The Students Win!! The Students Win!! The Students Win!!

This should be shouted with the same enthusiasm as when the great Chicago Cubs Radio Announcer, Harry Carey, used to shout, "Cubs Win".....

I refereed the Staff VS Students Game at Benjamin Franklin High School (BFHS) This afternoon. The Staff likely will not be asking to be back again next year......

One teacher had 2 Fouls called on him in the 1st Quarter. He was a rather burly fellow & long past his prime playing days. About 6'1'' tall and 250 lbs or so. (I'm being kind here, folks!) He objected loudly to the 2nd Foul and asked a fellow Staffer to take his place because he couldn't take such lousy calls. (He calmed down after a fellow Staffer / Player told him to calm down because BOTH the Foul calls were legitimate!)

I had fun! I think the Students that played AND the Students that watched had fun, too

I called several Technical Fouls during the game. Only 1 was legitimate......

1. The Staff had 10 men & 2 ladies. The Students had 4 girls. 2 minutes into the game I called my 1st "T" on the Staff for "Violation of the Title IX Gender Equality for not playing a female within the first 2 minutes of the game.

2.  A "T" on a Teacher / Staff Player for "Assigning excessive Home Work."

3. A "T" on a Teacher / Staff Player for "Requiring Student to take too many notes in class."

4. A teacher decided to play in the 2nd Half after being a Spectator the 1st Half. When he entered the game a Staff Member dimmed the lights, then flashed them with a big build up about a "Special Player" entering the game. I "T'd Up" that teacher for "Illegal Participation" since his name was not in the Score Book before the game. (THAT was my only legitimate "T".....)

5. The MOST Satisfying "T" was on the Boy's team Head Coach, Jon Mott, for "A Coach Impersonating a Player."

Coach Mott had earlier come up to me saying he "wanted to have some fun of his own for the kids entertainment" and asked me to call a "T" on him and then Toss him out of the game.

After a Foul call I made, he rushed over & gave me a "Chest Bump" & started waving his arms around like he was all mad, hollering, "Toss me out! I want to get tossed out!" So I acquiesced and gave him the well known, "You're Outta Here" gesture and off the court he went to thunderous cheers from the students.

Photo by thelowrybrand via Flickr, acquired and modified under 

CC BY-SA 2.0 license 

The result would be FOUR technical Foul Shots for the Students with about 4 minutes left in the game.

The Students were down 17 points at the time. (I think some of the Staffers really wanted to win!!)

As the 1st student went to shoot 2 Free Throws for the 1st "T", I strolled over to the kids keeping score and running the Score Board and told them to score 5 points if the shot was made. It was a Boy, so I also told him to score 2 points if he just hit the rim but missed the the shot. He made 1 & missed 1. Then a Girl attempted the 2 Free Throws for the Ejection of Coach Mott. I told the Scorekeeper to score 5 points if she made a shot and 3 for a miss. She made 1 & missed 1. The score was tied!!! 17 points off 2 Technical Fouls. Imagine that!

6. My final "T" was with 2 minutes left and an all Men Staff team on the floor. I called a "T" for another "Title IX Gender Equality Violation for failing to have a Female Player on the Floor in the Final 2 minutes." (See, I told you the Male Staffers wanted to win and grab the "Bragging Rights" over the Students!!)

The Student Shooter made BOTH Free Throws to take a 2 point lead that they did not relinquish!!

The last 2 minutes were regular Basketball Referee calls. No more shenanigans!

By some miracle the Student Team held on for the win to the GREAT delight of the Student Section and Student Players!!

So, this might be the only time I get asked to work the Staff VS Students Game at BFHS, but I had plenty of fun, even if it is the only one!!

After the game a Student told me the "T" and Ejecting Coach Mott was his favorite part of the game.

Mine, too......

5/21/2014