HOW TO STOP THE DECLINE IN HS REFS: A 25-YEAR NBA OFFICIAL PROVIDES IMPORTANT THOUGHTS

Bob Delaney has had a most unusual life. Not only was Bob a NJ state trooper who went undercover in the 1970s to infiltrate the Mafia, and he did so successfully, leading to the arrest and prosecution of 30 gangsters. But while he was doing this, he was looking ahead, and along the way, he was learning the ropes of being a basketball ref.

It was a smart move. Because Bob  was so good as a ref that he eventually made it all the way to the NBA and worked for 25 years in that league, doing thousands of games, including playoffs and NBA finals. He started in the NBA in 1987 and remained as one of the league’s premier refs until he stepped down in 2011.

And in addition, Bob has a new book out that he’ll be talking about as well. The book is entitled: Heroes are Humans: Lessons in Resilience, Courage, and Wisdom from the Covid Front Lines. It’s a gripping read and most timely.

One of the reasons why I wanted to have Delaney on the show is to get his thoughts about the alarming national decline in terms of having enough refs and officials to work HS sporting events. We know that much of it is attributed to the obnoxious behavior of parents and other fans at the HS games, and that more and more refs are quite frankly fed up with this kind of verbal abuse.

Too many sports parents these days seem to have developed a sense of “personal entitlement” to yell anything they want at a kids’ game - and their vitriol is usually aimed at the refs.  It’s clearly out of control. There’s no more sense of civility in watching our kids play.

Delaney has seen it all, and he presents some fascinating insights about this growing national dilemma. He talks about the lack of civility that now grips youth and HS sports in this country, along with his thoughts on adapting instant replay at the HS level, and much more. This is “must listen” radio. Listen here: The Sports Edge with Rick Wolff