NBA Ref Violet Palmer interview

oatmealqueen · #1 (**permalink**) Sat Feb 22, 2003, 03:43pm

Good read.
http://insider.espn.go.com/insider/story?id=1511196

rainmaker · #2 (**permalink**) Sat Feb 22, 2003, 06:44pm

When I grow up, I want to be like Violet!

dblref · #3 (**permalink**) Sat Feb 22, 2003, 10:41pm

Agree, good read. I have watched her several times and she is good. Two of the officials mentioned (Leroy Richardson & Tom Washington) were instructors at a camp I attended about 4 years ago.

BktBallRef · #4 (**permalink**) Sat Feb 22, 2003, 11:14pm

Funny we haven't heard anything further about Dee Kantner's firing.

ChuckElias · #5 (**permalink**) Sun Feb 23, 2003, 11:53am

That's a very nice profile, and "V's" people-skills are clearly evident. My personal feeling is that the following was the best passage of the whole article.

Quote:

The best referees know that within each black-and-white rule of the game there are a million shades of gray. It's easy to make a call that is technically correct but in the context of the game completely unfair. They are judges rendering a hundred verdicts a night, each after a split-second deliberation, so they must know ahead of time who they're dealing with and what their tendencies are. It requires an ultrasensitive feel for the game's rhythms and personalities, yet the thickest of skins to remain oblivious to inane accusations, whether they come from Riles or Rasheed or Ralph in Section 46.

Aside from "100 verdicts a night" (it's more like 1,000), I think this is dead on the mark.

Just out of curiosity -- OMQ, how much do you pay for the ESPN "Insider" content?

Chuck

theshortbaldref · #6 (**permalink**) Sun Feb 23, 2003, 12:03pm

Oh, hadn't you heard about Dee??? When she joined the NBA, she actually thought she was still reffing the game of basketball. Of course they had to dump her.

Tim C · #7 (**permalink**) Sun Feb 23, 2003, 01:08pm

I saw Kanter work four times and I thought she was (doing my best Bill Walton impression) "Hoooorible!"

She never understood one thing about an NBA "flow of the game" and was rather weak.

As much as I dislike NBA basketball and do not understand the logic of how it is officiated, it was obvious that Dee was in over her head.

Tee

JRutledge · #8 (**permalink**) Sun Feb 23, 2003, 02:40pm

Quote:

Originally posted by ChuckElias

Quote:

The best referees know that within each black-and-white rule of the game there are a million shades of gray. It's easy to make a call that is technically correct but in the context of the game completely unfair. They are judges rendering a hundred verdicts a night, each after a split-second deliberation, so they must know ahead of time who they're dealing with and what their tendencies are. It requires an ultrasensitive feel for the game's rhythms and personalities, yet the thickest of skins to remain oblivious to inane accusations, whether they come from Riles or Rasheed or Ralph in Section 46.

One of the best quotes right there.

Peace

oatmealqueen · #9 (**permalink**) Sun Feb 23, 2003, 05:28pm

Quote:

Originally posted by ChuckElias
That's a very nice profile, and "V's" people-skills are clearly evident. My personal feeling is that the following was the best passage of the whole article.

Quote:

The best referees know that within each black-and-white rule of the game there are a million shades of gray. It's easy to make a call that is technically correct but in the context of the game completely unfair. They are judges rendering a hundred verdicts a night, each after a split-second deliberation, so they must know ahead of time who they're dealing with and what their tendencies are. It requires an ultrasensitive feel for the game's rhythms and personalities, yet the thickest of skins to remain oblivious to inane accusations, whether they come from Riles or Rasheed or Ralph in Section 46.

Aside from "100 verdicts a night" (it's more like 1,000), I think this is dead on the mark.

Just out of curiosity -- OMQ, how much do you pay for the ESPN "Insider" content?

Chuck

Tee · #10 (**permalink**) Mon Feb 24, 2003, 02:24pm

One thing that struck me was her ability to get to know the personalities in the NBA. I can only speak for myself, but I find it difficult to get to know all the players and coaches that I see.

Obviously Violet has a realitivly small number of people that she deals with and can store away info on everyone for future reference.

I, on the other hand, may have 5 games in a row, and I'm lucky if I catch the name of the coaches- much less the players.

With HS ball, the kids come and go, and while I do get to know the tendencies of some, it's difficult to build the relationships that Violet speaks of.

Coaches are a different story, and I look forward to future years where I may have a better idea on how to handle a particular individual.

lrpalmer3 · #11 (**permalink**) Thu Jan 27, 2005, 03:36pm

Just read this thread for the first time, and decided to rehash it by adding a post.

blindzebra · #12 (**permalink**) Thu Jan 27, 2005, 03:49pm

Quote:

Originally posted by Tee
One thing that struck me was her ability to get to know the personalities in the NBA. I can only speak for myself, but I find it difficult to get to know all the players and coaches that I see.

Obviously Violet has a realitivly small number of people that she deals with and can store away info on everyone for future reference.

I, on the other hand, may have 5 games in a row, and I'm lucky if I catch the name of the coaches- much less the players.

With HS ball, the kids come and go, and while I do get to know the tendencies of some, it's difficult to build the relationships that Violet speaks of.

Coaches are a different story, and I look forward to future years where I may have a better idea on how to handle a particular individual.

She spoke at a camp I attended a few years ago, and she brought up that very thing.

She said, that NBA officials have more flexibilty at the end of games, because they know they have so and so again next week.

She then told us about Gary Payton giving it to her at the end of a close game, in the middle of the T worthy outburst, she said, "I'll see you next Tuesday Glove." Tuesday rolls around and the first time Payton opened his mouth, WHACK.