Ref: We know when we f*** up

They should, but reality is different. Players and coaches develop reputations with referees for a reason and I have watched it have an affect on teams that I have covered closely throughout my career. I give the guy credit for being up front about it.

 

I was covering a small college basketball team, playing a higher division team with a historic tradition. The small college team was taking it to the larger division team when the fouls began to mount in the second half. Pleading his case, the coach of the small college team called one of the officials over for a chat. The coach was a little bit adamant as the bigger division team had shot 20 free throws to their 3 in the first half and the ref just looked at him and said:

"Careful coach. You still have me at home this season and you never know when you might need a call."

After the game, the coach said at that point, he knew there was nothing his team could do to knock off the higher division team.

 

Most refs I know just cut coaches off cold if they start talking about the stat sheet.

They'll put up with "call it both ways," but when it turns to the coach waving the stat sheet and saying, "18 free throws to 8," the response is usually "quit reading the stat sheet and coach your team."

 

This was the part that caught my attention:

The elder Corbett will retire from both officiating and his day job a with a comfortable nest egg. "The game has been very good to me," he said. "It's become big business. I've made several million dollars refereeing basketball." The income from basketball allowed him to pay for private school, college, and the weddings of both of his children without debt.

I had no idea they made so much, even at the highest levels.

 

When I was a student assistant SID, the athletic business manager would give me the list of refs for the year so I could type them on the boxscores before games. She gave me the sheet that also had their pay amount for the game, and I was stunned. That was years ago (unfortunately).

 

Speaking from personal knowledge, baseball umpires and basketball referees are on two totally different pay scales at the college level.

For example, when I worked in a certain Division I conference, I made approximately the same for a weekend series that a prominent women's basketball referee made for working one game. I don't know if her check also came with travel expenses, but I know that mine did not.