A Cowardly Fan

During the game, if a fan gets too rowdy, the Referee has "tools" to deal with the situation-

1. Ask the School Athletic Director or Security to request the fan to cheer for and support his / her team but calm down on negative comments about the Referees.
2. If that does not work, have the AD or Security escort the unruly fan out of the building. ALL the way out.

BUT WHEN THE GAME IS OVER, so also is the Referee's jurisdiction.

Recently as my partner & I were leaving the gym after dressing into street clothes, just as we stepped thru the double gym doors to the gym lobby a rather large fellow- a Home Team fan since the Visiting Team was already on the bus- stepped behind us and snarled, "You guys are pathetic! Find something else you might be good at!"

With recent stories of Referees being attacked, even killed by angry & out of control fans, that comment rather disturbed me. So I turned immediately to the Security fellow a few steps away, (but too far away to have heard the fan's comments), quickly told him what was said and requested he make sure that fan did not follow us out to our cars in the parking lot......

I refer to him as a cowardly fan because he obviously lacked the courage to make comments about Referees when we could have had him ejected. Instead he waited until after the game and our jurisdiction had ended to sneak up behind us.

Now, I have had fans make snide comments to me as I walked by them after a game. Even had rocks thrown at us- twice. But I have never had a fan walk right up behind me is such a threatening way.

And why was that fan upset with us referees?

I really do not know. The Home Team WON by 20+ points!!

I wonder how he would have acted if they had lost- especially if it had been a close game loss?

And because it was such and odd scenario for a fan to be making untoward comments I asked Security to keep on eye on him. A fella cannot be too careful sometimes these days......

Image by Jeff Kramer via Flickr