RallyNorth.net: High School Sports – Merrimack Valley and Southern NH

Hector; the players committed the fouls. Lowell and Central came at each other very hard and very physical like every team in the MVC. There are going to be a lot of fouls. Referees do not choose what players to call fouls on, they react to a play and make a judgement. They occasionally make mistakes, but it does not justify the behavior of many of the coaches.
The MVC is a very physical and competitive conference, top to bottom. They would be better served if they started assigning 3 man crews for their games. The Catholic Conference does it all season and the GBL will be doing it in February.
Vetrano made a good number of his 2000 points at the free throw line and Cruz did plenty of banging under the boards in his career.
Hector, the referee test is in November. There is always room for more good officials but you can’t call a game from the stands. The guys who did that game are good officials.

You know Brian, the players did commit the fouls.
But that was only because the two guys doing the game didn’t blow the whistle in the first five minutes, setting a bad tone, then panicked when things got out of control.
And how about the rapid-fire, uncalled-for tech on the CC bench with the game hanging in the balance?
Was that good judgment? Didn’t think so.
It was the “I’m not taking it from an assistant coach” whistle. Great time to flex the muscle.
You couldn’t be more wrong about Cruz and Vetrano.
Cruz had two on him in the layup lines. they’re stars. They deserve better than that.
Officiating hasn’t been the same in recent years because a lot of unqualified refs are getting big games. The money matters to too many guys.
Gone are the days of Bobby Oreal, Bill Boutilier, Tony Romano Sr. and Paul Thornton, who worked at their trade.
The good refs are few and far between now.
And you know about the ref’s test. I’d pass it with flying colors, already did once. But I tried officiating in college and afterward and was horrendous at it.
I knew enough not to pursue it. It’s too bad the guys tarnishing the hoop action in the MVC didn’t invoke the same good judgment.
By the way, Brian. Same two teams met this week with two competent guys doing the game. Did they shoot 60 free throws?
Didn’t think so.
I’m in Arizona so I didn’t do the game, but my people say the two stripes were rock-solid.
Hector

The money is certainly not the reason anyone referees basketball. You can make much more money doing a Freshman-JV doubleheader with none of the head aches of a Varsity Game. There are other leagues that are much easier to officiate than the MVC. Don’t say it is the money!!!
It will be interesting to see what happens with the State Tourney when they try to do it without a full slate of referees.
The 2 guys who did the game this week are rock-solid. Thanks!
Go Pats!

The MONEY??!!?? Hector you must be joking and cannot be serious. Either that or the sun and partying in Arizona is getting to you. We certainly don’t do it for the money. The FOUR guys that were fortunate to be assigned to the two Central/Lowell games to date are ALL quality officials and are rock solid. My understanding is that the two games were very different contests, so to compre the two would be misleading and you of all people should know that being a reporter and someone who attends a number of games. Also just because you do attend a lot of games and passed the test years ago, it does not qualify you to become a credible evaluator of officials. What qualifications do you have to make the statement that an official is unqualified. I am waiting for the day when you write that about a coach in the MVC (in any sport) because of their decision making and/or their antics on the sideline. Something tells me that if you do, it won’t be against any of the local schools in the MVC – (i.e.- Andover, Methuen, Haverhill, Lawrence) and will probably be another school not covered by your paper. I will agree with you on one of your points from earlier — Bill Boutilier is one of the the best officials this area has ever seen — hands down. In fact, he is one of the best teachers of the craft in the country. I speak with him regulalry and consider him one of my mentors for high school and college basketball as a lot of us do. If you asked him, I am sure you would get quite an earful from him on your “evaluation” of officials in this area. Be prepared though, because he might actually suggest you consider evaluating the games, the players and their achievements, and maybe even the coaches and some of their nightly antics. Hector do us all a favor – stick to writing about what you know – I always enjoy your stuff, but you have crossed the line again in your “expert” evaluation of basketball officials in this area. If you would like to come back to officiating we would gladly take you back but know that we stick together and don’t take too kindly to those who think they know what our jobs are and how to evaluate us. Be careful in Arizona and stop drinking what you have been because its clouding your thinking. We do it for the MONEY — right Hector — that’s laughable!

For the record, it’s not all referees who do it for the money.
There are plenty of ego-driven guys in your biz, who do it to be part of the show, too. JUST KIDDING!
Repeat. JUST KIDDING!
Seriously, there has been an influx of newer officials. And there are guys who don’t take pride in it and work there craft, like a Joe D’orazio did.
Leave it to you guys to make my point when you’re trying to argue against me.
First, we’ll start with Hoopref’s response. “You can make much more money doing a doubleheader.”
I rest my case. Shouldn’t the money not matter and shouldn’t those lower levels be a proving ground, not just a chance to make more money.
Then I’ll go to the rip job applied to me by “realref”
“The Central-Lowell games were two different games.”
No kidding.
Do you think the guys blowing the whistle, again I repeat I’m told they did a good job, had something to do with it?
Also realref, the sideline antics of MVC coaches are deplorable. And I consider several of those guys very good friends.
Who lets these guys get away with it?
Me, in the E-T?
Nope. It’s you guys, who are too timid to stop it and just deliver warning after warning.
Finally, as I wrote about th lowell-central game I, Lowell was taken out of its game as much as Central, if not more.
It has nothing to do with the local teams.
I’ll go all the way back to Central Catholic vs. Amherst in the state title game years ago, when in the wild rally, the Central kid tackled an Amherst player and got the steal, the refs somehow missed a blatant tackle and I wrote it.
Hey, I’ll always take the side of the kids, no matter what school, because they’re the ones who matter most.
If you’re an official, you’re an adult, getting paid a pretty darn good wage, I’ll bet. You’re all subject to criticism. 99.999999 percent of the time, the 16-year-old kids aren’t.

As an aside, can one of you proud officials tell me what the going rates for varsity, JV and frosh games are?
I’m interested.

Hector:
Here are the MIAA HS Boys and Girls game fees:
Varsity $71
3 person Varsity $60.35
Girls or Boys Sub-Varsity $50

Hector:
HoopRef’s point was if it was just money the referees were working for, they could make a hundred doing a Freshman-JV double header and not $71 for a tough Varsity game. Those games should be stepping stones for up and coming referees. Unfortunately, there are fewer people that want to subject themselves to the pressure and critisism that comes with those assignments.
You are certainly right about who lets the coaches get away with their behavior. I plead guilty.
If you are around long enough Hector, I think you will end up putting names like John Rafferty, James Slattery, Bob Mullins, and Bill Adams in a class with the greats like Joe D’Orazio and Bill Boutilier. There are excellent people working the MVC.

Typical Refs…seeing the world through rose colored glasses….what is wrong with you people….I know you have to stand by your brotherhood…but let’s get real…There maybe a handful of good refs….but for all purposes…the quality of officials has gone down hill drastically…Just because you pass a test doesn’t qualify you to be a good ref…half the refs are so out of shape or just plain lazy to get up and down the court….they make calls before making it to half court….maybe besides a written test… they should have to pass a physical…and some type of real game test , where they are evaluated and scored…It’s as bad as a on-line college degree…

Here we go — another expert in the merrimack valley. A handful of good refs, huh? And what makes you qualified to evaluate who is good and who is not good. It must be that Thursday night Men’s League where you try to relive your glory days. By your response to this discussion I am sure I would have no problem picking you out of the crowd at a game – and I’ll do my best to seek you out tonight — who knows you might be there.

Just for the record – officials are evaluated on the court before they ever go to the next level. But like anything else, you have to prove yourself first. I suggest you the same (prove yourself) before offering your evaluation of area officials at the Varsity Level. There are are very few officvials in this area doing Varisty Games that take the written test and then move right into Varsity contests. It just doesnt happen. Officials will however, learn more about the game and how to officiate and get more confidence by working youth games, freshmen games, and AAU in the off-season. They learn by practicing just like most do before they master something.

One side note on this, I did get to watch the Central-Lowell game on Comcast On-demand, Billy Adams and Bob Mullins were super in that one.
Total control, let the kids play, the stars weren’t bogged down in fouls. Of course, as hoopref95 said, you expect that kind of performance from two guys of that caliber.

Referees seek nor deserve credit for a good game. Thats why we are sometimes sensitive to written criticism. Thanks for looking at it from a different point of view.

To realfef….
FYI…it’s not thursdays….it’s Sunday morning Men”s League…and i do relive my glory days…at least i can look back and say i had some glory days…and You ??? i doubt it…and there is nothing wrong with that,…from where i sit…and I’m sure too, that you could pick me out of a crowd…but the point of the matter is the quality of refs…Some of these refs are just wannabe basketball players…frustrated athletes that have never stepped on the court….Maybe they just need more practice….but then again…sometimes no matter how much someone practices, there’s a good chance there will be no improvement…so be it !!!