Controversy in Nebraska

There is some debate beginning on how officials are selected to work the girls and boys state tournament. How is this done in other states. Here are some articles.

NSAA to review selection process of state basketball officials

Black refs unhappy to be left out - Omaha.com

[Rich]

Originally Posted by MWI

There is some debate beginning on how officials are selected to work the girls and boys state tournament. How is this done in other states. Here are some articles.

NSAA to review selection process of state basketball officials

Black refs unhappy to be left out - Omaha.com

10 whole years and not selected to work the state tournament. Wow. What a travesty.

[JRutledge]

I am surprised there are Black people in Nebraska to begin with (that is a little joke I tell someone I know from Omaha).

All I will say is our state does the assigning from the IHSA Office by the administrator of that sport (one for Boy's and one for Girl's Basketball). They have a lot of things they consider from a Power Rating to where you live. And they do make an effort for diversity as our teams are very diverse. It would look silly if you had all white officials and none of the coaches or players looked like the officials. I am going to assume that might not be as much of an issue in all of Nebraska.

Peace

[SAJ]

One of the articles mentions 150 officials qualifying for the state tournament. This is incorrect. There were 274 officials who qualified. 72 were selected.

I'm fighting along with these guys to get into the state tournament. I have really no comment on the issues brought up, but my only complaint is it seems like it's the same guys going every year. Like the article mentions, there are several quality officials that don't end up going.

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by SAJ

my only complaint is it seems like it's the same guys going every year.

Isn't that true in many states?

[Camron Rust]

While there may be a real issue there, it doesn't matter who you send....many are going to feel they should have gone instead those get selected. The basic fact is that there are very limited slots and a lot of people that want them.

Also, I find it hilarious that a 10 year official things he's getting unfair treatment because he hadn't been selected yet. I'm not sure we've sent an official from our association with under 10 years experience at all in modern history. 10-15 years for the first tourney is fairly typical.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by SAJ

One of the articles mentions 150 officials qualifying for the state tournament. This is incorrect. There were 274 officials who qualified. 72 were selected.

If that is true, then either 5 or 6 black officials should be selected to work the tournament, IF all officials were of the same quality etc, and were available.

Originally Posted by Jug's Excel

That means 2.5 or 3 officials for each gender. Well, it turns out that 2 went to the boy's tournament. Chanell Hickey said, "The numbers don't lie". There is clearly no evidence that this group is being shunned from the boy's tournament. All things being equal, they should send 1 more black official. But guess what? That would only be true if all non-selected officials graded out evenly. We know that's not true. If there was a significant history of "more black officials should be going" then I'd address it. But based on this year alone, this is not news worthy.

The first article does claim that there is a small history of "blacks not getting in". However, the official that made this claim, Chanell Hickey, did not provide any demographics. It is also clear that the reporter didn't ask the NSAA for this information. Maybe 5 years ago there were only 5 black officials. Maybe there were 50. We don't know, so we can't take past history into account. Until we know facts, the article is nothing except misleading and should be ignored as news.


Why there wasn't 2 or 3 officials sent to the girl's tournament I am not sure. They did say elements like geography come into play - which means even if one official is only slightly less qualified, but lives in town, and another officials lives at some distance, then they'll pic the local official. It would make sense to me, statistically, to have at least 1 black official at the girl's tournament. Statistically, there should be at least 1 qualified black official that doesn't live far far away. But again, without previous years' facts to establish a pattern, the story is nothing.

If the girl's tournament is located in the same city as the boy's tournament, perhaps the same two black officials could have worked both tournaments?

Originally Posted by Article 2

Plus, if an all-white officiating crew calls a game between a predominantly white team and a predominantly black team, they say, questions about fairness can arise in the bleachers and on the bench.

They're basically calling non-black officials racist without evidence.

Originally Posted by SAJ

I'm fighting along with these guys to get into the state tournament. I have really no comment on the issues brought up, but my only complaint is it seems like it's the same guys going every year. Like the article mentions, there are several quality officials that don't end up going.

The bell curve will suggest that of the 72 selected, some will go multiple years in a row. Some will go off and on based on that year's ratings, or a few years in a row. The best will filter to the group that will eventually be perennials. So the key is to break that from group that often sits on the bubble.

[SAJ]

The girls and boys tournament's are both held in Lincoln.

Hickey does have a valid concern about experience. At the girls tournament this year, there was one 1st year certified official and two 2nd year certified officials working the games. In the boys tournament there are 2 second year certified officials working the games.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

10 whole years and not selected to work the state tournament. Wow. What a travesty.

That person never said in either article linked that he should have been selected to work the state tournament.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

That person never said in either article linked that he should have been selected to work the state tournament.

The inference is pretty strong, though. Both articles noted he's never worked one.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

The inference is pretty strong, though. Both articles noted he's never worked one.

That's on the reporter. None of the quotes from that person cause that inference on your part. "10 year official" and "no state tournament assignments" are facts the reporter chose to use in describing that person. Maybe that person was the only one who chose to give the reporter a quote. Or maybe he's speaking up b/c his best friend is a 15 year official who keeps getting overlooked for the state tournament. For all we know the 2 officials who did get selected were at the meeting also and gave quotes that the reporter chose not to use.

[tref]

Originally Posted by SAJ

All officials are guaranteed two games the first day, one game the second day, and one game the third day (Nebraska has 3rd place games).

Thats a lot of meaningful, high-profile games to work in a 3 day span! There could be more officials selected if they didn't have guys working 4 games in 3 days.

In Colorado, State Week in the 4 & 5A class is G/B Final 4 & C'Ship alternating Wednesday-Saturday. If selected to work those levels, you get 1 of those 12 games.

3A-1A is G/B Great 8 - C'Ship over 3 days Thursday-Saturday with a losers bracket as well. If selected to work those levels, you get 2 games with the same crew.

Basically, everyone gets to work the 1st week of post-season.
The 2nd week it becomes very competitive.
State Week, around 140 officials receive an invite to work. (5 year max out rule)
Spread the love NE!