing him. Player stops right in front of him and stares him down. Partner T's him. That's his second and he's done.

#4, however, doesn't want to leave the gym. I inform him that he has to leave. Finally, he leaves and we continue. Once play resumes, there is another call and one of the juco players says something and his teammate says "Hey, just shut up or they'll call another T!"

Ding!

Anyway, the last 4 minutes went by without any more fireworks.

As we're leaving the gym, there's #4 sitting right outside the gym door. He says, "See I'm still not mad at ya. Ya punk-@$$".

We shower and dress and head out to our cars, and -- what a surprise -- there's somebody at the door. I think it was #4, but he'd gotten dressed and I'm not 100% sure it was him. (I'm 99% sure, tho) He walks out behind us and says to me "I'll shoot [or maybe he said "do"] you like the DC sniper". I reach my car and drive to my partner's car to make sure he doesn't have any problems, and my partner tells me that the kid said to him "You better hope I don't see what car you're driving".

The threats sound really bad, but honestly, I never felt like I was in any danger at all. He didn't follow us to our cars or try to make any physical contact. Maybe I'm stupid, but I really wasn't scared or concerned.

What a pleasant evening! The best part? I have that same team in 3 weeks on the 21st.

Gonna be fun, fun, fun!!

Chuck

Dan_ref · #2 (**permalink**) Tue Dec 03, 2002, 11:25am

Eesh. See what happens when they let guys who don't know what they're doing work these games!

I would be very tempted to file a report on your friend #4 to his school's AD, your supervisor, NJCAA, police, anyone else who would listen. (I would have been tempted to turn around & tell him to put up or shut up when he met me outside, but that's why you're a better man than I.)

My first juco this season I worked with a guy who is just plain huge. Built like an offensive lineman, obvious weight lifter, great shape, corrections officer. At one point he had to tell a coach to sit down & shut up. The coach, about 100 lbs lighter, said he would kick his @ss after the game. I just laughed when he told me about it later.

stripes · #3 (**permalink**) Tue Dec 03, 2002, 11:34am

I agree with Dan_ref. I would report this. In todays screwed up society, who knows when a crackpot will try to make good on a threat of violence. I would call the AD and at least let them know that their players are threatening the officials. They will want to get a hnadle on it.

zebraman · #4 (**permalink**) Tue Dec 03, 2002, 11:38am

IMHO, you have a duty to notify the league (even if it's through you assignor) that #4 threatened you. Serious or not, that is a death threat and should be treated as such.

Z

devdog69 · #5 (**permalink**) Tue Dec 03, 2002, 11:48am

Sounds pretty wild, Chuck, glad you got out alive. I had one last weekend, a women's juco vs. a JV team and it was ugly. The juco team won 95-44. Sometime late in the first half, the varsity coach of the JV team was roaming around behind the scorer's table and started razzing me about three seconds, I had worked a scrimmage for him and we seem to get along pretty good, he was just giving me crap in a fun way. Everything was going pretty smooth for us even though they were getting beat by 25 at this point, so I gave him a bone and called his little three second violation. I might have been a little too much into listening to him, because my girlfriend told me after the game the ball hadn't even been inbounds for three seconds when I called it. Nobody really cared and he went on to worrying about other things.

LarryS · #6 (**permalink**) Tue Dec 03, 2002, 11:50am

Not only should you notify the police about the incident, if you had a cell phone I think you should have call 9-1-1 at the moment it occurred. The little smart-a$$ needs to learn you don't threaten the life of another human being...PERIOD!

theboys · #7 (**permalink**) Tue Dec 03, 2002, 11:58am

No doubt there's a lot of shame in this, but one of the many things I find supremely offensive is that the players are apparently emulating the coach. No room for coaches that allow their players to demean other people, their program, or their school.

Good luck with this, Chuck.

DownTownTonyBrown · #8 (**permalink**) Tue Dec 03, 2002, 12:21pm

I agree with the others here Chuck. This is a completely inexcusable action on the part of #4. No one (player, coach, etc.) should ever be waiting outside to threaten an official.

He essentially threatened all officials - not just you or your partner. If I was in your association, I wouldn't want an assignment for that team now.

Please report this to the coach, AD, College President, police, your officiating association.

I think you did right by not confronting or threatening him. However, a calm killer can make one of us dead, or hurt, just as sure as an out-of-control maniac.

Trying to stare you down on the court and then waiting for you after the game..... INSANE !

I would have your associatioin ask for some form of assurance that the player was punished/banned and that future officials will be protected... otherwise, as an association, I wouldn't do anymore of their games.

ChuckElias · #9 (**permalink**) Tue Dec 03, 2002, 02:22pm

Just as a follow-up:

I called the assignor as soon as I got home. He asked me to file a report online (which I did this morning) and follow that up with a letter to him for a permanent file (which I am in the process of writing). He has assured me that he will have a very long, very serious talk with the AD. I guess I'll find out on the 21st if the kid was disciplined.

Chuck

Jurassic Referee · #10 (**permalink**) Tue Dec 03, 2002, 02:42pm

Quote:

Originally posted by ChuckElias
I guess I'll find out on the 21st if the kid was disciplined.

I've been in a few situations like this,Chuck,over the years. The toughest part is going back in there on the 21st with a completely open mind.What he did was indefensible,and the coach sounds like a jerk too,but you gotta treat 'em all equally to start the next game.I know you wouldn't do it,but the point that I'm trying to make for newer officials is that you can't carry grudges over into another game,or pre-judge anybody either.You get paid to be fair and to just to call what's happening NOW. Of course,if they're stupid enough to repeat their idiocies,then they deserve to get a quick exit. JMO.

DownTownTonyBrown · #11 (**permalink**) Tue Dec 03, 2002, 06:09pm

Absolutely right JR.

This impartial attitude would not be easy for the vast majority of us. Chuck however, appears to have had the right attitude from the beginning... he didn't even feel threatened.

Another day... another game. We must do our duty. I'm sure Chuck will.

Another fact of life is that WE TEND TO GET EXACTLY, and I mean exactly, WHAT WE EXPECT. If you go in expecting trouble... you will find it; because we also tend to keep looking until we find what we were searching for. [We create the situation.]

I always make a conscious effort to do my best and enter into a game with a clear slate for both sides. If I don't, I over punish because I account for past errors/violations/problems. To over punish is also inexcusable. You end up looking the fool because the rest of the audience/crowd is unaware of the past problems. Suddenly the punishment doesn't fit the current problem and you are left with egg on your own face.

Each game is a new one. Chuck will do great.

Mark Padgett · #12 (**permalink**) Tue Dec 03, 2002, 06:24pm

Quote:

Originally posted by ChuckElias
He then shouts to the crowd a word that begins with F, ends with K, and isn't "Firetruck"

WOW! A real live Davism!!

Quote:

While we're shooting the FT's good old #4 is giving my partner the Rasheed treatment.

Outstanding! As someone who lives in the Portland area, I love to see "Rasheed" used as a verb, sort of. Around here we say, "He Rasheeded him."

Hawks Coach · #13 (**permalink**) Wed Dec 04, 2002, 11:49am

Wasn't there Chuck, can't make the call on whether or not you were truly threatened. One thing to realize - there are some really cold people who can make a matter of fact statement like "I will shoot you", or I know what you're driving." It can sound non-threatening, because they really don't put a lot of emotion or emphasis into it. But they can be deadly serious and take just the action they tell you that they will. You should call the cops next time - so that you can be sure that there are more next times. You do not know this person, what they are capable of doing, or how little you may need to do to cause them to take a fatal action.

JugglingReferee · #14 (**permalink**) Wed Dec 04, 2002, 09:00pm

1. Call the police.
2. Call the AD.

Mike

Quote:

Originally posted by ChuckElias
Juco game last night. Community college vs. the JV of a 4-year college. Juco team (playing at home) took an early lead, but then began playing out of control, I called about 8 offensive fouls and my partner had a few more. They blew the lead and 3 minutes into the 2nd half, they found themselves down by 20. Frustration set in, and play began to get more and more rough. My partner and I were calling a LOT of fouls. I should've called one intentional, but didn't. Around 7 minutes left in 2nd half, JV player bobbles the ball while taking a couple steps. No whistle. Juco player #4 tells me my officiating ability is sub-par. I T'd him.

At 4:56 (2nd half), juco player #34 commits his 5th personal foul. He then shouts to the crowd a word that begins with F, ends with K, and isn't "Firetruck". My partner T's #34. Juco head coach then yells across the floor to my partner (and I quote, ok? I'm not making this up), "Are you wearing a reffing patch, or a smoking patch?!?"

Now aside from the fact that this is quite possibly the lamest, stupidest put-down I've ever heard, you have to understand that we don't wear any patches for our college games around here. Also, he had made the exact same comment to me earlier, except that he said it when I was right next to him and I don't think anybody else heard it. I was so stunned by his lameness, that I just put my arms out to show him no patches and gave him a look that I hoped said "Huh?!?!"

Anyway, b/c it was shouted across the floor and everyone heard it, my partner T'd him. While we're shooting the FT's good old #4 is giving my partner the Rasheed treatment. Trying to stare him down, telling him that call's just not right. Parnter tells him to stop talking, and stop eyeballing him. Player stops right in front of him and stares him down. Partner T's him. That's his second and he's done.

#4, however, doesn't want to leave the gym. I inform him that he has to leave. Finally, he leaves and we continue. Once play resumes, there is another call and one of the juco players says something and his teammate says "Hey, just shut up or they'll call another T!"

Ding!

Anyway, the last 4 minutes went by without any more fireworks.

As we're leaving the gym, there's #4 sitting right outside the gym door. He says, "See I'm still not mad at ya. Ya punk-@$$".

We shower and dress and head out to our cars, and -- what a surprise -- there's somebody at the door. I think it was #4, but he'd gotten dressed and I'm not 100% sure it was him. (I'm 99% sure, tho) He walks out behind us and says to me "I'll shoot [or maybe he said "do"] you like the DC sniper". I reach my car and drive to my partner's car to make sure he doesn't have any problems, and my partner tells me that the kid said to him "You better hope I don't see what car you're driving".

The threats sound really bad, but honestly, I never felt like I was in any danger at all. He didn't follow us to our cars or try to make any physical contact. Maybe I'm stupid, but I really wasn't scared or concerned.

What a pleasant evening! The best part? I have that same team in 3 weeks on the 21st. Gonna be fun, fun, fun!!

Chuck