Question from a fan
 

I have to say that my respect for officials has increased dramatically since I started following you all on here. Question from a fan:

Our area (eastern Colorado) is made up of many smaller towns and all the adults know most of the kids as it really does take a village. Some kids especially make me proud as I have watched them grow up.

My question for you as officials: In that environment can you still officiate a game? Do you worry about being percieved as a "homer"?

Would you worry that after a close game the losing team might express their sour grapes by saying, "Well, no wonder. The center for that team is in the Ref's 4-H club!"

Thank you again for what you do.

There are a lot of "small towns" where I live, and I know a lot of officials who block themselves from games in the towns where they live or work. Some don't have a problem with it. It all depends on each individual situation. I don't have a problem because I'm not from around here and not in the "good ol' boys" network.

P.S. Thanks for hanging around the forum.

Dont know what a "4-H club" is, but whenever I'm asked to work in a situation where I could be perceived as a homer, I simply hit the decline button.

How far east?

What I assumed
 

I thought you were going to say the same question a fan asked me early this season as warm ups were going on.
(From a fan)

"Would you give a T to a player if he dunked the ball and then Tebow'd?"

My response:

"You live in Denver, of course not." pause pause "Of course I would."


As far as homer or whatever, it all depends on the comfort level of the referee. I have never felt uncomfortable in a gym yet. So apparently my comfort level is pretty large :D

U serious
 

I can't tell if you are joking or are serious.

Oh man, that reminds me. Had a game a couple of weeks ago where two of the visiting players tried to Tebow during a free throw I was administering. I stepped into the lane and started to bounce the ball to the free thrower when they looked at each other and said "this free throw calls for a Tebow" and started kneeling to the ground. I turned to them and said, with a smile, "Hey knuckleheads....get up."

Everyone in the lane laughed and we had no problems the rest of the game.

I could literally give a damn what fans think of my job. They do not hire me and they certainly have no role in my working any game. And if the fans are that upset, they will probably see me again when they least expect it. Not something other than the entertainment value do I even consider their comments or what they think. They think everyone stinks if they do not call what they want and if most of them were given a whistle to officiate anything, they would pee down their leg the first few seconds of the game.

Peace

I live in a small town and many officials wear many hats. I stay away from crap, and i remain professional in my conduct.

If other people want to play conspiracy theory, they can go for it.

This is a great answer. Whether an official can work a game where he or she's well known depends on the official's character, professionalism, and attitude. An official with integrity can work anywhere.

I also agree that the losing side might still carp, but that always happens.

+1...

Fans are biased and will always not be viewing the game from an objective point of view. Get your plays right. At the end of the day that is what matters.

I would be aware of the perception of being the "hometown" guy. Being extra careful not to be too buddy buddy with coaches, other fans, etc. We should really be doing this every night anyway no matter where the game is.

Actually, I've found that the nastiest people are often the ones you know best.
When the local team loses a game called by the local ref, people often say things they (should) regret. Recently I called a game a mile from my house. The home team lost to a team they expected to beat.

Boys head coach is a pretty good friend of mine that I have known for many years. "Y'all should be ashamed to take money tonight." He later apologized, sorta.

One of the players is the grandson of the lady who babysat my son when he was small. He was like the little brother my son never had. This boy's mom approached me after the game. "Tonight when you take that striped shirt off, you should never put it back on!"

Basketball officiating is the opposite of Cheers. Sometimes you wanna go where nobody knows your name.

You are a city slicker, aren't you? :D

I have only been in this area a few years and I call in such a large place that it's not a big concern to me.

A few years ago, when I was first started calling football, I did a couple of games involving a youth team I had coached several years prior to that. I didn't think anything of it because I knew nobody in the program and called the games fairly. It hit me after the fact that maybe it wasn't a good idea to do their games though and went ahead and blocked them from my schedule.

If possible, it is good to avoid these situations to deflect even speculation of impropriety but sometimes it just isn't possible.

As to JAR's stories, it simply amazes me how ugly people can get when it comes to athletics...especially people that you thought were otherwise dignified.

Literally that means that you could give a damn what fans think. You do care about what they believe. Going by the rest of your post you probably meant to say that you couldn't give a damn what fans think. You do not care about what they think.

I didn't say this lady was ever dignified.:D

Hmm....
 

Wonder if he's gonna give a darn about this post.

(or as another poster might say, "He just might not give a carp!") ;)