Sorta OT: So long, Violet

[SodaPopinski]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4213002

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.


EDIT: Looks like ESPN updated the link to say that she'll "continue to work in the NBA," but I found another link that repeats the same language the ESPN story published, pre-update: http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hI3KYnHKt7PSidKgpnnfhNJ8GJBg

And another link: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/30986759/

And Quote (emphasis mine):

Violet Palmer is leaving the NBA after 12 years officiating games to become co-ordinator of women's basketball officials for the West Coast Conference.

-Pop

 

[BTOWN_HUSTLA]

wooooo!

 

[RR7]

Uhm, "coordinator of women's basketball officials for the West Coast Conference"?? Can that really pay more than being an NBA ref? I suppose it's not always about the money. But WCC? Couldn't even get in a good conference? Maybe she was going to be let go, adn they allowed her to save face by not reporting she was fired for being woefully fucking inept.

 

[Run BJM]

Uhm, "coordinator of women's basketball officials for the West Coast Conference"?? Can that really pay more than being an NBA ref? I suppose it's not always about the money. But WCC? Couldn't even get in a good conference? Maybe she was going to be let go, adn they allowed her to save face by not reporting she was fired for being woefully fucking inept.

Maybe she just wanted a good job where she wasn't traveling non-stop 8 months out of the year. Potential for advancement is probably also greater with this job since it could lead to getting similar jobs with bigger conferences.

Thanks god shes out of the NBA though.

 

[MrJayremmie]

Thank God.

 

[speeds]

Violet Palmer will become coordinator of women's basketball officials for the West Coast Conference and continue to officiate in the NBA, where she has worked for 12 seasons.

Am I missing something?

 

[Boob-No-More]

Am I missing something?

No, but all the haters who can't read sure did.

BNM

 

[SodaPopinski]

Am I missing something?

WTF! They updated the story. It originally said that she was leaving the NBA. Fuck.

-Pop

 

[Mediocre Man]

Am I missing something?

I was about to post the same thing.

Too bad also because she is a poor official.

 

[Run BJM]

Am I missing something?

They just updated it, the original read like this:

SAN BRUNO, Calif. -- Violet Palmer is leaving the NBA after 12 years officiating games to become coordinator of women's basketball officials for the West Coast Conference.

Her hiring was announced Thursday.

Palmer became the first woman to officiate a major U.S. professional sport when she made her NBA debut on Oct. 31, 1997. She has spent the last 12 seasons in the NBA, and officiated four playoff games and more than 700 regular season games. She also worked in the CBA and WNBA.

Before working in pro basketball, Palmer spent nine seasons officiating in the women's college ranks. She worked five NCAA women's Final Fours, and officiated in the West Coast Conference, Pac-10, WAC, Big Sky and Big West.

 

[speeds]

I don't think Violet is any worse than the average NBA ref, but I think the average NBA ref is terrible. Violet is just more visible.

 

[hasoos]

No, but all the haters who can't read sure did.

BNM

Fortunately, I am a hater who can read.

 

[Run BJM]

I don't think Violet is any worse than the average NBA ref, but I think the average NBA ref is terrible. Violet is just more visible.

Shes only officiated 4 playoff games in 12 years in the NBA. The NBA allows refs to officiate the playoffs based on their regular season performance as far as I know. I think its safe to say even the NBA grades her as being pretty bad if in 12 seasons shes only officiated four games. Its not like shes earning her stripes as a young official, shes a veteran and still has only a handful of playoff games under her belt.

 

[speeds]

Shes only officiated 4 playoff games in 12 years in the NBA. The NBA allows refs to officiate the playoffs based on their regular season performance as far as I know. I think its safe to say even the NBA grades her as being pretty bad if in 12 seasons shes only officiated four games. Its not like shes earning her stripes as a young official, shes a veteran and still has only a handful of playoff games under her belt.

Ok, I didn't know that. Maybe she is worse.

 

[SodaPopinski]

I don't think Violet is any worse than the average NBA ref, but I think the average NBA ref is terrible. Violet is just more visible.

I think this is an easy take for the people who want to make this about gender equality. To me, it has nothing to do with her gender. I just happen to think she sucks at being an official. As a matter of fact, I think the gender thing was a bigger issue to her, since I felt like there were several occasions where she tried too hard to go against the crowd or against the players or against her colleagues on a call because she was trying establish dominance on the court and prove she wasn't a pushover. Sometimes the obvious call or the obvious non-call is the right one, Violet.

Run BJM makes a good point above, as well. She'd be doing more playoff games if she graded well.

-Pop

 

[Boob-No-More]

Shes only officiated 4 playoff games in 12 years in the NBA. The NBA allows refs to officiate the playoffs based on their regular season performance as far as I know. I think its safe to say even the NBA grades her as being pretty bad if in 12 seasons shes only officiated four games. Its not like shes earning her stripes as a young official, shes a veteran and still has only a handful of playoff games under her belt.

It's been a while since I read the requirements for reffing in the post season. A few years back, I know you needed 7 seasons of NBA experience to be eligible to ref in the playoffs and 14 seasons of experience to work the finals. It may have changed since then, but it's basically a seniority thing. That's why we see 70-something year old Dick Bavetta still working in June every year.

Being an NBA ref is the sports equivalent to being appointed to the Supreme Court. No mandatory retirement and guys keep riding the gravy train well after their best days are decades behind them.

Seriously, the NBA can't find any spry 60-year olds to take Bavetta's place? I used to think Bavetta was a good ref, but that was back in the days when the basket was a peach crate and there was a jump ball at center court after every made basket.

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

Run BJM makes a good point above, as well. She'd be doing more playoff games if she graded well.

While I think she's a below average NBA ref, I'm not sure if that last statement is true. I'd be curious to know how many NBA refs with less experince than Violet have worked more play-off games.

Old guys like Dick Bavetta that hang around forever make it hard for the less experienced refs to get any post season work. It's been this way for years (longer than Violet Palmer has been around).

I'm not saying Violet deserves more post season work, just that the major reason any "young" ref gets denied playoff opportunities is lack of seniority, not necessarily lack of skill.

BNM

 

[Minstrel]

I don't think Violet is any worse than the average NBA ref, but I think the average NBA ref is terrible. Violet is just more visible.

I agree with this. What I find interesting is that in just about every game thread, people are bitching constantly about the referees, but in general terms...in games that Palmer is officiating that people start saying, "Fuck this bitch," and "Why does the NBA employ this ****?" and other personal attacks.

I think officiating is poor in general (due to the rules not being enforced consistently and a built-in and admitted bias toward better players). Palmer seems to get singled out especially due to being female.

As for how many playoff games she's officiated, how many playoff games has the average referee with her seniority refereed? No one has argued that she's a stand-out referee or one of the best. She may be average or even bottom-half. I've seen no evidence that she's clearly the worst or anything like that, as some people here imply.

 

[THE HCP]

Thank god! Any ref that can bleed for 7 days and NOT die isn't good for the game!

 

[Pinwheel1]

What a let down. For a moment i thought the NBA was actually going to weed out the worst of the worst. One thing i will say about her is she is not biased nor does she have a big egolike some refs. She is just plain bad.

 

[Wheels]

so which is it? Continue to work in the Nba or not?

 

[Pontius]

I agree with this. What I find interesting is that in just about every game thread, people are bitching constantly about the referees, but in general terms...in games that Palmer is officiating that people start saying, "Fuck this bitch," and "Why does the NBA employ this ****?" and other personal attacks.

I think officiating is poor in general (due to the rules not being enforced consistently and a built-in and admitted bias toward better players). Palmer seems to get singled out especially due to being female.

As for how many playoff games she's officiated, how many playoff games has the average referee with her seniority refereed? No one has argued that she's a stand-out referee or one of the best. She may be average or even bottom-half. I've seen no evidence that she's clearly the worst or anything like that, as some people here imply.

I agree with this. Good post. It'd be interesting to see if she were to be treated this way if there were about 10 more women referees in the NBA. Probably not. I do also agree with the many posters on here who view her as a below average official. But from what I can tell, a lot of NBA refs are below average when compared to their contemporaries in other sports.

 

[Boob-No-More]

What a let down. For a moment i thought the NBA was actually going to weed out the worst of the worst. One thing i will say about her is she is not biased nor does she have a big egolike some refs. She is just plain bad.

Bingo! I was going to say the exact same thing. She may be bad, but she's consistent and unbiased. In some ways I actually prefer that over the refs with big egos and those who hold grudges against certain players/teams.

BNM

 

[cdub503]

Thank god! Any ref that can bleed for 7 days and NOT die isn't good for the game!

fucking a.... that was funny

so are they going to be hiring more refs that dont suck now?

 

[THE HCP]

fucking a.... that was funny

so are they going to be hiring more refs that dont suck now?

Why thankyou! I thought it was funny as well!

 

[RickyRubio]

Hooray!!! Violet sucks ass.

 

[Iwatas]

I just wish the NBA had better reffing, in general. Get rid of superstar calls, and try to call every game and player the same way.

iWatas

 

[<-=*PdX*=->]

Oh Glorious Day!

 

[adrenalize74]

I just wish the NBA had better reffing, in general. Get rid of superstar calls, and try to call every game and player the same way.

iWatas

You mean to have the players actually play baskeball? Would that even work? Hmm...