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It is my bjournal…
And I have a good post coming soon…
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Not sure how many of my intermittent visitors (though, I don’t think Google Analytics tracks RSS feeds) are (were) watching the Rockets/Lakers game, but Kobe Bryant was just called for a technical foul (I’ll post a video later). There are a couple of things to comment on:
From my perspective and sensibilities, there is an easy solution to the problem of bad officiating: get rid of officals. The “foul/contest + observer”* mechanic of ultimate will take the place of officials. Many people would be skeptical of such a plan, but I must say that I have never played in an ultimate game where the officials had a significant impact on the outcome of the game (mostly because there aren’t any).
Undoubtedly, one of the biggest arguments against removing officials would be players like Kobe who think that every time they are touched, even if they initiate the contact, that it is a foul. I believe that the reason Kobe, and players of his ilk (which is a lot, by the way, I only chose Kobe because we were already talking about him, and he is being particularly whiney tonight) are sensitve to being fouled is because of officials. In fact, if you look at basic basketball strategy, much of it is centered around getting fouled. That seems wrong to me, and if you think about it, it is wrong. The game is about players.
Officials (observers), would still be necessary, of course, especially during the transition. They would be used to reset the shotclock, rule on twos and threes, call three-second and illegal defense violations, etc. Of course, they would also be there to resolve disputes and to intervene if necessary, and the League would review players’ foul/contest behaviours, and issue penalties if needed.
Think about it. Players controlling the game.
* A player calls a foul, the offending player can say ‘contest’ if they feel there wasn’t wrong doing, and the observer settles disputes, should they arrive. A contested foul results in a “do-over” essentially.
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Nice article about (women’s) ultimate in the New York Times (registration required), followed up by some foolishness from the Oregon men’s team.
So it goes.
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My team played three games yesterday, a total of 58 points. I didn’t play a single one, and yet I was exhausted at the end of the day. Coaching is a lot harder than it should be.
