A couple of teams were really lighting it up Tuesday nite! One game finished 61-60. Don't know who, as Scorekeepers only identified the teams as W (Winner) & L (Loser).
Another unidentified team scored 64 points!
And then there was Nauvoo Station's rampage with 28 points......but since only 4 players showed up, what can you expect?
At half time in one game I hear someone say "...Scored 14 points." I asked who the player was and the answer was "That was the the TEAM total"...... The other ream had amassed 11 points. AT HALF TIME......
Crismon Ward's Yancey Littler has apparently mastered the exceptionally tricky "Assist" play of bouncing a pass off an opponent's kneecap to his teammate for an easy lay up under the basket. At least he claimed he was aiming for the opponent's knee cap......It wasn't the only play he mastered last nite......dropping in a couple of close range one hand "Push" shots. (He tried for jump shots but there weren't no jump there!)
And Rittenhouse's "Super Shupe" has the longest step & a half stride to the basket I've ever seen for a fellow just shy of 6' tall......he went from the top of the key to the hoop for a lay up without a dribble and did not get called for traveling! HE even made the shot (that time, at least) An AMAZING, if questionably legal play.
Dribbling- It would be appreciated if more players would dribble before they start running on their drive to the basket. I know Lebron & Kobe aren't expected to dribble until they've taken two steps but ain't none of you making them big bucks to entertain the fans......and you know no on calls traveling violations in the NBA!! Oh, yeah, that's true!! We have a retired NBA Ref from Phoenix, Tommy Nunes Sr (His son, Tommy Jr is currently a NBA Ref). When Tommy was first hired by the NBA he went straight from Refereeing Arizona High School Basketball. After one of his first games he got a call from the NBA Commissioner of Referees, "Tommy, The NBA is ENTERTAINMENT. No one is paying to see you call Traveling Violation, so lay off the Traveling Calls if you want to stay in the league." CLICK! Went the phone. And they STILL don't call Traveling in the NBA...
Creating Space- "What do you mean I can't create space!!??" I was cautioning a player about pushing off. Did you know you can't "Create Space" while playing? What is that, you ask? It's when an Offensive Player with the ball used his shoulder, ample gluteous maximus or forearm to try & push the defender away so the Offensive Player has "space" to maneuver free of the Defender. ''Creating Space" is basically a Player Control Foul, so don't try to "create space"!!
The Ball IS Deaf- The ball ain't listening......so when you miss a shot, and yell, "Oh come on!" at the ball, it won't help.
Listen Up- Have you noticed...... I try to "talk you out of" fouls or violation? "Clear the key, white!" to avoid a 3 Seconds Violation. "Hands Off" to the Defense. "Watch your screen," "Don't Push,'' etc. So, if you listen, I'll try and keep you out of violations & fouls, if possible. But if'n you don't listen......
Screens- I hollered "Watch that Blind Screen" to a Nauvoo Station Player the other nite to which he yelled back at me, "This is basketball. Screens are allowed!!" He didn't say "idiot" but the tone of voice did......Hmmmmm. How does a fellow handle insolent conduct from an apparent "Know it all" that don't know what he's talking about? I was just trying to help him out and did not call what could have been a Blind Screen Foul. Something which, despite his vast rules knowledge & extensive experience at the highest levels of B-Ball competition, he apparently does not comprehend......
Here's the Screening Principle- A Player can set a screen as close to a stationary opponent player as possible-just so long as the screener does not contact the person being screened, does not infringe on the other players "Verticiality" AND the person being screen can readily see the screener. When you set a "Blind Screen," meaning the player being screened can NOT see the screener, the screener needs to allow the person being screened enough time to see the screen and react to go around the screen. UP TO 2 STRIDES if the player being screened is moving!! So if you set a screen on a player who is on the run and not looking at you, make sure you are allowing that player time to see & react to your screen.
The screener also can NOT stick his knee, hip, backside, elbow, or shoulder out to restrict the movement of the person being screened.
3 Seconds Violation- This is perhaps the complaint most commonly yelled at Referees from Players & fans. All the yelling show is that person can at least count to 3, which may surprise some of the their former math teachers......
First point- 3 Seconds ONLY applies to an Offensive Player. A Defensive Player can stand in the key as long as he wants, so please don't yell, "3 Seconds when the Defense is standing in the Key!"
3 Seconds only applies when the Offensive Team has possession of the ball, called Player Control or Team Control. When a shot goes up and the scrum forms under the basket and the ball is being slapped around there is NO team Control and the Offense can be in the key more then 3 Seconds.
There is NO Team Control when a Team is in-bounding the ball, so an Offensive Player CAN stand in the lane for more than 3 seconds during an inbound play. (Yes, I know the Offensive Team Player is holding on to the ball as he stands out of bounds to throw it in and you could say he has "control" of the ball. But by Rule, THAT is not considered Team or Player Control for a 3 Seconds Violation.)
If an Offensive Player is in the Key, the Ref is silently & Patiently counting, "One Thousand One, One Thousand Two, One Thousand Three," NOT speed counting, to himself / herself, like the fans do. When the Ref sees a player lingering too long he'll holler "Clear the Key, White!" (Or whatever is the team color). Then if the player beings to move out of the key (away from the basket) OR if a shot is attempted while the player is moving out of the key there is no 3 Seconds Violation.
Referee Whistle- When you're Refereeing, BLOW THE WHISTLE LOUD so people can hear you and stop! I also suggest avoiding eating a steak Chimichanga @ El Rico's before Refereeing. It adds a bit too much "toot" to the whistle toot, if you know what I mean......as I found out the hard way! Just go to El Rico's on other than game nites.
When the Referee Whistle Blows- STOP!!! If you are grasping the ball with an opponent, and the Referee blows his whistle- STOP STOP, STOP, DANG IT, STOP wrestling for the ball. You're not a bunch of Cub Scouts wrestling over the last cookie!! It's a jump ball and the last person holding the ball is NOT the winner!
Referee Calls- While in-bounding a ball near the "Over Flow" area I asked some folks sitting there if they'd "come to see some good basketball?" When they enthusiastically said, "YES!!" I quipped, "Then you've come to the wrong place! Won't see much good basketball here!" A player, over hearing my comment, muttered, "You can say the same thing about the refereeing!."
That may be true...... you'll recall I've asked EACH team to provide ONE Referee and ONE Score Keeper per game? Occasionally I get 2 Refs on the court. Too many times only ONE team provides a Ref.
However, I've deduced that the apparently poor quality of Referee obviously is because the best Referees in the Stake aren't volunteering to take their fair share of time wearing the Black & White shirts & blowing the whistles!! Oh, they'll PLAY in the games, alright, and they will yell at the Referees who are volunteering as they play but the guys that seem to think they are better Referees than the ones on the court don't have the gumption to actually BE the Referee. Bro Whitener's succinct comment sums it up, "If I'm not willing to be a Referee I shouldn't complain about the Refereeing."
Folks, it's EASY to play or spectate and make the game calls. It's HARD to actually be the Referee. I joke with Bro Mott, who is the Globe High School Boy's Varsity Basketball Coach after he Refereed Tuesday nite, "Did you even blow the whistle?" He said, "Yes, 3 times, but you also blew the whistle on the same calls." Then he said, "I wanted to blow the whistle a couple of other time but by the time I tried to blow the whistle the play was gone and it was too late!" Trust me, Bro Mott does not have trouble yelling, "That's a FOUL" from the bench when he's coaching a Globe game. But even after all of his years of experience "refereeing from the bench" it's still tough to be the Referee on the floor and make the call.
And I know even if those brethren that prefer to Ref as they play actually do put on the Black and White shirts we'll still have complaints about calls......
Billy Kennedy is a former Arizona High School & Junior College Ref currently in the NBA. he got his "Big Break" into the NBA during a NBA Referee Strike a few years ago. In a game with the New York Knicks, Dough Collins, I think was the Knicks Head Coach, Billy made a call that Collins did not like. "I've been in this league for 20 years as a player and a coach and I've NEVER seen a Ref call like that before!!" Yelled the Coach. Billy's reply? "Coach, I've been in the league 2 weeks. Get used to it!!"
We've got guys refereeing who've never refereed before- get use to it!!
Ranch and Ironwood Crossing have a system worked out- Brent Slade, from Ranch ward, refereed when Ironwood Crossing played. Then Jon Mott, from Ironwood Crossing, refereed while Ranch played.
I don't care how you get a referee on the court, I just care that you do!!
Kids Run Amok- Since Artie Whitening, Cortina 2nd Ward, evidently does not play basketball, I thought I was off the hook being the Stake Baby Sitter & had no more fears of hear that Whitening Woman holler at her kids (as she kicked them out of the care on her way to Bunko)- "Bro Pear will watch you!!"
I've had complaints each of the last 2 nites from Wards occupying the Stake Center about Kids running thru halls & making a disturbance with yelling, pounding feet, ect. I thought the only folks I was called to baby Sit were the Big Kids on the court, but apparently not. The respective Ward leaders find me and ask me to keep the kids under control. Hey, I'm having enough of a challenge keeping the guys on the court under control, how can they expect me to also patrol the halls?!?!
So, dads, when you tell your wife, as you head out the door to play B-Ball with your kids in tow, "Don't worry, I'll keep and eye on them!" Please do.
Most Feared Match up- And that reminds me of what may be the most interesting & feared Match Up of the our Stake- Ranch vs Cortina 2nd. No, not because Brent Slade of Ranch Ward & Brad Martineau of Cortina 2nd can really fill it up from 3 point range. It's the ancillary game these brethren bring to the game that interests (and worries me).
A few years ago I was doing a Mesa Parks & Rec game with Brent Slade putting on his usual spectacular shooting display. One of Brent's female fans became so enthralled with the exhibition that she ripped off her shirt and ran onto the court topless to give Brent a hug- right in the middle of the game and in the middle of the court! Of course that stopped the game. No, I did not have to blow the whistle to stop the game. The gawking players stopped of their own accord....ASTONISHED at what they were seeing.
The female fan was his 3 year old daughter!! Seems Brent had convinced his wife that he could "babysit" his kids AND play while his wife went to Book Club, Bunko or Relief Society, ect.
You are all familiar with the penchant of the Martineau boys to be stripped half naked & covered in water & mud within minutes of arriving at the softball field. Heaven only know what could happen when the Slade & Martineau kids match up!! At least there's no dirt in the Stake Center......unless the boys get outside & bring it in!
4 to Play- Yes, I said a Team could start with only 4 players. 3 teams Tuesday nite took me at my word. Vineyard, however did not even manage 4. In fact they were a complete NO SHOW!!!! I know 6:00 PM is a tough start time, but Jon Mott, who coaches/teaches in GLOBE made it to 6:00 PM game on time to play! And Vineyard was a 7:20 PM Game.
After poking fun at Dallas Nevill & his breathtaking Fast Break away speed, he also was a no show! I was worried he was offended. Not so. Seems he was teaching scuba to a group of Boy Scouts at his pool, so that's certainly a valid excuse to miss the game! His & Dane Chaffe's company, Rescue AC 911 was also speedy fixing a broken AC unit for me a couple of weeks ago on a 110 degrees day, so what speed Dallas lacks on the court he makes up for in service off the court!
Shirts- Again I request everyone bring one WHITE SHIRT & one DARK SHIRT to the game so no one has to be the 2nd player wearing the white pull over jerseys I bring. A high school coach, encouraging students to take a shower after PE told us that sweat has the same chemical composition as urine and he did not want to be walking around with "urinated on" people. (He was a bit more graphic than "Urinated on" as you might imagine.) So, just keep in mind if someone on your team forgets to bring a white & dark shirt and YOU have to be the 2nd or 3rd player wearing one of those pullover jerseys- you're playing in someone else's urine!!! With that image in mid, maybe some of you will take the initiative & bring some EXTRA shirts with you for those forgetful teammates......
When NOT to complain about a foul not being called- If you are chasing a loose ball, perhaps even knocked the ball out of the dribbler's hand, and while chasing down the ball the other player dives for it, sliding along the floor and then YOU dive on top of the other player......don't give that "I'm shocked" look and ask the Ref why he did not call a foul on the guy on the bottom of the pile. Just be glad he did not call the foul on you!!
It's also NOT traveling to dive for a ball and slide for a distance along the floor due to momentum from the dive. However, if you then roll from side to side to avoid a defender, that IS traveling.
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