Trouble Bruin in the Pac-12 - & it Ain't UCLA!

[VaTerp]

Email from Rush's son, Ed, Jr.:

Here at the Court Club, we have received several messages in regard to the recent news stories surrounding (and in support of) Ed T. Rush Sr.

In an effort to clear the air ... and to be open with our members, I thought it would be appropriate to address you directly to dispel any rumors and clear any doubt.

Here is the official report from Pac-12 conference commissioner Larry Scott,

"I can confirm that following the Pac-12 Men's Basketball Tournament, we received a complaint that Pac-12 Coordinator of Officials Ed Rush offered game officials inappropriate incentives for being stricter with Pac-12 coaches," Commissioner Scott said on Monday.

"I consider the integrity of our officiating program to be of the highest importance and immediately ordered a review of the matter. Based on the review, we have concluded that while Rush made inappropriate comments that he now regrets during internal meetings that referenced rewards, he made the comments in jest and the officials in the room realized they were not serious offers. Following our review, we have discussed the matter with Rush, taken steps to ensure it does not happen again, and communicated our findings to all of our officials."

You can read the entire post on the PAC-12 website:
Pac-12 commissioner responds to officiating complaint > Pac-12 Conference > Basketball (M)

In other words, the comments were not intended to be serious. Nor were they taken as serious. The Pac-12 did not take them as serious. And nor should you.

In retrospect, having to do it over again, would Ed Rush Sr. have made those comments?

Of course not.

But then again as officials, we all make hundreds of comments a year in the locker room, which are never intended for the ear of the public media.

All I recommend is to keep a clear mind, think independently, and perhaps even place yourself in the situation.

Last, you should always remember that officials are together on everything that happens in the public eye. A bad call or a mis-spoken word can often bring a level of undeserved of discredit to the officiating community at large. These are things you will hear from the sidelines and from the stands.

How you react this situation will be your decision...and I am confident that you will let integrity be your guide.

As such, I encourage you to be in support of your fellow colleagues and to be circumspect when thinking through allegations from the nameless and anonymous.

Best,
Ed Rush Jr.

P.S. This letter was written by Ed Rush Jr, not Ed Rush Sr.
It was my initiative and was written by me alone. So, if
anyone other than a Court Club member is reading this (i.e.
anyone from the media), you do not have my permission to use
this article, nor to mistakenly quote Ed Rush Sr. from of this article.
We have the same name, but mine ends in "Jr." so be sure to
get that straight.

P.P.S. To our many Court Club members who have responded
with phone calls, letters, and texts of support, I offer my
sincerest thanks. You are why we do what we do...and I
appreciate you all more than you know.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Andy

My point was that we will never know the whole story of why the T was issued. All we have is Miller's comments about what he said....we don't know what he may have left out or what he did or said that earned the T.

This story comes out and now he can play the "they're out to get me" card, when the T may have been rightly deserved.

If this official was one that didn't routinely issue T's, doesn't that make it seem like this T was earned? That's my take and I will support the officials.

Sean Miller made his comments about the T right after the game. No one gave it a 2nd thought other then a couple officials on Facebook who thought the T didn't fit the game.

No one would be thinking about this T on April 2nd if not for Rush's comments. What's this have to do with "supporting the officials"? Support the officials all you want. But don't blame any integrity hits on Miller, he didn't create the situation that's in the news. Ed Rush and an anonymous official did that. So a former official and a current official are to blame for any "intergrity" problems that will result from this story.

[icallfouls]

An interesting article in AZ

Here in PAC 12 country, this is all over the talk-show circuit. When the PAC 12 has a $1.2b TV contract, the ramnifications are significant

[JeffM]

Obviously, Ed Rush's comments were ill-advised and will likely cost him his job. I don't think he intended to pay any official for giving Miller a technical.

If Rush deemed it necessary, I do think it was appropriate for him to tell the officials to use the technical foul as a tool to manage the game and to point out examples of times when the officials should have given a coach a technical foul. I think it would also be appropriate for Rush to remind the officials that game management is an important component of their evaluation.

In my opinion, the NFHS rulebook (I don't have the NCAA rulebook) isn't clear enough on what deserves a technical. It would be helpful if there were a clear statement that a coach may only question specific calls and a direct technical foul should be awarded to any coach that uses a curse word when talking to an official, questions the integrity of the official, or questions the competency of the official.

As it is, a lot of coaches seem to think they can say or do anything as long as they avoid one of the magic words.

I gave two technical fouls this year - one to a JVB coach who didn't heed warnings when repeatedly questioning why so many fouls were being called on his team that was pressing full court - and one to a HS rec coach who wouldn't get off the floor after being told not to. Neither coach thought they deserved it because they didn't curse at me.

[OKREF]

If you look at the picture with this link. Miller looks totally surprised that he was getting a T. The look on his face says a lot. Just sayin.