Dear Mr. Basketball,

What would have to be considered "retarded" would be the manner in which you wrote your post?

Have you ever considered writing EVERY first word of a new sentence with a capital letter?
"...let alone anything else. it's a crock of..."

Furthermore, have you ever considered writing EVERY instance of "I" (in reference to yourself) with a capital, as it is a proper noun?
"...and basa or should i say bsa..."
Don't just limit this use of a capital to referring to yourself. Feel free to use it too with any proper noun: Wayville, Saturday, Sunday, BASA, BSA, etc.

I am not sure if you are aware of this, but there is a grammatical punctuation within the English language called a "comma". These are used when a sentence is a tad long, and the reader should use this instance of a comma to take a breath.

As a side note, a further grammatical punctuation is an "apostrophe"! It is used when two words are contracted together (ie. "What is going on here" now becomes "What's going on here") or the expression of owenership (ie. Mr. Basketball's lack of punctuation suprised many readers!)

Just to help you along your way just that little bit more, remember to make sure that every word in the sentence agrees with other words within that sentence. This is especially imperative when dealing with plurals. For example, the word "is" would best be suited to be used with a singular noun, and the word "are" would be best used in conjunction with a plural. Hence, your sentence should have been the following: "...The reffing standard and physical aspects of reffing aren't getting any better..."

Just incorporate these little hints into your writing and people might think that your "attack" on referees could be justified.

In relation to your writing style, I think the word "retarded" comes to mind.

Thanks

Hugh, I think you missed the point. Try to 'read' what the writer was saying, rather than how it was written.
I am not involved with refs so do not see what goes on behind the scenes, but wasn't the last increase in fees so that the standard and number of refs could be improved? Is this happening or are we just taking the money to lessen the debt?
Words such as retarded offend many people and are certainly not goung to help the situation.

You pay peanuts and you get monkeys. In some cases you get Hippo's.

Mr Basketball,

Maybe on a saturday morning you should have a look at the age group refereeing. For a start they are not much older than the players.

They refs are just starting to learn their craft, headline for all junior parents on a saturday morning:

YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET NBL QUALITY REFEREES ON AN U/10 GAME!!!

Maybe you should pick up a whistle and do something about the standard of refereeing, help out the situation instead of bagging kids that are probably 15-20 years younger than yourself and cant defend themselves properly.

Beter yet, maybe if you approach the umpire in charge in any stadium, they will be more than happy to speak to you about any concerns you have, as long as it is constructive.

I am not having a go at you,I am just sick of parents abuse at the younger guys and girls.

Feel free to come and talk to me on a saturday at Marion when your child's team plays there( I am the UIC)Further than that, invitation is extended to all parents if there is anything they wish to discuss.

Matt Pepicelli

there is no denying the fact the reffing standard has gone downhill. IMO the refs dont interact with players anymore, ie. they dont let them know why the foul is being called and what the player is doing wrong. now days the ref just ignores the player asking the ref what he did wrong, which probably just frustrates the player more.

Matt Pepicelli - i've seen you @ marion and all you seem to do is sit next to the canteen and talk to the ladies serving pies and coke. I wasn't complaining about Marion as you can tell in my post either, so no need to get on your high horse.

Hugh Gregory Rection - seriously are u serious - its the internet. I'm not writing a thesis on how to be picky prick. thanks for your help 6288 7926


I played social at pasa on thurs and to say the least the reffing was good... a few lil things but its not the NBA so its expected . I had 2 males no issues at all. There was a female on the other court who didnt look intersted at all thought - another issue i suppose.Why aren't the refs reffing social reffing district? Is there any incentives there?

If i dont ask i dont know simple as that.....

i'd be happy to pay $10 a game to play social if the refs actually got some of the money im sure it would be an incentive to ref properly and care....


The reason for this post to let people know players and parents are aware of whats going on. im too old now to learn how to ref but i hope the right ppl read this and something can be done. as we all know we're behind states like victoria with player quality and ref quality - lets get sa up there! Increase the pays and hopefully an influx of refs will follow.. *we hope*

Mrs. Basketball

Wasnt getting on my high horse mate, just sying, feel free to come and talk to me, you will see that I do more than you are saying.

Wasnt getting on my high horse mate, just sying, feel free to come and talk to me, you will see that I do more than you are saying.

I have @ m/vale and pasa seen the UIC educate but thats all i've seen.
Marion and Mars are my experiances where the UIC in BRIGHT YELLOW sitting doing nothing or even in 1 case when I was @ MARS was playing a basketball game with friends while others games were going on.... I'm assuming they're paid to be there.....

I heard Refs got screwed at the Blitz...??? If so, where's the incentive to keep umpiring?

Also, has anyone else heard that during the ABL, Refs might have to pull a double-header (Womens & Mens game on a saturday!!!)

Surely BSA's gotta find a way to trade out of it's debt. Drop the price by about $1.00 and i would think there would be a resurgence in social competitions across SA.

I don't play social Bball anymore because for $10, i can play indoor cricket and play for longer (approx 1.5 hrs...)

Don't get me started on MARS...

Lazy, biast or arrogant referees make up only a small portion of the rest of the people out there doing their best in a bad situation. It's not easy going out to a game where you know the majority of spectators have stereotyped you to have one of the above mentioned characteristics and still be able to perform 100%.

Mr Basketball please go out and enter a level 'O' course and begin your career as an umpire so you can walk (although run is probably more appropriate) a mile in those 14 year olds shoes.

From what I read in the 'Tiser, BASA has had an overhaul of staff which may in turn have a positive effect on where funds are placed. Be patient and we may find the price of playing could dramatically reduce... Not saying it will happen or that anyone is even thinking along those lines but I for one am going to remain positive.

I can see why the refs are getting worse: The young ones who are awesome suffer one incident of angry parent syndrome or abuse from a d*ckhead coach and they pack it in (or their parents make them stop umpiring).
There's too many young refs giving it up. Then all thats left are the really young ones that luckily havn't been abused yet and the old ones who are back in 1975 and don't giv a sh*t what anyone thinks, because there gonna retire in a couple of years and take up coaching positions and probably then abuse some more young refs and ...
i say if every person who ever critisized a ref took up a whistle themselves, then the world would be a better place.

I think i' m just saying the obvious tho

Lets face it, no 2 teams are ever going to see eye to eye on how a game was called. At best the winners will think some calls are fair, the loosing team will think the refs stunk.It's human nature.

BUT......if you constantly go to one stadium and feel the umpiring is biased toward the home team with an UIC that should be able to see all games in the stadium from 1 vantage point with relative ease, but does not appear to be interested in what is going on, what do you do?

If you want an example of a good UIC, look at Hillcrest on Friday nights. The fella down there has got a handle on what the job is about and does not seem to think he is above us lowley parents.

Hey Mr Basketball. Those retarded refs at Wayville are a bunch of kids (mostley). They are still learning. How do you learn? By making mistakes.

Retarded they are not. Young they are. I have seen a shockingly umpired game in the tin shed off Marion Rd recently That was umpired by 2 senior refs. Retarded? No. Lazy? Yes

as a parent and coach the question is how we improve refs. Maybe we should use the carrot instead of the stick. Yes there is bad refs, I have seen the same ref do one game very very bad and yet the next time a good job. Maybe we should let them know more when they have done a good job. This way they will have encouragement to do ref in the same manner.
Also if a person is doing 4 or 5 games in a row the last game will not have the same energy or focus as the first. I could not do it. We need to know and cut a bit of slack. Zero tolerance on bad and encourgement for the good games.
just a thought