As I have told a couple of stripes,

 

Without (you) the stripes, there isn't a game! Thank you gentlemen for doing what most wouldn't do!

 

As always, great sentiment, LOL. But the bottom line is they are getting paid $60 or so to walk in the door and and I am paying $5 to walk in the door. So my Highlands math says I should be entitled to $65 worth. If they dont do it someone else will. Just sayn.......

In the 6th and 7th region, for putting up with coaches and Twitter, officials get 47.50 for a 3 man varsity game. So all of the LIT games or KIng of the Bluegrass, or any regional game, the lucky target of abuse gets to be there an hour and a half before the game, pay for all of his and her uniforms, and spends most of game fees on ibuprophen and ben-gay and goes out there night after night. And yes, they love it.

 

As to watching game film, every official goes through training every year with observers and most go through self paid camps to improve themselves. imagine if you will, a doctor or a lawyer review every consul on tape or even a plumber or a policeman having a split second decision shown on the 11:00 sports review to see.

 

Imagine this commentary- "Well Brent,, you're looking live and it seems like the plumber has put a 3/4 inch pipe fitting on a 5/8 inch pipe because that's what he had on his truck. It looks like, yes you can see it on the replay, that moisture is forming, and yes, there's a drip, ladies and gentleman, there's a droplet. Wow, he wasn't in the position to even make that work."....

 

That plumber analogy is good because one deals with crap all day and one usually does a crappy job. Guess which one is which.

That plumber analogy is good because one deals with crap all day and one usually does a crappy job. Guess which one is which.

 

Interesting response given your stated location. Only on BGP would a thank you thread give way to bashing officials.

It's like every other profession. There are those who can and those who can't. There are those who want to get better and those who think they're already great. And there are those who are truly in it for the kids and others who simply like the power or attention.

Thanks to those who can, those who want to continue to improve and those in it for the kids. There is no doubt it is one of the most thankless jobs there is.

 

Well said. :thumb:

You folks make it sound like this referee gig is a regular cash cow. Probably the reason that so many are just beating a path to the door to get signed up.

It's like every other profession. There are those who can and those who can't. There are those who want to get better and those who think they're already great. And there are those who are truly in it for the kids and others who simply like the power or attention.

Thanks to those who can, those who want to continue to improve and those in it for the kids. There is no doubt it is one of the most thankless jobs there is.

 

I'm not sure there are that many in it for the kids. The job maybe thankless-- but it is a "job". Hopefully you like what you are doing for a living or for bonus income. I had a conversation with my brother in law one night. He could never do what I do for a living (sales) and I told him I could never do what he did for a living (working on heavy machinery). We each have our jobs, hopefully we try to do the best we can and earn our living. If you don't like what you are doing get out. Seldom do I get thanked for a thankless job, but it is what it is! There is also a matter of supply and demand. If no one wants the job of officiating, than the pay for doing games goes up until people want the job, if everyone wanted to ref we could get refs for free or $5.00 a game?

If they could play the games without them they would. But they can't, so they don't. Everyone that throws around the $65 or so that they make as their incentive is way off base. Referees have to buy their own uniforms/shoes/bags. They probably have to work 4 games every year just to break even! Most referee bashers could NEVER do what they do. Are there some who should not be doing it? Absolutely. And are there "Good ol' boy" systems of assigning referees? Probably. But most of the people who put on the striped shirt do it because they want to serve the game that they love, IMHO. And I have always said that if you take officials at the high school level in baseball, basketball, football, and soccer (those are the ones I am most familiar with) that basketball referees are, top to bottom, the most competent, and the are definitely the most scrutinized.

It's like every other profession. There are those who can and those who can't. There are those who want to get better and those who think they're already great. And there are those who are truly in it for the kids and others who simply like the power or attention.

Thanks to those who can, those who want to continue to improve and those in it for the kids. There is no doubt it is one of the most thankless jobs there is.

 

Very good quote, I agree 100%. Some can and some can't as in any other profession.

If they could play the games without them they would. But they can't, so they don't. Everyone that throws around the $65 or so that they make as their incentive is way off base. Referees have to buy their own uniforms/shoes/bags. They probably have to work 4 games every year just to break even! Most referee bashers could NEVER do what they do. Are there some who should not be doing it? Absolutely. And are there "Good ol' boy" systems of assigning referees? Probably. But most of the people who put on the striped shirt do it because they want to serve the game that they love, IMHO. And I have always said that if you take officials at the high school level in baseball, basketball, football, and soccer (those are the ones I am most familiar with) that basketball referees are, top to bottom, the most competent, and the are definitely the most scrutinized.

I agree with what you are saying here. Nicely put.

:puke:

 

They probably enjoy what they do. They probably are fans of the game. I'm curious to see if they would officiate for free. Or how about officiating for 11 cents an hour. That's how much I made coaching if I added up all of the hours I worked.

 

How about the fact that they (who are paid) expect the players to retrieve all loose balls that bounce away when the players are there to play hard and win?

:puke:

 

They probably enjoy what they do. They probably are fans of the game. I'm curious to see if they would officiate for free. Or how about officiating for 11 cents an hour. That's how much I made coaching if I added up all of the hours I worked.

 

How about the fact that they (who are paid) expect the players to retrieve all loose balls that bounce away when the players are there to play hard and win?

 

Good point. The players and officials are both going up and down the court all night and the officials don't get subs. Maybe the coaches should retrieve all loose balls?

Regardless of pay or general ability, can't they at least be taught to be consistent? I realize calls are missed, calls are blown, calls are contradictory to the actual rules, etc. but even if they're bad can't they be consistent? If it's a charge on one end, it should be a charge on the other end or in another quarter. If they're calling hand checking, call it through out the game not just sporadically. Kids can adjust to bad calling if it's consistent but when you're trying to play and you are constantly guessing what they may or may not call when you are playing that's a tough way to play. As a player you don't worry about a bad referee if you know he's going to make bad calls but understand he's going to make the bad call the same way every time.

If they could play the games without them they would. But they can't, so they don't. Everyone that throws around the $65 or so that they make as their incentive is way off base. Referees have to buy their own uniforms/shoes/bags. They probably have to work 4 games every year just to break even! Most referee bashers could NEVER do what they do. Are there some who should not be doing it? Absolutely. And are there "Good ol' boy" systems of assigning referees? Probably. But most of the people who put on the striped shirt do it because they want to serve the game that they love, IMHO. And I have always said that if you take officials at the high school level in baseball, basketball, football, and soccer (those are the ones I am most familiar with) that basketball referees are, top to bottom, the most competent, and the are definitely the most scrutinized.

 

What job do you not have to work to break even when you start? If I (hopefully) get a teaching job next year I will be lucky to break even after my first check (or months worth of checks), when you count clothes, travel, and moving expenses. That's 20-25 days worth of work at a minimum before I woudl actually make money. And that is for a full-time job, a job that has cost alot of money in college to get. Refs make good money, or no one would do it. If it takes 4 games to break even for the year, which could be a weeks worth of games, so be it. Don't they also get paid by the mile for travel? I could swear they do.

 

I will admit being a ref is a tough job. I've done it at the lower and middle school levels, and even that is tough. Sometimes what the fans say are hurtful, but I'll admit its worth it when you get the check. And I don't love basketball other than to watch. I don't even enjoy playing that much let alone calling games. But the money is good at lower levels, so I know its good at the HS level.

 

Fans are fanatics and often say horrible things to refs. But I've seen fans be way harder on coaches and players. How many coaches each year lose their jobs because the parents and fans don't like them or they don't play the right kids? How many refs lose their jobs if any? How about the kids who put their time in to play the sport only to hear parents complain that their kid should play in front of them? Or the poor kids that get yelled at from the stands for shooting too much, turning the ball over too much, or just not being good enough? Yeah, it's hard to be a ref, but these guys sign up for it and get paid big dollars on the hour for something that most of them probably enjoy doing. I'd say it's harder being a coach and it's way harder being a player. Getting yelled at for doing a poor job is unfortunately part of the American sports culture. I'm not saying I don't feel sorry for refs because I do, but most come back year after year so they must not think that the yelling is too bad.

 

:puke:

 

They probably enjoy what they do. They probably are fans of the game. I'm curious to see if they would officiate for free. Or how about officiating for 11 cents an hour. That's how much I made coaching if I added up all of the hours I worked.

How about the fact that they (who are paid) expect the players to retrieve all loose balls that bounce away when the players are there to play hard and win?

 

:thumb: And the coach is just as scrutinized as the referees, only they have to live and work in the communities.

Good point. The players and officials are both going up and down the court all night and the officials don't get subs. Maybe the coaches should retrieve all loose balls?

 

For 20 bucks an hour I'd dive Dennis Rodman style at any lose ball going away from the court.

Officiating basketball is a tuff job. I love a ref who hustles and is in the right position to make a call. The only time I get upset with officiating is when a ref is constantly out of position and does not make a good effort to be in the right spot. There are always tons of mistakes and blown calls in every game (basketball is easily the hardest sport to officiate) all I want is a good consistent effort and hustle on the court. Every 9th & 10th region official should be required to watch Tim O'Hara do a game! He is the best I have seen in the last few years.