Interesting Acticle about the officating

[BCsportsfan]

http://www.thedailytimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll...=73257335122113

[IN2VOLS]

I live in Knoxville now but my parents were at the game and said the calls seemed legit. As for the tension after the game everytime I was at a WB Oooltewah game someone has issues (usually losers) and fans get into it verbally escalating to physically. Nothing new when I heard the news...

[wpasi]

This must have been bad I've know coach Meadows since Jr high and have never heard him blame the refs

[Go Big Orange]

If he's got isssues send the tape in. If he isn't going to send the tape in, and if he isn't then there is nothing to be said.

[ImaOWL]

After the games WB was upset and mad which anyone would after intercepting 2 passes inside Ooltewah's 30 two times and not able to get a first down to control the clock. Ooltewah drove 80 yards in little over a minute to score winning td. I would be upset too. After the game the fans rushed the field while the Blount coaches harrassed their field judge.(which I will show video of it whenever I get it) Then after that Ooltewah went to their endzone for after the game speech while Blount stood there in dismay and walked over/around the Ooltewah crowd. I'm sure some immature little kids said stuff to Blount fans/players but I'm also sure Blount did the same to Ooltewah. WB kept creeping along and around the big crowd in the Ooltewah endzone. Why didn't the Blount coaches have a post-game huddle to settle everything down? They should of got everyone together like you do after the game instead of linger around Ooltewah's huddle. Anyways, I just hate reading an artical like this which is so very one sided and it makes everyone think that Ooltewah is a horrible place to play which this is the only problem we have had since I've been around. William Blount lost the game and when you lose a close one like that you get upset and things are said and actions are done all in anger. Im sure Ooltewah kids did say stuff to Blount but I know for a fact Blount did the same to Ooltewah and it seemed to me like they instigated it by coming over to the crowd.... Thats my take on it..

[ImaOWL]

I love how nothing was said about the game after he watched the film. The only penality I did not see or couldn't figure out was a personal foul on WB on the play where WB fumbled and Ooltewah almost scooped and score on. All the other calls were legit on film. Just because it happend while WB was up is tough luck. You guys also have to remember that these are high school refs not NFL. Its not how they make a living so the are amateurs. You will have bogas nights like that where you get penalized while the other team didn't. Hopefully this will all settle down and life will move on.

[cbg]

Having worn the stripes for several years I feel confident that what I am going to say is true:

1. It is more difficult that ever before to get people to officiate high school sports.

2. More often than not the officials never played at a level above high school and many times they never even played in high school.

3. If the official did "smirk" or smile at the coach when he made a call against the coach that is ver unprofessional and should never be done.

4. The older more mature officials that know the rules more than likely have put on a few pounds (most are 25+ pounds over weight) and have trouble keeping up with the speed of todays players. The young guys that you do recruit to officiate can run but most do not understand the rules or how to handle coaches. They have a short fuse and will allow it to become personal with the coach.

5. For the small pay that high school officials receive they cannot afford to attend advanced training classes that the college conferences offer during the Summer even if they are invited to attend the classes.

[volmike69]

I love how nothing was said about the game after he watched the film. The only penality I did not see or couldn't figure out was a personal foul on WB on the play where WB fumbled and Ooltewah almost scooped and score on. All the other calls were legit on film. Just because it happend while WB was up is tough luck. You guys also have to remember that these are high school refs not NFL. Its not how they make a living so the are amateurs. You will have bogas nights like that where you get penalized while the other team didn't. Hopefully this will all settle down and life will move on.

 

I have a son on the Ooltewah team, he is the one who got kicked in the back. I have been an official for 35 years but have taken three yrs. off to watch my son play. I can assure you we are not amateurs. We read the rules, study, and have to pass an exam just to be put on a crew. Then, we are observed by a state supervior when we work games and critiqued for that game. Officials who do not pass muster are pulled off a crew. No official ever fumbled a ball, intercepted a pass, jumped offsides, grabbed a face mask, or blocked from behind. The ONLY thing that made the officials look bad was when the referee pointed the wrong way on three different penalties. I was on the chain crew at the game and I cannot print here all the language I heard on the sidelines from both WB coaches, players, and fans during the entire game. The WB coach told the official on the sideline that one of our chain crew said something out of the way to the WB coach and I can tell you for sure, that did not happen. The coach apologized three times to the chain crew for doing that. Another coach told me the head coach was just kidding when he told the official about the man on the chain crew, and I replied, that is not a joking matter. For those of you, on either side, who think officials don't do a good job, and are not biased in any way, register with the TSSAA, join your local association, pass the test, get a uniform, and hit the field. If a team will take care of business, then no call from an official can affect the outcome of a game.

[GradfromtheNest]

Very well put Volmike...my response will be forthcoming. Coach Meadows will definitely regret that article. The power of the media goes both ways!

Edited September 19, 2006 by GradfromtheNest

[volmike69]

http://www.thedailytimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll...=73257335122113

 

No chain crew member said anything out of the way to coach Meadows. In fact, another WB coach told me that coach Meadows was just kidding that "coach Meadows likes to have fun on the sidelines" I replied that is no way to have fun. If Coach Meadows is worried about cussing, he should clean up his own coaching staff first, I could not believe the words that came from their mouths. The official on the WB sideline did not smile or smirk at coach Meadows at any time, I was there. And another thing, no matter when the flag is thrown, if the call is unsportsmanlike conduct, the penalty is enforced from the succeeding spot and always treated as a dead ball foul. Amazing what you can find if you just read the rule book. I have been reading it for 35 years. Coach Meadows should send the tape to TSSAA if he is that upset.

[o21putt]

Thanks for setting the record straight, volmike. As usual, what is printed in the paper and what actually happened is far from the truth. As the saying goes, smart and coach should never be used in the same sentence. Another oxymoron, like jumbo shrimp and military intelligence.

[yjacketalum]

I have not read the article, but I was at the game. You can spin this game any way that you want, but the fact is the officials were terribly out of line. I am not talking about the actual calls that were made, but the fact that the officials in the last possession were making calls and then smiling at the William Blount coaches as if to say, "What are you going to do about it?" Forget the calls...it was a classless display by a group of men that abused their power. Also, forget Coach Meadows....the players at William Blount deserved a better fate. Maybe there were some Blount County fans that were upset.....I don't blame them....I have no allegiance to either team....my team happened to be too far for me to travel so I chose this game to attend......Anyone who was there and not a fan of either team had to say that the officiating was in no way called fairly......those are just the facts.....Also, I heard the students and the police officers demand that the Blount cheerleaders leave the field......Are only home team fans allowed to be on the field?....seemed a bit one-sided to me....only one more thing........what goes around comes around!