Chargerettes/Bearrettes KoolAid and Judgement

[Ericblair]

It’s that time of year again, the time of year when basketball seasons and careers end or extend. Perhaps it’s wrong, but with so much time, energy and passion by players, coaches, and parents put into high school sports, when it’s all over it almost always hurts…always. All you can really hope for is that when you get beat, it’s on the court…fair and square. That’s all…plain simple fairness…you know childhood sandbox type stuff.

 

So when circumstances like what happened to McMinn Central’s girls in their sub state game or that when a player gets not one but two questionable technicals from the same ref in the same quarter, her first two ever as in the case of Bradley Central you might need a little therapy. So thanks Coach T for your forum because you certainly won’t get it from the TSSAA. Nope, folks there are practicing the age old time honored chorus: “that’s a judgment call and our bylaws do not permit…blah blah blah blah†(You know like that old Peanuts teacher in Charlie Brown and makes about as much sense here too).

 

Interestingly enough is that Section 5 (a) of its Bylaws state that the Association shall have “general control over all athletic contests†and 5 (e) states that the Association is charged with determining the “qualifications…for officialsâ€. Seems like responsibility AND judgment going on there but higher math was always a problem. Maybe the Association has Bill Clinton as an advisor and still trying to figure out what “is†means. The problem here is not that officials make mistakes. They are human and have dang tough jobs. The problem here is that nobody really gives a hoot when things go wrong or cares to consider ways to improve any of this…nobody…ever….anywhere…dang that lost shaker of salt!!

 

At about 8:55 in Inglewood TN on Saturday night, Chargerette head coach Morgan is about to enter his team’s locker room for the last time when he receives a copy of the game film clearly showing the game to be over with his team ahead by 2. He thinks….maybe…just maybe someone will listen…someone will care…things will be righted…justice shall prevail….then upon returning from Oz and reality setting in he’ll know he has an unfairly broken team to address followed by several sleepless nights. Coaching anyone?

 

At about the same time with cognac being served, dinner is winding down in Nashville between the “Judgement R Us†law firm and the TSSAA to discuss strategies to overturn a Chancellor’s open record ruling. You see the judgment of a Chancellor with diplomas out the ying yang can be questioned (I’m still looking for where the Bylaws allow for that) but not that of a part time official because the former is all about “protecting kids†unlike the actual control or playing of sports and what all the other coaches and ADs do across the State. The Chancellor thing is a big deal…games, tournaments, careers…there’s always next year… for the Association anyway….you’ll get over it. Coach Morgan along with the rest of us just needs another cup of cool aid…and not a wink of sleep will ever be lost.

[airstrip1]

I reckon so.

[Indian]

That was silly..bad call, definitely but no one would ever think it would be overturned.

[Ericblair]

That was silly..bad call, definitely but no one would ever think it would be overturned.

 

I think the point here is that why are resources made available on issues like open laws that clearly are inconveniences for the TSSAA staff but when it comes to processes or resources to improve the quality of control over games that affect players, coaches, fans, parents etc. the position is taken that bylaws don't allow as if there needs to be explicit consent for such. I'm not in favor of instant replay or in any case overturning calls. But I am in favor of establishiping processes whereby mistakes or bad "judgement calls" can be reviewed for improvement sake. I just don't accept this business of officiating judgement already being everything it ought to be and I suspect that if the leadership of the TSSAA was affected like those affected by bad call things would change...like trying to overturn a Chancellor's ruling.

 

Thanks for your comments.

Edited March 7, 2013 by Ericblair