High school basketball fans riding the referees

when did being a flaming asshole fan become acceptable at high school basktball games?

any thoughts?

 

I think flaming assholes have always been present at games, it's just gotten worse in the past few years.

My thought? I think it has something to do with the reality TV craze. Before, we watched TV and had to guess a lot of times what the characters were thinking. Now, every single fucktard on the show gets his or her chance to expound on the 'subtle' nature of something that just happened. Usually, it provides little insight, but it's there anyway. Somehow, that expanded into everyday life, where everything has to be commented on by everyone.

 

A HS coach was complaining to me about the officials the other night, and while I told him I agree the officials in this particular state are generally pretty awful, I also reminded him they're awful on both ends of the floor. It evens out in the end, and I don't understand why these idiot fans can't see that.

 

How long has high school basketball been played?

 

The thing I tell parents/whiners is, "of course the officiating is bad sometimes. It's high school."

What do they think, that they reserve the best officials for Class A softball games? Every high school game every played has some bad calls because -- all together now-- they're high school level refs.

Accept it. Deal with it.

 

Bravo to the last post! There are a half-dozen or more blown calls in every NBA game, and those are the best available refs. Officiating basketball is a difficult job, period. The miracle is high school refs make as many good calls as they do.

 

Indeed that is a great point. I'm a patched soccer ref and, I'll tell ya, it's almost a relief to get through a match. That's goes for games with and without upset parents/coaches.

Occasionally, during a stoppage, I like to stare at the most obnoxious parent.

 

Hah. A couple of years ago I was covering a softball game where the ump called strikes when the ball literally rolled over the plate.

 

Here's an interesting question....
I covered a prep game last week and of the three officials, only one had worked varsity games - the other two had worked JV only last year.

While veteran and solid officials are working JV this year.

I talked to the AD of the host after the game and talked about the poor officiating and he mentioned how their supervisor/assigning official was in attendance.

If you know this is the situation and that the assigning official refuses to assign veteran officials to key games, while giving literally kids big games, should someone make note of that in an article? This has happened on several occasions this year as its the assigning official's first year in this capacity - after being a veteran ref himself.

 

Best comebacks of all time, lineseman division.

One of my players from the bench during a high school hockey stoppage:

"Hey stripes, you're missing a good game."

Linesman:

"I know, but somebody had to do this one."

Shut him right the fuck up. I didn't even try to hide laughing...

 

I like that last retort.

As a patched soccer ref and baseball ump, I know how difficult it is to get quality refs that care about high school athletics and doing the game right.

If the organization is good, there wouldn't be any problems with officials doing games they aren't ready to do. The group I was with in Indianapolis was a good example. We had to pass on-field exams and periodic checks to get bumped up levels. And I mean from middle school to 9th grade to JV to varsity.

Plus, all certification was administered by the state, not by local groups. No surprise, since NFHS is located in Indy.

Here in GA, it's a little different. But it's not too bad. Really it comes down to the desire of the official. A lot of times, the poor refs feel like they should be doing higher levels (they shouldn't), the better ones hate doing lower levels like it's beneath them (not so) and sometimes (like me) you find guys just happy to be doing games, no matter the level.

Sure I make money on the games, but I like being involved with the athletes and the game. But, sad to say, not all of us feel that way. And it shows on the court or the field. Honestly, if someone can't handle a little jeering, but shouldn't be subjected to abuse.

 

Same here in Illinois with soccer. Tough to find anyone, let alone good ones, to ref.
Writing high school/club soccer in this area for as long as I did, I got to know the refs pretty good. Now, after my first year of being a ref, I have a number of them saying I need to move up to the high school level. I didn't do any games over U-12 girls (U-10 boys) last year.
I don't care what level I work, I just want to feel prepared.