It's good to be the King.

[just another ref]

Originally posted by Mark Padgett
Two of MY refs were playing in the game. I made a foul call on one of them who is in his fourth year as an official, and who usually gets assigned to 7th and 8th grade games. Here was the conversation:

ME: Green, 12, two shots.
HIM: What! I got all ball.
ME: No, you got him right across the arm, plus you hit him down below pretty hard with your body.
HIM: You've gotta be kidding.
ME: You know, I've got a bunch of 3rd grade girls games I need to fill the rest of the month. I was thinking of assigning them all to you.
HIM: (after a pause) On second thought, great call Mark.

Was this conversation light-hearted from the start, or was he serious at first and then saw the logic of your reasoning? What I am getting at is this kind of familiarity leads to the wrong impression for observers.
"That's one of HIS boys. You know he's not gonna call anything against him." Do you have this problem? In our league (not nearly as big as yours, so everybody knows everybody) I am director of officials, head of the rules committee and also a coach. Certainly this can be perceived as a conflict of interest at times. One coach told me, smiling, sorta, "You intimidate the other officials and get all the calls." I told her, smiling, "And don't you forget it." Do you hear cries of collusion and if so how do you deal with it?

Always looking for a better way.