Observation
Tonight I got the opportunity to observe Sweetie in action as he was reffing a game. Having seen him teach and having read his poetry this was the missing piece of the trifecta. It was a very good game, if I do say so myself. And given that this is the third high school basketball game I've been to in my life I've definitely got the experience to make that call.
I've gone to a high school basketball game before to watch someone ref. While living in Portland I had a co-worker who was a ref. A friend and I decided it would be fun to go see a game of his sometime. It was between Wilson High School and I BELIEVE Jefferson High School. Wilson High - school in the affluent white part of town. Jefferson - school in the predominantly black part of town. Didn't matter so much on the court, but it was fun to watch the differences within the cheerleading squads, including the fact that Wilson had the token black girl on the squad, and Jefferson had the token white girl. It was an energetic game and at one point (third quarter?) a player was injured, so emotions were definitely high that game. Kirk and his partner handled things well, but you could see the stress on their faces.
Tonight I showed up right at the half. The visiting team was ahead by something like 10-15 points. I was expecting an ugly 2nd half with the home team taking it out on my Sweetie. I shouldn't have worried a bit, because Sweetie and his partner handled it all with grace and calm. I alternated between watching the game and watching the Sweetie, but must admit I spent very little time watching the scoreboard. During the beginning of the third period the home coach (and home fans) would grumble when things didn't go their way, but would be perfectly happy when the other team was committing fouls. Sweetie gave the home coach a technical foul, shortly followed by an unpopular call against the home team. But then the home team got their act together and pulled ahead of the visiting team, and everyone was fine with the calls the refs were making. However, from watching the refs you never would know a team went from 15 points down to 10 points up in a span of less than 16 minutes.
It's interesting to watch a game as a disinterested party. I was rooting for the one guy who could do no wrong because he was the one enforcing the rules. It definitely enhances your appreciation for the game and ALL the dynamics invovled. From the parents rooting for their kids to the drummer who's not in time with the band director.
My freshman year of college I got the opportunity to watch a high school football game in a similar scenario. My school had a CRAPPY football team, so some friends and I decided to go to a high school game at the stadium across the street from our school one Friday night. This was in Texas, where football is king, queen, and the rest of the royal family. When the ticket seller asked us which side we wanted tickets for we asked him which side was favored to win. Couldn't tell you who won the game, but I can tell you it was a BLAST to be in the stands just watching.
If you have any interest in sports and/or sociology you should make a point to go to a game where you have no rooting interest in either of the teams. Simply go and watch the EVENT. It definitely gives you a new perspective on things. Just as I gained a new perspective on my Sweetie tonight.
I've gone to a high school basketball game before to watch someone ref. While living in Portland I had a co-worker who was a ref. A friend and I decided it would be fun to go see a game of his sometime. It was between Wilson High School and I BELIEVE Jefferson High School. Wilson High - school in the affluent white part of town. Jefferson - school in the predominantly black part of town. Didn't matter so much on the court, but it was fun to watch the differences within the cheerleading squads, including the fact that Wilson had the token black girl on the squad, and Jefferson had the token white girl. It was an energetic game and at one point (third quarter?) a player was injured, so emotions were definitely high that game. Kirk and his partner handled things well, but you could see the stress on their faces.
Tonight I showed up right at the half. The visiting team was ahead by something like 10-15 points. I was expecting an ugly 2nd half with the home team taking it out on my Sweetie. I shouldn't have worried a bit, because Sweetie and his partner handled it all with grace and calm. I alternated between watching the game and watching the Sweetie, but must admit I spent very little time watching the scoreboard. During the beginning of the third period the home coach (and home fans) would grumble when things didn't go their way, but would be perfectly happy when the other team was committing fouls. Sweetie gave the home coach a technical foul, shortly followed by an unpopular call against the home team. But then the home team got their act together and pulled ahead of the visiting team, and everyone was fine with the calls the refs were making. However, from watching the refs you never would know a team went from 15 points down to 10 points up in a span of less than 16 minutes.
It's interesting to watch a game as a disinterested party. I was rooting for the one guy who could do no wrong because he was the one enforcing the rules. It definitely enhances your appreciation for the game and ALL the dynamics invovled. From the parents rooting for their kids to the drummer who's not in time with the band director.
My freshman year of college I got the opportunity to watch a high school football game in a similar scenario. My school had a CRAPPY football team, so some friends and I decided to go to a high school game at the stadium across the street from our school one Friday night. This was in Texas, where football is king, queen, and the rest of the royal family. When the ticket seller asked us which side we wanted tickets for we asked him which side was favored to win. Couldn't tell you who won the game, but I can tell you it was a BLAST to be in the stands just watching.
If you have any interest in sports and/or sociology you should make a point to go to a game where you have no rooting interest in either of the teams. Simply go and watch the EVENT. It definitely gives you a new perspective on things. Just as I gained a new perspective on my Sweetie tonight.
posted by Swankette at 10:40 PM
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