Hey Ref! Are You Deaf?!

This was in a game worked this afternoon......

This fellow, a so called "fan", who hollered that absurdity chuckled loudly after saying it......He apparently thought he was being quite humorous and clever, I suppose.

I try not to interact withe the crowd at High School Games, but sometimes circumstances are such that I feel I have no other alternative...... this was one of those times!!

"Dream Shot" by Will Folsom via Flickr.com

I turned to the crowd and said, "As a matter of fact, my Referee partner today IS deaf. He is also Dumb. Literally since childhood! What you are witnessing is one of the most courageous Referees in Arizona Basketball High School. A fellow that cannot hear Coaches yelling for Time Outs and cannot talk to the players or coaches like most Referees do, but he is out here on the court doing what most of you could never do despite your supposed expertise from the stands- Refereeing this game. You can make fun of him all you want, but if you do you'll trying to watch the rest of the game from outside the building......I hope you brought your X-ray vision glasses."

The "fan" had no further comment......

Why so some fans think they have an unlimited right to yell any a all abusive comments at Ref's they want? And why so do many fans from that person's team tolerate such behavior?

Last year my partner and I ejected 2 fans in a game. A husband and wife combo and a friend of theirs who were all sitting together

After the game as I walked to my car a woman walked quickly past me. When I glanced at her she quickly said, "I wasn't one of them!"

"One of them what?" I asked.

"One of the ones you ejected," was the reply.

I asked if those fans were from her team and she said they were. So I asked if they behaved like that often and she replied, "YES. Every game. We are SO embarrassed by them!"

I asked if they get ejected often and she said, "No. I wish more Refs would toss them out and several of us were very happy you DID toss them out tonite. THANK YOU!"

And so I re-ask the question- Why do fans, fellow team parents, put up with their own team fans acting in such obnoxious ways.

Perhaps the more poignant question is why do the Coaches and School Administrators, who see this fan behavior at their home games, tolerate it?