The Official Forum  

Go Back   The Official Forum > Basketball
Register FAQ Community Calendar Today's Posts Search

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
  #1 (permalink)  
Old Sun Mar 02, 2014, 12:15pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Maryland
Posts: 893
A Fan Shows His Ignorance

So, many of you know my story, but please allow me to share it for those who do not.

I am 58 yrs old. I played HS basketball, played Rec league, owned a team in rec league, coached in rec league, coached MS ball for 6 years, HS for 5 yrs which included my last year at the Varsity level. Then I became a referee 14 years ago. I run the local church league as the referee trainer. I have 7 officials that I have trained ( this year ). I am a board member on our HS association. Next year I will be the Secretary/Treasurer of the association.

I was refereeing the 1st round of the play offs in our church league. A1 drives to the basket B1 jumps straight up and A1 collides into B1. A1's shot misses. I've got nothing. Fan screams "WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT?"

We go the other way, after about 30 seconds there is a break in the action and we are headed back to where the fan was screaming, so I decided to explain to him Verticality. I know, I was wasting my time. So after I explained, he says " That's why you're refereeing here"...

It's a shame that they don't get it. I bet most fans believe the rules were written once and never changed until the 3 point line came into play.
Reply With Quote
  #2 (permalink)  
Old Sun Mar 02, 2014, 01:10pm
Esteemed Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 22,952
Really ??? Seriously ???

Quote:
Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan View Post
It's a shame that they don't get it. I bet most fans believe the rules were written once and never changed until the 3 point line came into play.
A few weeks ago I actually heard a spectator shout, "He was forced out" (the NBA eliminated this rule in 1976-77).

Terrapins Fan: Situations like yours were the impetus for my "Most Misunderstood Basketball Rules" list. It's gone far beyond that, but that was the original impetus.

From my "list" introduction: This is a list of high school basketball rules that are often misunderstood by coaches, players, and parents. I developed this list over the past thirty years, officiating thousands of basketball games, listening to erroneous comments from players, coaches, and mostly from fans, and thinking to myself, "I wish I could stop the game and explain the real rule to them". This list is meant to educate those players, coaches, and fans. For example. A player is dribbling the ball in the backcourt and a fan is yelling, "Three seconds". Or, a player is inbounding the ball and a parent yells, "He's stepping on the boundary line". How many times have things like this happened to you? Don't you just want to blow the whistle, stop the game, and say, "There can't be a three second violation until the ball is in the frontcourt", or, "The player can step on the line, but not over the line".
__________________
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

“I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Matthew 25:36)

Last edited by BillyMac; Sun Mar 02, 2014 at 01:33pm.
Reply With Quote
  #3 (permalink)  
Old Sun Mar 02, 2014, 01:12pm
Esteemed Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 22,952
You Should Have Given Him A Chance To Finish ...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan View Post
"That's why you're refereeing here"...
... "because we want good officials, who know the rules, officiating our church league games".
__________________
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

“I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Matthew 25:36)
Reply With Quote
  #4 (permalink)  
Old Sun Mar 02, 2014, 02:28pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 782
Recently, a fan disagreed with a call I made, and yelled, "That's why you're doing Sophomore ball!" Of course, he didn't know that the night before and the night after I was on the floor for Varsity games for our largest schools' clasification. My choice to help mentor our newer officials by working Soph/JV games is appreciated by our assignors, and that's why I almost couldn't stop laughing at the fan's comment!
__________________
To be good at a sport, one must be smart enough to play the game -- and dumb enough to think that it's important . . .
Reply With Quote
  #5 (permalink)  
Old Sun Mar 02, 2014, 02:35pm
Esteemed Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 22,952
The Coaches Know ...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob1968 View Post
"That's why you're doing Sophomore ball!" Of course, he didn't know that the night before and the night after I was on the floor for Varsity games for our largest schools' classification. My choice to help mentor our newer officials by working Soph/JV games is appreciated by our assignors, and that's why I almost couldn't stop laughing at the fan's comment!
I'm in the same boat (helping my assigner with subvarsity games, I even worked a freshman game this season), but, luckily, I haven't received such comments. Too bad you can't yell back, "Why isn't your son playing varsity?". We can think it, but saying it aloud would be, of course, unprofessional.
__________________
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

“I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Matthew 25:36)
Reply With Quote
  #6 (permalink)  
Old Mon Mar 03, 2014, 09:15am
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 520
Take that Cuban

Quote:
Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan View Post
So, many of you know my story, but please allow me to share it for those who do not.

I am 58 yrs old. I played HS basketball, played Rec league, owned a team in rec league, coached in rec league, coached MS ball for 6 years, HS for 5 yrs which included my last year at the Varsity level.
Yours is an impressive resume for sure, but...you OWNED a rec league team? Was this due to your playing dominance of said team?
Reply With Quote
  #7 (permalink)  
Old Mon Mar 03, 2014, 10:05am
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Illinois
Posts: 439
Quote:
Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan View Post
So, many of you know my story, but please allow me to share it for those who do not.

I am 58 yrs old. I played HS basketball, played Rec league, owned a team in rec league, coached in rec league, coached MS ball for 6 years, HS for 5 yrs which included my last year at the Varsity level. Then I became a referee 14 years ago. I run the local church league as the referee trainer. I have 7 officials that I have trained ( this year ). I am a board member on our HS association. Next year I will be the Secretary/Treasurer of the association.

I was refereeing the 1st round of the play offs in our church league. A1 drives to the basket B1 jumps straight up and A1 collides into B1. A1's shot misses. I've got nothing. Fan screams "WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT?"

We go the other way, after about 30 seconds there is a break in the action and we are headed back to where the fan was screaming, so I decided to explain to him Verticality. I know, I was wasting my time. So after I explained, he says " That's why you're refereeing here"...

It's a shame that they don't get it. I bet most fans believe the rules were written once and never changed until the 3 point line came into play.
1. You can own a Rec team?

2. Rather than respectfully giving this fan a bit of insight into the rule....
I would have mentioned that you don't end a sentence with a preposition.

3. it’s not a shame they don't get it. Personally, I occasionally get great pleasure in the inane ramblings of these people. Being ignorant of the rules in any sport by stupid fan (especially when intoxicated), is as American as buying a hotdog at a baseball game!
__________________
"The soldier is the army."

-General George S. Patton, Jr.
Reply With Quote
  #8 (permalink)  
Old Mon Mar 03, 2014, 10:41am
Archaic Power Monger
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 5,983
It always struck me as a little odd that fans who scream things like that don't realize they're denigrating the entire game.

It almost makes me want to shout back "And yet you're still watching aren't you?"
__________________
Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there. - Will Rogers
Reply With Quote
  #9 (permalink)  
Old Mon Mar 03, 2014, 11:06am
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 22
Quote:
Originally Posted by j51969 View Post

2. Rather than respectfully giving this fan a bit of insight into the rule....
I would have mentioned that you don't end a sentence with a preposition.
In this case, "that" is used as a pronoun. That | Define That at Dictionary.com
Reply With Quote
  #10 (permalink)  
Old Mon Mar 03, 2014, 12:13pm
Back from the DL
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Maine
Posts: 2,540
Quote:
Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan View Post
It's a shame that they don't get it.
I had that disappointed feeling Saturday night, looking up at my fellow townspeople.

I was on the floor for the Class A (biggest class, we go A-D) Boys State Championship game. I didn't work this game, just used my media credentials to gain floor access. There were about 5,000 people at the game, evenly matched between fans from both sides. One contigent was my hometown's school, the defending champs, where my son graduated from last June.

There were three clear-as-day charge calls. Each one, my townies got more irate than the last one. On the third one, people were irate and on their feet. Even though our guys were losing (and eventually lost), I couldn't believe they couldn't see what I saw. At halftime, I spoke with our assistant principal and district's assistant superitendent, both who officiate, and asked, "are we the only ones who know a charge when we see it?!"

Yes, our team was losing, but some of this stuff should be a simple as a ball-handler stepping on the sideline. No-one gets irate over that.
__________________
Confidence is a vehicle, not a destination.
Reply With Quote
  #11 (permalink)  
Old Mon Mar 03, 2014, 12:28pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Illinois
Posts: 439
Quote:
Originally Posted by RulesGeek View Post
In this case, "that" is used as a pronoun. That | Define That at Dictionary.com
Foiled, Maybe an (AT) at the would have helped me.
__________________
"The soldier is the army."

-General George S. Patton, Jr.
Reply With Quote
  #12 (permalink)  
Old Mon Mar 03, 2014, 12:48pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,842
Quote:
Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan View Post
So, many of you know my story, but please allow me to share it for those who do not.

I am 58 yrs old. I played HS basketball, played Rec league, owned a team in rec league, coached in rec league, coached MS ball for 6 years, HS for 5 yrs which included my last year at the Varsity level. Then I became a referee 14 years ago. I run the local church league as the referee trainer. I have 7 officials that I have trained ( this year ). I am a board member on our HS association. Next year I will be the Secretary/Treasurer of the association.

I was refereeing the 1st round of the play offs in our church league. A1 drives to the basket B1 jumps straight up and A1 collides into B1. A1's shot misses. I've got nothing. Fan screams "WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT?"

We go the other way, after about 30 seconds there is a break in the action and we are headed back to where the fan was screaming, so I decided to explain to him Verticality. I know, I was wasting my time. So after I explained, he says " That's why you're refereeing here"...

It's a shame that they don't get it. I bet most fans believe the rules were written once and never changed until the 3 point line came into play.

Just another day at the office. To be honest, I don't know why you'd devote a thread to this unless just to chit chat. This falls into the man bites dog news interest level. Shocking, a 'fan' who doesn't like your call.
Reply With Quote
  #13 (permalink)  
Old Mon Mar 03, 2014, 12:50pm
Archaic Power Monger
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 5,983
Quote:
Originally Posted by fullor30 View Post
To be honest, I don't know why you'd devote a thread to this unless just to chit chat.
Don't worry, we haven't started implementing posting quotas.
__________________
Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there. - Will Rogers
Reply With Quote
  #14 (permalink)  
Old Mon Mar 03, 2014, 12:52pm
Rich's Avatar
Get away from me, Steve.
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 15,779
Quote:
Originally Posted by Welpe View Post
Don't worry, we haven't started implementing posting quotas.
Or limits.

(I'm waiting for someone to mention "wasting bandwidth" as if we're all dialing in on 300 baud modems using a Prodigy account.)
Reply With Quote
  #15 (permalink)  
Old Wed Mar 05, 2014, 08:21pm
JWP JWP is offline
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 30
Speaking of idiot fans ...

Few years back, I am doing a junior high tournament game. Team in front is doing a high weave, the team behind comes out to force the issue. In the stands, a woman is screaming -- really screaming! -- "Three seconds! Three seconds!"

I'm underneath, and I have nobody in the key. Nobody on offense. Nobody on defense. The paint is literally empty. Devoid of human existence. A lonely patch of space. I am the nearest person to the paint. But she is going crazy.

A few minutes later, during a free throw, I'm standing next to the coach. Under my breath, I whisper to him, "What they hell is she yelling about, three seconds?" He laughs, covers his mouth, and says it is a mother of player who still hasn't figured out the difference between being in the key, and inside the three-point line.

"Well, can you try to get her to shut up?"

"I've been trying all f------- season!"
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Shows' Uni? The New Guy Basketball 35 Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:25pm
Youth Football Coach's rules ignorance whitecane Football 4 Wed Sep 21, 2005 08:10am
ignorance is bliss Little Jimmy Softball 6 Sun May 16, 2004 08:07pm
More ignorance from the field Hawks Coach Basketball 0 Mon Mar 24, 2003 06:14pm
Showing my ignorance (too much NFL) mikesears Football 5 Wed Mar 21, 2001 01:02pm


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:33am.



Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.3.0 RC1