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Region 1 Basketball Officiating


Vikefan33
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Well I dont know really these guys personally,But have definately heard of them. But I have officiated for 25 years and what your saying is exactley what region 2 sounds like. These guys have ruined our associations over here. They have moved so many young officials up so early that the game has suffered because of their lack of experience and professionalism. This really is an important part of the game. I am embarrassed to go out with a couple of these young guys because they are going to call at least 3-4 tees a night or have a fan removed for pointing out their incompitance. And then the supers never point out their shortcomings like they used too. We should not be out there determining the outcomes of these games, PERIOD!! When you tee a coach up for asking you something or for throwing his hands in the air you have in a way determined the outcome for that coach. I have personally recieved emails from these young guns telling us to go to a certian website like youtube or something to see a tee theve caleed on a player or coach. Thats disgusting!! Although we are an important part of the game at the end of the night if the fans, players, and coaches go home and dont remember us, then thats when we did a good job. 25 years and ive yet to call the perfect game!!! They need to up the 2 game pay and get some good professionals in there, we owe these kids that much!! If we up the pay we would have so many doing both college and high school because a guy wouldnt go to Wise Va. for 140.00 when he could stay near home for 110.00 or so.

In my opinion you summed up the description of the best officials regardless of the sport; that is, the ones that go home after the game relatively unnoticed. The best officials become almost transparent during the dynamics of a game. The other points you make are spot on too. Supervisors are pushing younger officials before they are ready. Regarding technical fouls, I believe most good officials will allow a coach to vent after a controversial call as long as there are no threats or cursing. However, these young guns seemingly want to wield the power of the whistle and show coaches who is in charge. It's a power trip and is the ultimate in unprofessionalism in my opinion. I think officials should be willing to take criticism within reason, especially when they screw up. As I've said before, I don't expect perfection - I just expect effort and competence. Although the pay for officials is not great, it is way better than high school coaches are getting paid. On a per hour basis, most coaches are making a fraction of what the officials make. An increase in pay may very well entice better talent. I know I wouldn't do the job for what those guys get paid. However, if I took the job, I would be compelled to do my best regardless of the pay.

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Can't wait till Regionals and see some different ref's. What amazes me is these clowns go from officiating middle school games one year and next year they are in the district tournament.

Be careful what you wish for. I am not a big fan of some of the District 1 refs, but for the most part they look like professionals next to the neighboring District's refs. The Region 2 refs are just plain horrible with a few exceptions. That bunch wouldn't make a decent rec league crew.

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Be careful what you wish for. I am not a big fan of some of the District 1 refs, but for the most part they look like professionals next to the neighboring District's refs. The Region 2 refs are just plain horrible with a few exceptions. That bunch wouldn't make a decent rec league crew.

Amen to that brother! Look at the 3AAA post I started and see throughout some of the calls during the season. As I have said in it, and mention here, let the kids decide the game!!! Don't vent some personal vendetta against HS players. A foul is a foul, travel is a travel. Someone said it best (don't know if its here or another post) when you don't remember the officiating/officials in a game, that's when you know it's been called right.

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Actually, I'm referring to Cradic and McConnell who I believe are the current D1 supervisors (unless I'm mistaken). Particularly, I believe Cradic to be a complete oaf! To be honest, I bet he has trouble actually spelling basketball let alone evaluating a game. He may have been better in football or baseball, but he was a terrible basketball official. From my experience, McConnell wasn't much better. I know both are in the TSSAA HOF, but that has more to do with politics and longevity than performance. On the contrary, I'm a big Ralph Stout fan. I believe he brought both integrity and accountability to the job. Yes, I believe Ralph officiated in the OVC, SC, and SEC. I believe he may have been a supervisor in the OVC for a while too. I agree he was a very good official, but in the end he came back and called some games in high school after his college officiating career. Like some of the current officials, he wasn't quite as good at the end as he was previously. Regardless, in my opinion there is little accountability now under the current leadership (if you can call it that). And just in case some think I'm a disgruntled former or current official that has an ax to grind; I'm not, never have been and will never be. I'm just a former player, father of a former player and general high school basketball fan.

 

 

You make a lot of good points, etownsparky. But, if I didnt know better, I would swear you were an basketball official. You must have a copy of the Stout resume or something. But you said you arent an official, so I guess you arent. I have a tight buddy from Unaka who refs ball now and I've heard him talk about Mr. Stout. Im not even sure he knew all this, so thanks for the education.

 

As far as reffing goes, I don't know about other areas, but lets not kid ourselves here, everyone knows Cradic runs the show and he make the decisions in Region 1. He decides who gets varsity games, which is a little clique for sure. I have witnessed gentlemen I know make a meteoric rise to the varsity and playoff ranks, surpassing others with more experience. I have to guess Cradic believes in his own mind that he is placing the best officials out there, and for that I credit him. But it is common knowledge amoungst coaches, ADs, officials, and many fans that it's a good ole boys club. This is why the old geezers are still out there getting games and the young su ck ups are flying to the top without the game experience to give the players the game they deserve. This is why you can see certain officials out on non-game nights with their school colors on (seems like there's a great deal of maroon) and yet they get these key matchups regardless. It comes down to an old business adage we have all heard, "it isn't what you know, but who you know". In some circles it's about who you play golf with too.

 

With that said, there is no method of checks and balances on the assigning officials, as it tis the Cradic dictatorship. There are no physical requirements nor age limitations. There would be no way to legally address these without being sued. There is no off season training or efforts to improve. There is no dicipline of bad officials, not to mention the biased ones. It's frustrating (as you may tell I am frustrated with it). Just not fair to the kids. Do I have an answer - nope. Could I do a better job - nope. But like etownsparky said, I didnt take the job either.

 

Don't get me wrong though, I will continue paying to sit through high school basketball and football games. I will sit there and shake my head in discust at the zebras. I love to watch the competition and true sport. It's tarnished at the college level and all but gone in the NBA (thug league). What else is an old fat geezer to do?

Edited by Pudding
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You make a lot of good points, etownsparky. But, if I didnt know better, I would swear you were an basketball official. You must have a copy of the Stout resume or something. But you said you arent an official, so I guess you arent. I have a tight buddy from Unaka who refs ball now and I've heard him talk about Mr. Stout. Im not even sure he knew all this, so thanks for the education.

 

As far as reffing goes, I don't know about other areas, but lets not kid ourselves here, everyone knows Cradic runs the show and he make the decisions in Region 1. He decides who gets varsity games, which is a little clique for sure. I have witnessed gentlemen I know make a meteoric rise to the varsity and playoff ranks, surpassing others with more experience. I have to guess Cradic believes in his own mind that he is placing the best officials out there, and for that I credit him. But it is common knowledge amoungst coaches, ADs, officials, and many fans that it's a good ole boys club. This is why the old geezers are still out there getting games and the young su ck ups are flying to the top without the game experience to give the players the game they deserve. This is why you can see certain officials out on non-game nights with their school colors on (seems like there's a great deal of maroon) and yet they get these key matchups regardless. It comes down to an old business adage we have all heard, "it isn't what you know, but who you know". In some circles it's about who you play golf with too.

 

With that said, there is no method of checks and balances on the assigning officials, as it tis the Cradic dictatorship. There are no physical requirements nor age limitations. There would be no way to legally address these without being sued. There is no off season training or efforts to improve. There is no dicipline of bad officials, not to mention the biased ones. It's frustrating (as you may tell I am frustrated with it). Just not fair to the kids. Do I have an answer - nope. Could I do a better job - nope. But like etownsparky said, I didnt take the job either.

 

Don't get me wrong though, I will continue paying to sit through high school basketball and football games. I will sit there and shake my head in discust at the zebras. I love to watch the competition and true sport. It's tarnished at the college level and all but gone in the NBA (thug league). What else is an old fat geezer to do?

No, I am absolutely not an official for any sport - just a high school sports enthusiast for several years that has never had much affection for the zebras. I could never be an official and take the abuse handed out by old geezers like myself - the pay isn't nearly good enough for that. I agree, in order to get ahead you have to brown-nose and be part of the clique. I know this because I'm acquainted with some refs that have (or did) called for a long time that have told me so. A few of the good ones that were around for a while have quit because of it. I believe a lot of the initiative to push "up and comers" and women is directed by the TSSAA. I hate to give them credit, but overall D1 does have some pretty good officials, especially when compared to neighboring districts and regions. The bunch from Morristown to down toward Chattanooga are simply horrible as a whole. I will give our officials some credit, but I still maintain that Cradic is a complete and total idiot. It appears to me that someone may agree as I've seen some other senior officials at several games this year doing evaluations. Maybe he is ready to hang it up and let someone else have the job - I seriously doubt it, but can't I exercise a bit of wishful thinking?

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