From the Bleachers

Every once in a while, before the games, I’ll here a friendly little announcement reminding spectators to let the officials handle the officiating, let the coaches coach and the players play.

I haven’t heard that announcement lately, but maybe they should make it more often.

I never really gave it any thought nor did I ever think it was a problem until recently.

As I sat on the bleachers for games this season, I heard an unbelievable amount of heckling of the officials, heckling I found to inappropriate for high school games.

I’m a heckler tried and true, but that’s for college and professional games, partly because I secretly think that if I shout “keep your hands up,” at a basketball game, that the players will actually do it. And because they’re adults who can take it and there are no kids surrounding me when I do it.

But high school games are supposed to be fun. They shouldn’t be taken too seriously to the point of frustration, shouting expletives or even threatening to knock someone out.

It’s high school game!

I sit in the stands just like everyone else and I don’t want to here an angry parent, brother or sister screaming like this is a professional basketball, football or soccer game. It’s as if all that’s missing from the picture is an alcoholic beverage in hand.

“Are you (expletive) blind?” “Hey, you stupid (expletive)!” or “He’s lucky because if I was in the game I would punch him out.”

Those are things that shouldn’t be said, much less shouted, at high school games. It’s bad enough you’re saying such nasty things. Saying it around kids, I think, is worse.

Seriously, what kind of example are you setting?

And, no, if you were in the game, you wouldn’t be punching anyone out because if you even tried to, you’d be thrown out.

I don’t know how these officials ignore it because there are some times when I know they can hear it. When the people are in the stands at a football or soccer game they’re so far away. But at basketball games, they’re much closer to the officials and the sound echoes, so I know they hear some of it.

Sometimes I just want to tell some people to pipe down.

It annoys me to no end when I hear some people get angry at calls or take cheap shots at officials.

You’re not necessarily going to agree with every call, but guess what, that’s the call, so let it go. Nothing good will come out of a temper tantrum.

Not only that, these officials are members of the community. You may see them at the grocery store or at the beach. They are your neighbors and or just might be related to someone you know.

I remember one time this season, when games were held up because there were no officials. It’s really bad when officials don’t show up for the games because they don’t want to be heckled at. If this keeps up, and the officials finally say they’ve had it, then who is going to ref your precious games?

If you think they’re so bad, and you think you know so much about the game, and if you think you’d be that much better, then put on the stripes and grab a whistle.

What did we learn when we were kids? If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it all? Or, treat others the way you would want to be treated? It’s the same thing.

The officials are there because they want to be. They’re not biased. They’re just calling it as they see it.