I read with interest Mr. Rich Graham's thread below.Unfortunately,the thread was closed and I was unable to comment on it there.

If you are unsure of what Mr. Graham is talking about,here is the original thread:
http://www.officialforum.com/showthr...?threadid=5883

Please note that:
1)Mr. Graham supported the gentleman charged with assaulting an official.
2)Mr. Graham was black-listed by Chicago area assignors for his despicable actions.

The gentleman, Mr. Louis Trench, charged with assaulting the young official was convicted of that crime. For details:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-ref31.html
http://www.starnewspapers.com/star/s...all/03-ez2.htm

The only thing that I found appropriate in Mr. Graham's posting below is the statement "Some of us should be ashamed of ourselves".

And so you should,Mr. Graham,so you should!

[Edited by Jurassic Referee on Aug 7th, 2003 at 09:59 AM]

Mr. Graham embarassed himself on this and other boards last year. Then, when he got in toruble with his assignors, he went back and deleted his posts. Unfortuanately, he could delete them from every board that he posted on, and I posted links in the last reply in the original thread.

It's amazing that he's come back for more.

3rd year official? That's his bona fides?

That's what I hate about youth football. You'll have the coaches yelling, and the parents yelling - and the kids will be standing next to you rolling their eyes in embarrassment because <b>they</b> know that the behavior of the 'grown ups' is inappropriate. They want to play some football and go get some ice cream - it's not some life or death struggle to them.

I'll often say to a youth player amid the screams and tantrums, "You and I are the only ones who are having fun." Sometimes, some kids tell me they don't even want to be out there - they hate football, but their father is making them play.

That statement, in a nutshell, is why I quit working pee-wee football games.

I call youth football as a source of income during the season and in hope that I can make a positive difference. I doubt I will ever let my sons play, for fear of the bad habits, poor sportsmanship, and language that they would pick up from the parents and coaches. It is unfortunate, but my boys will play soccer until they get to middle school.

It's coaches like the one convicted and back-stabbing officials like Mr. Graham that allow the game to deteriorate into something that only vaguely resembles the sport I love. When I walk out on the field, it is easy for me to find my friends, as they are the only other ones wearing the black and white stripes. Whether I agree with them or not, we have to take care of each other because if we don't, no one will. I have no room either on my crew or on a field for officials who suck up to coaches and string up their fellow officials. Mr. Graham sold his soul, and is now reaping the benefits of his labor. I hope he never gets another game.

Sleeper,

Good point about other officials trying to be buddies with the coaches. It almost always gets us in trouble, because who does the coach go to when he thinks we screwed up. His "official" buddy who then needs to take sides and intervenes on the call. I've had some older officials do this and it's not comfortable and hurts the crew.

The guy that "works" his coaching buddy needs to decide whether he's part of the crew or not, otherwise he's fence sitting. You can't have it both ways!

Don't get me wrong, those of us who have worked for a few years may establish relationships with coaches, but while on the field we need to maintain a professional demeanor and conduct business.

Beers and pizza after the game are your call.

And you know this bec....aa.uuusse
 

I would really like to know how you seem to know this? Considering that I have never heard of this individual and do not know what association he belongs to, I think unless you have some proof it is really not right to make that claim. Because the "Chicago Assignors" might not put in on the "perferred list," but to suggest that he was black-listed over is a stretch at best. I did look up this individual and he is only an X official (registered, lowest ranking). This means that he is not really elgible for a playoff game, he probably is not on a regular varsity crew (that is a guess but typical of his ranking) and is probably but not even a regular IHSA official. Just because you have a license, does not mean you are doing many games.

Peace

What did I miss here?
 

I'm confused. I clicked on the link but didn't see any post from Telegrahams. Has he put a new post up here recently or are you referring to his drivel from last fall?

Re: What did I miss here?
 

Mr. Graham posted last night. He has since deleted the post.

What did he have to say?
 

In his post last night...what did he have to say? Anybody got a copy of it?

re: Mr. Graham
 

Anyone have a copy of what he posted?

Re: I know this bec....aa.uuusse
 

http://www.officialforum.com/showthr...3&pagenumber=2

See comment by "Old Ref" in bottom post on this page. He is one of 10 assigners,who he says,blackballed Mr. Graham and the other 3 officials that worked in the league.I believe him. If you don't,that is your perogative.

What was the post?
 

What was the text of the post Graham put up last night and then deleted. Does anyone have it or a summary of it?

Re: What was the post?
 

He was just intimating again that the official who laid the charge was somehow responsible,or equally responsible for the whole mess.Same old crap as he posted last year.He closed the thread right after he made it,so nobody could respond.That's why I started a new thread.He must have deleted his original thread after I posted mine.I have no idea why he decided to come out of the woodwork all of a sudden,and start all over again.

He doesn't seem stable.
 

He certainly is without explanation. He appears to be very unstable. As far as coming out of the woodwork...don't most cockroaches do that?

That is just great.
 

You would. The internet is an amazing and very interesting place.

Peace

"Knowing the other and knowing oneself,
In one hundred battles no danger.
Not Knowing the other and knowing oneself,
One victory for one loss.
Not knowing the other and not knowing oneself,
In every battle certain defeat."

Thank you for your insight.
All comments are greatly appreciated.

He's at it again guys......
 

Below is the full text of Rich Grahams most recent post that he showed his cowardly ways by blocking responses and ultimately deleting it in minutes.

Be advised that people who were at the trial agreed the judge did ask two boys to leave the courtroom. However, there were only two boys, both wearing Palos football jersies. They were brought there by their parents, which was wholly inappropriate. It's so sad when parents use their own kids as tools of manipulation. They were asked to leave by the judge because the testimony of the assaulted official and the other official would be laced with expletives. This would happen only in the retelling of what convicted criminal coach Louis Trench said the day of the incident, on the field, in front of hundreds of children. The two officials testifying were required by their subpoenas to retell the story verbatum. By the way, the judge admonished the parent of the boys for "dressing them up and bringing them to court", telling them it was inappropriate.

Again, Rich Graham is using pebbles of fact to weave his lies and deceipt. He is lying outright and committing lies of omission. However, this is one post he can't delete and then scamper away under his rock.

RICH GRAHAMS POST:
__________________________________________________ __________
telegrahams
Member

Registered: Oct 2002
Posts: 3

Just a note to those that observed the trial,

It occurred to me way back when this whole affair started that it was more than just about officials being harassed. It was more than people being fed up with the antics of certain individuals on both sides of this quibble. It was about egos, Egos of certain coaches and egos of certain officials. It was about blind loyalty on both sides. It became a war of words and a battle for support on both sides. It became an extremely ugly commotion that could have been avoided and certainly should have never reached our court system.

During the trial there were children present in the courtroom, both past and present players that participated in the Southwest Midget Football League. At some point during the trial the judge ordered the children out of the courtroom because there was foul language being used by the official that brought the charges against the coaches.

At what point did we forget that this is only a kid’s game, and why did it take someone outside of our football fraternity to remind us of that?

Thank you Your Honor,

3rd year football official IHSA
__________________________________________________ __________

:-D
 

:-D

Here is a good one.. The coaches of a baseball league I call voted the manager of a "trouble" team out of the league after him and his son (who was a player) assaulted an official. The league tossed the player and then the coaches got together and said get rid of the manager as well. Too bad they could not do the same with this egomaniac coach as well.
Also too bad after the court of law said the coach is guilty that the league is STILL backing this coach. I do not know how facilities are in that area but hopefully someone could not get another league going and try to put these idiots out of business.

hay telegrahams
 

There was a motion at the last meeting to suspend the coach from the league for life. No word yet on the outcome or if there will even be a vote taken on the subject next month.


We pray that there will be a vote and that he is history ,but, based off everything that is well known about this story and league it is 99% certain the egos that be won't let it happen.