Travis Ford tossed from his son's HS basketball game

[bgrch1350]

I have a feeling, the ref is not an OSU fan or if he is...he doesn't like Ford. It seems personal.

 

[TINY]

The conspiracy theory is the ref was an OU fan.

Considering how each fan base feels about ford, I'd wager it was a poke fan! Ou fans see him as the gift that keeps on giving!

 

[chuckb]

If all he yelled was "Blow your whistle" and "Do your job" after a controversial non-call, then the ref had a quick trigger. The DO article said the Stillwater coaches and a bunch of fans were yelling, too. He didn't cuss and what he said was mild compared to some fans

As a long-time ref, you learn to tune out the crowd. I honestly didn't hear them. You can't have rabbit ears and do that job. I bet I didn't eject more than 2-3 fans in the 100's of games I called and most of them were drunk (one came out to the free throw line to protest a call during the game ... a woman).

This is what I heard, too. Ridiculous reaction by the ref. It's he, not Ford, who should be embarrassed and punished.

 

[chuckb]

If you're a D-1 head coach, it would seem to be wise to resist ragging on the refs at a high school game, no? I wasn't within a thousand miles of that gym so I have no idea whether he deserved what he got -- certainly sounds as if he didn't -- but when you live in the spotlight and you represent a university, its students and its fans, low-key would be the way to go, I would think. Son in the game or no, just doesn't seem like a wise course of action.

After all, even if Ford hadn't gotten tossed, some snarky columnist from Deadspin or some other sports web site could have been there and written a mocking piece about how oswho's head coach was seen ragging on the refs at a high school game. I'd say the ref did Ford a favor, making him sort of a victim, when he could have come off much worse.

Can you imagine Coach Kruger riding the officials at his son's high school game back in the day? I can't.

I agree with this. Ford is no ordinary high school fan.

That said, I feel bad for his son who had to have been pretty embarrassed by the scene.

 

[DenverSooner]

I am sure his son will live through it. I imagine the nice house, car, vacations etc. make up for any minor embarrassment caused by this incident.

Beyond that, I doubt his son is embarrassed. He shouldn't be if the reports are accurate. blow your whistle and do your job are completely acceptable things to say at a basketball game. Many fans might add an F bomb to those comments and I personally don't think they should be tossed for the F bomb unless they got a couple of warnings.

 

[skyvue]

blow your whistle and do your job are completely acceptable things to say at a basketball game.

For average fans, yes. For D-1 head coaches at a high school game, not so much.

Think those things, sure. Mutter them to yourself, fine. Yell them loud enough so that others can hear? Um, no.

Travis should ask himself on such occasions, "What would Lon Kruger do?" He'd be better off.

 

[Larry72]

That is a classic " What would Lon K do?"

 

[AdaSooner]

I have a feeling, the ref is not an OSU fan or if he is...he doesn't like Ford. It seems personal.

Or, he's on a power trip.

I officiated high school ball for fifteen years and never once tossed anyone out of a gym. I came close a couple of times, but managed to diffuse what might have been a bad situation somehow and never had to cross that line.

I'm not a Travis Ford fan, by any means. But assuming the reports about what he said or did are accurate, the official lost his cool and went beyond what I see as good officiating.

 

[chuckb]

I am sure his son will live through it. I imagine the nice house, car, vacations etc. make up for any minor embarrassment caused by this incident.

Beyond that, I doubt his son is embarrassed. He shouldn't be if the reports are accurate. blow your whistle and do your job are completely acceptable things to say at a basketball game. Many fans might add an F bomb to those comments and I personally don't think they should be tossed for the F bomb unless they got a couple of warnings.

Fans who scream F bombs at high school athletic events should be removed 100 times out of 100. School administrators or police officers should do it so the refs don't have to.

 

[skyvue]

From an ESPN followup story:

In a statement issued Friday, Ford said he had talked about the matter with Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder and that he "should have exercised better judgement in not publicly expressing my feelings" despite any debate over whether he deserved to be thrown out of the Stillwater High School game at Bixby in suburban Tulsa.

"We have consistent dialogue with our student-athletes about their representation of Oklahoma State University and Cowboy Basketball," Ford said. "The lesson is always that there are no days off from that responsibility."


Our little Travis is growing up.

 

[Sooner Season]

Fans who scream F bombs at high school athletic events should be removed 100 times out of 100. School administrators or police officers should do it so the refs don't have to.

+1

 

[DenverSooner]

For average fans, yes. For D-1 head coaches at a high school game, not so much.

Think those things, sure. Mutter them to yourself, fine. Yell them loud enough so that others can hear? Um, no.

Travis should ask himself on such occasions, "What would Lon Kruger do?" He'd be better off.

I didn't say he should say those things. I am simply saying there is no reason for his son to be embarrassed.

 

[DenverSooner]

Fans who scream F bombs at high school athletic events should be removed 100 times out of 100. School administrators or police officers should do it so the refs don't have to.

Perhaps but I personally wouldn't do that if I were an official and heard profanity. My real point is that I don't think Ford did anything wrong other than exercise poor judgment simply because he is the head coach of Oklahoma State.

 

[campbest]

They are, but what do you do at the HS level? They can skip scheduling him for varsity games. Not schedule him for Stillwater games. It's tough to recruit and retain HS and JHS referees. It's a tough job and doesn't pay well. You have to enjoy it.

This particular official was wrong here. My guess is Ford had said something to him previously at another game and the referee had the rabbit ears up from the tip. Maybe the guy had a bad day, or was just trying to play "tough cop", I don't know.

This wasn't the correct response and although there is always a shortage of officials, discipline is needed. Remove him from a couple varsity assignments, take a break for a week, etc. There has to be some form of accountability.

I know I had nights where I left work early to drive 100 miles for a couple of games. You leave work before 5:00 drive 2 hours, run for 3 hours, call 2 games, get yelled at, get home without dinner around midnight. Then you get paid less than $100 plus mileage and do it all over the next day. I averaged 125 games a season at the HS level plus AAU games.

Thanks for your service, very few people would be willing to make that sort of sacrifice or even begin to understand what that all entails.

 

[campbest]

Perhaps but I personally wouldn't do that if I were an official and heard profanity. My real point is that I don't think Ford did anything wrong other than exercise poor judgment simply because he is the head coach of Oklahoma State.

You want fans screaming profanities at your junior high and high school games?

 

[campbest]

For average fans, yes. For D-1 head coaches at a high school game, not so much.

Think those things, sure. Mutter them to yourself, fine. Yell them loud enough so that others can hear? Um, no.

Travis should ask himself on such occasions, "What would Lon Kruger do?" He'd be better off.

Agreed, Ford needs to shut up, it's embarrassing for him and his school. Unfortunately for OU, believe the complete downward spiral is almost finished.

 

[DenverSooner]

You want fans screaming profanities at your junior high and high school games?

I never said that and I never mentioned junior high school. I don't want fans doing that but I also don't think an official should start ejecting fans the first time he or she hears profanity. I would just take a softer approach to controlling a crowd, I think. With that said, I have never officiated and I might quickly learn my idea wouldn't remotely work.

 

[KBaden145]

Regardless of the circumstances (whether he deserved to be tossed or the ref overreacted), he's a D-1 head coach at his son's HS game. He should keep his damn mouth shut. You work officials at your games not at your kids. Any way you slice it, it's embarrassing and he's done there after the season, if not sooner.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BCSooners]

I never said that and I never mentioned junior high school. I don't want fans doing that but I also don't think an official should start ejecting fans the first time he or she hears profanity. I would just take a softer approach to controlling a crowd, I think. With that said, I have never officiated and I might quickly learn my idea wouldn't remotely work.

If a fan yells profanity during the game they should probably be tossed. If they direct it at an official they should definitely be tossed. Fans (especially parents) are getting out of control at the younger ages and need to be held accountable and quit acting like idiots.

When I reffed I suggested, jokingly, that fans should have to pay an extra $5 to get a card to yell at refs. All that extra money goes straight to the official.

 

[Section31]

If a fan yells profanity during the game they should probably be tossed. If they direct it at an official they should definitely be tossed. Fans (especially parents) are getting out of control at the younger ages and need to be held accountable and quit acting like idiots.

When I reffed I suggested, jokingly, that fans should have to pay an extra $5 to get a card to yell at refs. All that extra money goes straight to the official.

Fans AND refs are getting out of control...we have a people problem in our country right now. Refs are not any more righteous than anyone else