Louisiana Officials

[Hugh Refner]

Maybe they can get parent volunteers for the games. Parents think they can call the game better than officials anyway.

[Rob1968]

Originally Posted by Hugh Refner

Maybe they can get parent volunteers for the games. Parents think they can call the game better than officials anyway.

In an area in which I was officiating basketball, the volleyball officials decided to refuse to work the HS season, if they were not given a pay raise. The HSAA met the challenge to their authority by simply asknig for volunteers from the stands to officiate the games. It wasn't great, but the games/season went on, ant the officials eventually conceeded.

[Rich]

There will be officials not working the "big games" that will gladly walk over the backs of other officials. Happens all the time.

One year we tried to get a raise for our adult umpiring league. Almost half of the umpires would've kept right on working and some tried to shame us for thinking about not working.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Rich

There will be officials not working the "big games" that will gladly walk over the backs of other officials. Happens all the time.

One year we tried to get a raise for our adult umpiring league. Almost half of the umpires would've kept right on working and some tried to shame us for thinking about not working.

And that might be the best thing to happen. When they have screw ups and people working games they are not ready for, that can also send a message. That was the claim when the NFL used replacements.

Peace

[Hugh Refner]

For basketball, if they ever use volunteer parents for officials, a group of officials should attend the game as spectators and, together, chant "Call it both ways" over and over. Also, they should all get up together, hold out a pair of glasses and yell, "Hey ref - you wanna borrow my glasses?"

Oh yeah, don't forget to yell every time they misinterpret a rule.

[SC Official]

"It's all about the student-athletes." What nonsense. I cringe upon hearing this phrase because we all know it's not true.

I hope the LHSOA doesn't budge. Let the fanboys officiate. What a fun story that will be.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by SC Official

"It's all about the student-athletes." What nonsense. I cringe upon hearing this phrase because we all know it's not true.

I hope the LHSOA doesn't budge. Let the fanboys officiate. What a fun story that will be.

Plain and simple, it's about the money for those who run the state organizations and the school district athletics.

Since Mr. Bonine is now a central figure in the Louisiana situation it would be informative to take a look at this part of a recent newspaper article:

By BARTT DAVIS
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL


Contractual obligations in his home state will prevent Bart Thompson from fully taking over as the executive director of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association until June 15.
Were it completely up to Thompson, he’d already be settling into his new office in Reno.
Thompson, who was selected to lead the NIAA by its Board of Control in March, had his contract finalized during the board’s meeting Wednesday at Sam’s Town. Thompson was given a three-year contract worth $130,000 per year. He also will receive a stipend of $10,000 per year for vehicle usage.
“I’m thrilled. I’m excited to get started,” Thompson said. “I wish I could get started tomorrow. I want to get in the saddle and be able to ride.”
Thompson, an assistant executive director for the Utah High School Athletic Association, replaces Eddie Bonine, who left the NIAA to head the Louisiana High School Athletic Association.
In his final year, Bonine made just more than $150,000 plus a $10,000 car allowance and an $1,800 longevity stipend.


There is also this tidbit from another news source:
Bonine still getting paid?
Now-former Executive Director Eddie Bonine had nearly $2,000 of unpaid sick leave left when he bounced to Louisiana for the same job in March.
The Board voted not to pay Bonine for the sick leave but will compensate him for his remaining vacation time.

==============
Bonine started around $115K and received a $20K annual raise following his first three years. So this has all occurred during the past six years. Meanwhile the officials in Nevada received a single 4% raise which was delayed by FOUR years despite being contractually obligated (because exactly as some other posters have written is the case in their home states the NV contract calls for the officials to receive the same raise as the state workers, but one year later).
Yep, the Executive Director took a $20K raise for himself while informing the officials associations that state budgets were tight and that they needed to defer their raise until more prosperous times, then gave a song and dance routine (the school superintendents must still approve it--I can't [exactly what the La officials are being told]) when after three years the associations decided the time had come for the increase to go through, which delayed the officials money for an additional year.

Sure seems like the funds which were due the officials went directly into his own pockets!

[rsl]

Originally Posted by Hugh Refner

Oh yeah, don't forget to yell every time they misinterpret a rule.

Fixed it for ya.

[Bad Zebra]

Originally Posted by Rob1968

... The HSAA met the challenge to their authority by simply asking for volunteers from the stands to officiate the games...

Don't know where you're located but THAT would be entertaining to watch.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by Rob1968

In an area in which I was officiating basketball, the volleyball officials decided to refuse to work the HS season, if they were not given a pay raise. The HSAA met the challenge to their authority by simply asknig for volunteers from the stands to officiate the games. It wasn't great, but the games/season went on, ant the officials eventually conceeded.

That might work for volleyball. It would not work out nearly that well for football.

Though what will likely happen, and we saw as much before in Louisiana, is that enough officials will keep working anyways and undermine the efforts of the others.

[Texas Aggie]

If the local associations do not assign games, then the schools are going to have to figure out how to get in touch with the officials who will continue to work. There's a good chance that the associations will kick those officials out if they work.

I wouldn't bet on anything right now. I do know that in Texas, IF (and that's a big if) officials didn't show up to a large number of games on the first Friday night of the season, whatever demands TASO (in this case) had in all sports would be satisfied by 8:00 a.m. Sat. morning.