Fans!

[mikeirbyusa]

 

[gary-7]

Yep. At least when you're coaching you have some control of the outcome...
plus when you holler at the refs they can actually hear you...

 

[Tom79]

Over the last 50 years I've learned they cannot hear you through the TV screen...

 

[dadika13]

Over the last 50 years I've learned they cannot hear you through the TV screen...

Wait, they can't??

 

[gary-7]

Over the last 50 years I've learned they cannot hear you through the TV screen...

Tom, I'll tell ya a true story:
I was coaching one of my varsity HS teams --- a young bunch, mostly sophs, and they were getting overwhelmed in their first experience in a hostile gym against a very good experienced team and one particularly incompetent ref who was absolutely killing us.
Well, I decided it was time to try to get our bunch outta their catatonic state and put some fight in 'em --- plus I'd had just about enough of the aforementioned zebra --- so I decided to get a technical foul... or at least I tried.
I went after this guy with both barrels to no avail. I (loudly, for everyone to hear) questioned everything from his calls, to his looks, to his parentage --- but nothing! It got to the point to where it was downright comical. My players on the bench were laughing, and even the opposition fans behind the bench (who were giving us the business early) now were on my side.
After several minutes of this, there's an out of bounds next to our bench, so when the ref is looking right at me I say, "How many fingers am I holding up?" He gives me this puzzled look for a couple of seconds, then suddenly realizes I'm checking him for a figurative concussion and finally Ts me up.
I held up my arms in mock relief and said "Thank you!" My players and the fans behind us applauded as if on cue.

Now truth be known, that team didn't have much of a chance going in --- we had zero returning starters --- and we were down 22 early in the 3rd quarter and on the verge of getting run out of the gym. But it worked to the extent it loosened them up... we even made a nice run with a scramble press and cut it to 5 late on the 4th but ran out of clock and gas. The good news is they learned there was no reason to be scared sh**less on the road (which would serve us well over time)... and that their lunatic coach had some pretty good Don Rickles-esque comedy chops

 

[Tom79]

That is a great story and a very good "life" lesson for your kids, no reason to be intimidated, go out there and get after it! Good job, coach...."how many fingers" is classic!