Rossville - Potts Camp Basketball Fiasco
- Thread starter NawlBennyDawg
- Start date
Interesting.
I have been a basketball referee in the past. Assuming the story is true, I would not have continued calling that game until the fan was removed.
If the school officials from the home team refused to take action against the fan, then I would have used my own phone to call the police. At that point, I would simply wait for the police to arrive, and then we'd see what happens from there.
I have been a basketball referee in the past. Assuming the story is true, I would not have continued calling that game until the fan was removed.
If the school officials from the home team refused to take action against the fan, then I would have used my own phone to call the police. At that point, I would simply wait for the police to arrive, and then we'd see what happens from there.
I know the head coach at Potts camp, but Not close to him or keep up with the team. He has a good reputation and I consider him a pretty good guy so I’m surprised he would let his players get to the point where they were threatening officials. He’s only a second year head coach so maybe things just got out of control.
Interesting that there were apparently no local law enforcement there to handle security.
The referees writing skills are atrocious so let’s clear some things up.
It appears Potts Camp was the visiting team and the fan was on the Potts camp side.
Appears the AD for the visiting team was the issue.
Am I understanding that correctly?
And I’m assuming Potts camp is a public school and Roseville is MAIS?
Not a rhetorical question: what would the police do if you called them? I'm not saying he deserves to be talked to this way, and the school shoulda taken action right away, but I'm not sure it's breaking a law to be mean to the ref.
The breaking the law part is refusing to leave once you've been kicked out, regardless of whether the decision was correct. The police are called to make sure the guy leaves and/or arrest him if he refuses for trespassing, disorderly conduct, etc.
I referee high school soccer in Alabama and a similar situation happened to me last season, although not to that extreme. I was the assistant referee on the home sideline and some students were being unruly and screaming at every refereeing decision. The center referee stopped the game and told the game administrator that he needed to eject the students. There were only about 10 minutes left in the game so it’s not like it was that big of a deal. He basically refused to do so. He and the coaches were asking if we could just tell the students to sit down and be quiet and we were like no, they have to be removed. After about five minutes of this, the center ref made the decision to terminate the game and we left, but not before fans threw a water bottle and popcorn box at us. The basketball referee should’ve made the decision to terminate the game long before he did. If the AD is negligent in his duties to provide crowd control, there’s no reason for the game to continue.
It's a shame that grown-ups can't act like grown-ups at a kids game.
There’s a guy in the X comments who said it was a weak ejection because he has said way worse things to referees than “How much did you get paid you cheating MF”. And he will continue to do so with no ill will ever meant. Of course he is an Ole Miss fan.
I can say that it very well could have been someone not affiliated with Potts Camp since a lot of Rossville fans sit on the visitors side. And the ejected "fan" was listed as an AAU coach. I will say Rossville has recruited heavily. First on the boys side then last year raided Fayette HS on the girls side.
Rossville is in TN, but I think they may play MAIS. Side note, Rossville Cafe is pretty tasty.
Wolf River Cafe is the spot in Rossville.
Sounds like y’all may have been in the wrong.
Student sections are supposed to be unruly. If they were acting like a tough student section good for them.
that’s a little different than a grown adult cussing a referee and accusing him of being bribed.
As I always say “the adults are the worst thing about youth sports.”
Yeah I figured I’d get a response like this. At referee meetings, sportsmanship is always the number one thing they beat into our heads. The AHSAA considers high school sports an “extension of the classroom” and fans riding referees the whole game is not sportsmanlike and should not be tolerated at a high school game. That’s the main reason why high school associations can’t retain referees. Games are having to be canceled because there aren’t enough referees because who wants to get screamed at for two hours by idiots who don’t even know the rules of the game they’re watching?
Amazing that people who watch and like sports are so thin skinned.
I take it you have never refereed.
Parents are the sole reason I quit umpiring baseball 15 years ago. I absolutely loved nearly everything about it… from watching kids have huge moments right down to the smell of the field before a game after it had been mowed that day.
I just couldn’t take the parents anymore.
I just couldn’t take the parents anymore.
This is a very poorly written report and is somewhat hard to follow. That said, termination of the game may have prevented a really dangerous environment for everyone there. Things tend to escalate quickly. Hopefully a thorough investigation of this incident and especially actions or non actions of administrators and players.
Nothing other than helping some kids leagues when I was in high school.
I can think of a ton of reasons not to but the kids yelling at me isn’t one.
As a matter of fact, the kids yelling at me would be one reason I might want to do it. Something a little exciting.
Again I want to clear. I’m not talking about down on the court leaning over the line being personal. I’m talking about kids do normal chants.
Im blind I’m deaf I wanna be a ref
Ref you suck ref you suck
Etc
It is the responsibility of the home game administrator to handle crowd control. If an official wants someone ejected, they are required to do so, no matter if it’s a home or away fan. It sounds like the home game administrator didn’t want to take responsibility because it was an away fan. And things devolved from there. Terminating the game sounds like the only option.
I called HS basketball for 15 years until my knees gave way. Loved every second of it. Occasionally I ran into a fan that popped off like this. Usually a meeting with an administrator to go warn the fan worked. A time or two itv didn't, so you have to take further action.
In all my years, I do not recall ever not having security on site, and I never felt threatened by any fan or player.
It sounds to me like this game had gotten out of hand and the officials made the eventual right call to terminate the game.
I do not understand why his name and email were posted on the report. Those reports are supposed to remain confidential.
In all my years, I do not recall ever not having security on site, and I never felt threatened by any fan or player.
It sounds to me like this game had gotten out of hand and the officials made the eventual right call to terminate the game.
I do not understand why his name and email were posted on the report. Those reports are supposed to remain confidential.
Paragraphs are hard.
It would be breaking the law if you cursed the referee. It’s known as simple assault and you can have someone charged for that unless the laws have changed. When you call a referee a “mf’er” that’s a little more than “being mean” to him. I’m actually surprised that some other spectator didn’t shut the dude up (the one dropping the f’bombs) right there on the spot. There are some places where that’s exactly what would have happened.
It’s clear as mud, and whoever wrote that has trouble with communicating ideas, maybe that’s the problem.
Society just continues to devolve, IMO it’s fine to yell at refs until you cross a line of cursing (especially around kids) and physically threatening. I’m so frustrated at how awful language is everywhere including songs during games.
Now get off my lawn.
If his officiating is in the same universe as his writing, the fan might've had a point...***
If it has devolved from my HS coach in the 80's then it must be really bad.
That man was an artist in the use of 17 in every conceivable manner.
Lol. I saw this thread and skipped it, thinking it wasn't the same Rossville we played in the 80s, but alas it's the same.
As for being mean to refs...heh...I could always get the attention of Don Rutledge.
As for being mean to refs...heh...I could always get the attention of Don Rutledge.
Name callings isn't assault. There has to be some explicit or implicit physical threat.
Certainly, you have a point. The police may not do anything.
However, once the police were there, I'd explain to him/her what happened . . . including the reasons why the home team's administration has refused to expel the fan from the gym. Then, I'd ask the police whether he/she can help us remove the fan from the gym.
The police may politely refuse to do anything. At that point, I'd look at everybody involved (administrators, coaches, players, fans, etc.) and I'd say: "Either I'm going home or the fan is going home. What's it going to be?"
If nobody convinces/forces the fan to leave, then I'd leave and go home.
Neat.
Now fix college sports.
ETA: Just realized I posted this in the wrong thread. The point stands.
Now fix college sports.
ETA: Just realized I posted this in the wrong thread. The point stands.
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