During my first year of coaching JV, we had played our "rival" team 3 times. During the first game, we beat them rather easily. The second time we met at their place, we managed to beat them with a shot at the buzzer that prevented overtime. We had the better team all season, but we hadn't played up to our capabilities in that game and we had struggled, leading to the buzzer beating victory. The final meeting between us and our rival of 10 miles away was at our place, the next to last game of the season.
In order to try and ensure that we had the better team, we had worked on our full court press all week to make sure we had our rotations and assignments down. The plan wasn't to start out in it, mainly due to the lack of numbers and quality players I had on my team. Though I coached all of my basketball teams how to press, the lack of numbers on my team usually meant we couldn't press to start games, but had to find the right opprotune times to spring it on our opponent.
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| Having a head of hair like this would have made this particular official jealous |
We forced a turnover right off the bat and scored to push the lead to 13. We then forced another quick turnover but failed to score. With around 5 minutes left, we still had the 13 point lead when something happened that irritated me. A fan from the opposing team, came out of the stands, walked by my coaches box, and says "You're a jackass!" I just looked at the man and grinned as he walked by. But his comments struck a nerve. I put the rest of my subs in the game with 4 minutes left, but let them press to close out the game. We won the game by 17 that night, with my subs pressing until the final buzzer. The opposing coach wasnt' too happy about my "pressing" decision and informed me it would come back to get me.
The following year, we played them at their place to start the year, and it was obvious from the start that they hadn't forgotten about what I had done the year before. They had sent down 2 varsity players to play in the JV game in order to "pay me back" for my pressing the year before. While the move was an obvious attempt to blow us out this game, it nearly backfired. Even with 2 varsity players, my JV squad came out fired up and trailed by 1 going to the half time. My JV team would do a solid job at holding their own against much better players, but lost in the end by an 11 point margin. I shook the opposing players hands, but walked off without shaking the other coach's hand. This spurred a lot of yelling from the fans as a just grinned and walked off the floor. Finally, one parent responded "Now you know how we felt last year" which provoked my response of "Really? I kicked your ass with a JV team last year, you needed a varsity team this year." But I filed the night in my head, knowing they had a to come to my place later in the season.
Which brings me to the story of "ejected". My team was fired up when our next matchup took place. We were pumped up, probably too much so. I was pumped up, and that wasn't a good thing. We came out pressing like gang busters and forced 3 turnovers in the first minute. But since I was fired up, I was upset at the refs who didn't call fouls that I thought should have been called. This prompted me to calmly say "How about a foul" to the ref. I didn't yell it, didn't storm the court, didn't even cuss or barrate the ref. Nonetheless, he called a technical foul on me.
I took the foul call, knowing I was pumped up and had made the comment 2 or 3 times and after a quick meeting with my team to fire them up, took my seat on the bench as is required by rule after you get a technical. As I'm sitting there watching the opposing player shoot his two technical free throws, the referee marches across the floor to instruct me to sit and get in the box. I acknowledge this with a nod. He tells me for a second time that I must sit and stay in the box. I look up at him, and again, acknowledge with a nod. He then tells me for a third time. By this point, I'm extremely irritated at the chrome domed referee and look down at the floor and notice my left foot is slightly over the coaches box line. No more than my pinky toe is likely over the line.
First off, let me inform you that there is NO rule that says after you get a technical foul that you are constrained to the coaches box. Only that you must remain seated for the remainder of the game. You are restricted to the box during normal play, when you are permitted to stand, but not when you sit. Obviously, this particular shiny headed referee was unaware of this particular rule. But back to the game....
Irritated by my shiny headed official, I pick my violated pinky toed shoe up off of the ground and stomp it in the box. I felt having to be told 3 times to do something that wasn't a violation to begin with was reason enough for me to stomp my foot. Upon stomping my foot, the reflective headed official gives me my second technical, warranting my ejection from the game. Knowing that I'm been given the heave-ho from this rivalry contest, I stand up, look at the refs, throw my arms to the side and say "What did I do?" He then gives me a third techinical foul and informs me that if I don't leave the game, my team will have to forfeit. I repeat my question and receive the same answer from my follically challenged referee. Not wanting my team to have to forfeit, I begin walking off the floor.
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| Perfect form! It could be said my temper at times mirrored Knight's |
With the score 2-1 in our favor, the game is called after 1 minute and 23 seconds of play. But not without more controversy. The referee goes and gets Orville to discuss the events. After some pleads from Orville and a parent on my team, the referees agree to let the kids play. My team rushes out of the locker room, ready to finish their objectice of kicking some butt. But the other team, knowing what is coming, opts to stay in the locker room, pull their bus to the back door, and sneak out. The opposing coach felt the fans were too "rowdy" for his team to continue on and feared for their safety. Really? There were maybe 50 people in the stands. It was a JV game after all.
In his report the following day, Mr. Balding reported that I was violent and trying to incite hostile crowd conditions. He reported I was trying to provoke the fans to come out of the stands at him and refused to leave the court. Fortunately for me, and unfortunately for my pot bellied, bald friend, a parent caught the whole thing on film. If only I could upload the video. Instead, you'll have to settle for some screen shots of my eventful night as a JV coach.
The only game in which I was ever ejected from. And perhaps I shouldn't say this or feel this way, but I'm proud of it! Obviously the head of officiating agreed with me. After watching the film, he opted to lift the suspension for the next game which accompanies an ejection. He said the only thing I did wrong was toss my jacket on the floor, but even he understood my frustration by that point.
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