OBSERVER Photo by Erica Carlson Technical foul signals in basketball must be avoided at all costs.
Technical fouls are a last resort for basketball referees.
Any uncivil behavior by a player or coach, even if not particularly egregious, will initially result in a verbal warning. If it doesn’t work, technical or “Mr. T” It will be published in short. second “hand” Please avoid this at all costs as it will result in disqualification.
In my years of blowing the whistle in various amateur leagues, I have been charged with dozens of technical fouls.
This is what we in the authorities call fighting, shouting or muttering obscenities, and repeated abusive language. “Accumulated BS” It is the most common cause of technical problems.
Top of my list of memorable skills involved coaches and their players. It was a middle school game, and the coach called a timeout in the second half of a losing game specifically to complain about my officiating.
A longtime college football coach and athletic director, he was by far the worst interview subject of my long career as a sportswriter. He was curt, brusque, negative, and unpleasant. He wasn’t even on my Christmas card list.
Anyway, he finally ended his fierce attack with these words: “You’re doing something terrible.”
Then a petite seventh-grade tenor stepped forward and comically imitated him in a high-pitched voice. “Yeah, you’re doing something terrible.”
The coach did what he deserved. “hand” Meanwhile, the foul-mouthed half-pint was disqualified.
And at Fredonia, there was a time when my friend and junior men’s varsity basketball coach, John Bongiovanni, disagreed with a call from my partner, rookie umpire Jim Azzarella.
When Jim was about to hand the ball to an opposing player from outside the frame in front of the home bench, John suddenly grabbed the ball unexpectedly. He then walked down the sideline complaining loudly to no one in particular.
He met me halfway through the baseline and saw me. “hand” He motioned to me and handed me the ball. Then he spun around, military-style, and quietly returned to his seat on the bench.
For this award-worthy performance, he was rewarded with a small amount of applause and laughter.
In his calculating mind, the resulting two-shot penalty was worth it. With a healthy lead on the scoreboard, he more than made his point.
John may have a more detailed and interesting version of that memory, but that’s how I remember it.
Another night, this time at the old Pine Valley gym, my partner and I were angrily chased half the floor at halftime by veteran coach Bob Butcher.
I have known Bob for many years, first as his manager when he was a teenager playing for the legendary Sheridan Pablos of the Grape Belt Baseball League. That familiarity doesn’t help, and Bob understandably… “hand” For this long rant.
Surrounding crowd noise was dramatically reduced throughout the episode. In the end, the only sound echoing through the packed gym was the swear words spewing from the mouth of my old friend Bob. All eyes and ears were on us at midcourt.
To the confusion, the entire crowd stood up. Why was there no standing ovation?
And now I understand why. As they always do at halftime, the Pine Valley faithful rose to sing their beloved alma mater’s song.
They quietly and patiently waited for Coach Butcher’s sickening slurs to end before immediately launching into an emotional musical performance. The juxtaposition of profanity and small-town wholesomeness was striking. And memorable.
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Bill Hammond is the former sports editor of the Evening Observer.
Football Class AA Quarterfinals Friday, Nov. 1, No. 7 Lockport, No. 2 Lancaster, 7 p.m. No. 6 Hatch Tech…
ALDEN — Frewsburg/Falconer, led by the Pitts sisters, finished top locally in Section VI Class C.
BUFFALO (AP) – Bo Horvat and Maxim Tsyplakov each had a goal and an assist to help the New York Islanders win.
