Whistle While You Work...

Columnist comment: “I wouldn’t typically repeat a column, but after the passing of Virgil McCrady I would like to dedicate this Worst Seat in the House in his memory.”

When it comes to analyzing referees I have my opinions. I believe there are three groups of officials who don the stripe shirt. The first group of officials works very hard to keep a game under control.

The second group of referees has a tendency to take control of the game with their whistles. The third group couldn’t spell control, even with Vanna White’s help! It’s obvious that I prefer the first group to the other two, even though a fair amount of the third group found their way into the games that I happened to be coaching!

To be honest with you, I really don’t care for the three-person crew for basketball. It seems to me that too many officials are standing around and are not getting in position to make calls.

If I were the head of a referee’s association, I would do my best to find vintage game film in order to help train this new breed of basketball officials. The great two man crews of the past were always moving and working as a team in order to see the action and keep the game under control.

One of the best games I’ve ever seen officiated was at the Junior College level in the early 1970s. It just so happened that one of the two officials was Virg McCrady.

When I was in high school, Virg would often referee a football or basketball scrimmage in order to give us an idea what to expect from a game official. We always appreciated the time that he took to help us out.

I had always heard that Virg was a good official but I never had the opportunity to witness his talent until that December night at Spokane Falls Community College. I can’t even tell you which two teams were playing that night because I made the decision to watch the officials and ignore the players to the best of my ability.

It was a very different experience watching the officials and not the game action, but I came away from this game with a whole new respect for referees, and Virg McCrady in particular. You see, Virg was like a Border Collie herding cattle; he was constantly on the move working to get the best position possible in order to keep the game and players under control.

Virg and his partner did an outstanding job that night and I truly appreciated their efforts. It didn’t matter if there were only about two hundred fans on hand or that it was an early season non-league game, which may not have meant much in the final standings. To them, it was just as important as a championship game with all the hype.

When the final buzzer went off, Virg and his officiating partner walked off the court looking like they had just spent a twelve-hour shift in an underground sweat shop! Their work during this game is what most fans would expect at any level of basketball but unfortunately doesn’t always happen.

They obviously gave these two competing schools their money’s worth.

Of the hundreds of stories Virg McCrady can tell about his days as a referee, I’m sure this game would not be one of them. I’m glad I was there that night because it has become a great story for me to tell!