Doing a Regional Tourney Game last night and my partner noticed that another official was at the game as a spectator/fan. No big deal. I didn't know the guy, so I thought nothing of it. But I did notice that he chose to sit at mid-court on the stage by himself. Most of the fans were in the bleachers on the other side.
The game was going fine, then we started hearing comments coming from his direction, and sure enough it was him.
A few more comments were made and in the second half after he realized his team was out of it he left. But after the game he met us as we headed into the locker room and wanted to shake our hands and tell us good game. Needless to say he got less than a warm response.

Would you say something to him next time you saw him or just forget about it?

[Edited by tw1ns on Feb 23rd, 2003 at 04:28 PM]

I don't knowingly deal two-faced people.

The official in the stands acted in an unethical and unprofessional manner. I would recommend that you and your partner compose a letter to your StateHSAA describing in detail this official's conduct and file a formal complaint with your StateHSAA.

...and to purposely put himself in a position where he sticks out. This guy needs reported, then he can sit with the home crowd and make an ars out of himself. I think you fellas went easy on him. He should be thanking you for not slapping him silly.

I had the exact same thing happen to me last night in a boys Area championship game. His son was playing on one of the teams and he was standing up, waving his arms at me and making a general *** of himself the entire game. Although I never made eye contact with him, I could CLEARLY hear his voice trying to talk with me about how the kids are "getting hammered" under the basket, and I needed to call that.

I guess this could be made into one of those mastercard type commercials.

Tickets to son's playoff games......$8.00

Team colored program to curl up and yell at refs...$4.00


Power to determine that official's next year schedule....PRICELESS.

Probably not a good idea to go to a game where the Chapter president is calling with the assigning secretary and act like an ***.. Doubt he will get much more than a 1A game all next year if I don't put him on probation.

Fine - tell him you'll find out who's letting young kids get hammered and that you will report that person to the police for furnishing alcohol to minors.

Then ask your association to put this guy on double secret probation.

Then if he screws up again, they'll confiscate everything, even the stuff he didn't steal. They'll even take the bar,
the whole _____ing bar.*







*This is a movie reference, perhaps somewhat obscure, but just as relevant to quality officiating as Bozo the Clown
and Howdy Doody.

Let me get this straight...

You and your partner are the chapter president and assigning secretary, and he's yelling about your reffing?!!?!?!

Do his knuckles drag on the ground, or what?

Reporting?
 

I do not know if reporting this information is necessary or even warranted. Personally I know of no procedure to report any official because of this matter. This is a your word against his kind of situation. Just put this in your memory bank and do not recommend this guy for anything or request his officiating skills in anything that involves you. If need be, tell spread the word about what he did. There are other ways to skin a cat than writing a report on this.

Peace

When it follows "double secret probation", it's not obscure anymore :D

What is even funnier is that this game was at a location where they have plasma screens on both ends and TV cameras to broadcast the games live inside the arena. A couple of times he was on the BIG SCREEN acting like an idiot. He hasn't reffed for a couple of years because of his son playing but he plans on coming back next season. We already have a special board meeting set up with him at the beginning of next year if he does come back. If he doesn't, oh well, I guess he is just another ignorant fan..

Now why do you want to go dissin on Bozo like that??? That's just downright nasty!! :)

Seriously - these guys are jerks, but what good will reporting them do? State and local boards have enough to do already, and I doubt that these things will be high on their priority lists...I also agree with Mr. Rutledge - these things have a way of "taking care of" themselves... the word will get around, and they will pay for their actions...let it go and forget about it...

PS: I can't believe I actually agreed with Rutledge...wonders never cease!

Re: Reporting?
 

Many officials association's have an ethics form set up for something exactly like this and it would be just a matter of filling out the form and turning it in to the assignor. It's a lot more effective than spreading the word...since a person like this would most likely deny it and turn it into a "he said/she said" thing.

Z

Just wondering...If I do HS ball and I"m still in college and I go to my schools basketball game and heckle the officials, is that unethical?

If you don't know them personally, and maybe if you do, it's very unprofessional if it's about calls, no calls and judgment.

<hr>
If ya wanna dance, ya gotta pay the fiddler.

But see when I do it, it's all in fun. If I catch their eye it's always followed by a grin. It's never disrespectful...University of Central Florida is a Atlantic Sun School and it's fun to be that close to the action.

But see. . . you and the official are not the only ones that hear your comments. However, you and the official will probably be the only ones who see your cute, disarming smile. You will more likely just be giving fuel to the people who don't have any clue.

If you're right next to the guy and nobody else can hear, then fine. But at a D1 Atlantic Sun game, I doubt that you'll be right next to him (unless you're in the mascot suit).

Bottom line, put a cork in it and save it till you sit down and buy him his post-game refreshment.

Chuck

Bozo and Howdy are not jerks! How dare you!

I think on only two occasions, I have said anything to fellow officials that were doing my wife's game. One was a women's college official was not administering the 5 sec closely guarded count on the dribble. In college, they don't have this rule, but in HS they do. I tried to point it out when he was right in front of me, loud enough for him to hear but not screaming at the top of my lungs. It cost my wife's team at least two possessions. I am not sure I handled it right, but I was wrapped in the game. He eventually did start counting after that. We did chat after the game and he admitted that he forgot the change and "some guy in the stands kept telling me to count the dribble" I had to admit that it was me and he laughed.
The other thing I said was "Man, you make polyester look GOOD!"
I keep my mouth shut, unless I heckle opposing fans who get on the officials, then all bets are off!!

Once you become an official..
 

you are now held to a higher standard and cannot behave this way.

Now THAT"S what I call creative editing, Mark!!!

Have you been to our gym, we are right on the floor. But I do see your point. I guess I'll stick to heckling to visiting coaches and players, thats more fun anyway...

Report him as suggested by Mark DeNucci.

Heck to!!! Report him to Mark DeNucci.

Officials heckling officials
 

If you are an official at any level, you should follow the golden rule. . .treat officials at any game the way you would want to be treated! I know for a fact I miss one call a game. I know I've see refs miss calls on the floor, but as a spectator, fan, and sometimes coach, I understand. . .IT"S PART OF THE GAME!

Report the b**tard.

No, wait, get Bktballref to puke on his shoes first, then report him.

there is no excuse for unproffesionalism. Yet we are humans and do dumb things!!! A gentle word turns away wrath. It's better to be congenial and have words that are gentle. If he/she has done it once he will do it again. So, just be professional and courteous.

Re: Re: Reporting?
 

This would be laughed out of my associations for even reporting such a thing where I am from. I know of no reporting procedure that is really going to affect any official in any of the associations that I belong to. Not because you could not throw someone out of an association, because they do not have that kind of control over an official. I do not believe that the state wants to hear or address personal issues between officials. Our associations do not assign games or give playoffs assignments. So reporting such a thing would not matter or even affect an official much at all. It just would not. And I am sure that everyone does not live in a situation where reporting would do any good. In my state we are truely independent contractors, so basically you are on your own when it comes to this kind of thing.

Peace

I've worked varsity games at two schools in my area where after the hometown JV officials are showered up, they have sat in the stands and screamed at us during our game. Even to the point of using our last names during their outcries! I wonder what the visiting JV fans and coach thought about this. I'm sure they may have wondered about the unbiased job these guys did for them. Ya think?

That's horrible !!!
Plus, if they were yelling at you, they were wrong, too!
I heard there were some JV refs in the U.P. that weren't worth a lick.

I would get those JV officials removed and they wouldn't be sanctioned by any officiating governing body for very long if they didn't stop!