Musketeer Madness

Okay, Okay, the story below about a Catholic High school in Kansas refusing to allow a woman officiate a boys basketball game, is not really directly connected to Xavier basketball, but then neither is the stuff about Indiana, and UD, and some other posts …. Besides there is a Jim McCafferty story tied to it, and I’ll post that first.

In December of 1958 Xavier played Iona in a regular season game at Madison Square Garden, a game Xavier eventually won, but had to overcome some "home cooking" by ECAC officials.

After the game, the media asked Jim what he thought of the officiating, and he said ....

"The nuns at St Michael's on the outdoor dirt courts in Henryetta were better."

Naturally, it made a big splash with the NYC media ... and funny, with the officials too since most were products of Catholic schools, and played many a game on makeshift playground courts with the nuns officiating.

Every time we went to NY after that, the officials always reminded Jim of it.

Now to the Big Story of the day in Kansas.

Kansas City, MO (AP) --- Kansas activities officials are investigating a religious school’s refusal to allow a female referee call a boy’s high school basketball game.
The Kansas State High School Activities Association said referees reported that Michelle Campbell was preparing to officiate at St. Mary’s Academy near Topeka on Feb 2 when a school official insisted that Campbell could not call the game.
The reason given, according to the referees: Campbell, as a woman, could not be put in a position of authority over boys because of the academy’s beliefs.
Campbell then walked off the court along with Darin Putthoff, the referee who was to work the game with her.
“I said, ‘ if Michelle has to leave, then I’m leaving with her. I’ve never heard of anything like this.’”
Fred Shockey, who was getting ready to leave the gym after officiating two junior high games, said he was told there was an emergency and was asked to stay and officiate the game.
“When I found out what the emergency was, I said there was no way I was going to work the game,” said Shockey who became a referee after spending 12 years in the US Army.
“I was led in the Army by some of the finest women this nation has to offer, and there was no way I was going to go along with that,” he added.
St. Mary’s is a Catholic high school owned and operated by the Society of St Pius X whose founder was excommunicated

WOW! I wonder what they'll do if Hillary gets elected.(hopefully that won't happen)

Maybe the Atlantic 10 should hire some of those nuns from the dirt courts.

They have to be better that the crap we have out there calling games right now.

BTW. Neither side was happy with the officiating last night. Lutz said this morning that XU went "over the back all night." Sean was unhappy too.

I thought that it was horrible on both sides. I don't know what these guys see, but it sure isn't what I see.

My daughter was student teaching in Columbus when a dad from Somalia refused to sit through a conference with a female principal in charge. The Administration backed down and brought in a man to handle the meeting........which made my daughter pretty angry.

At least the other refs stood up and did the right thing, refusing to work. I wish the state association would issue sanctions against St. Mary's.

The game should be considered a forfeit for that school. The association should not re-jigger its assignments at all, and if the school pulls the same crap in the future all of those games should be forfeited as well.

In America, the school has the right to its policies and opinions, but that doesn't mean everyone else has to agree with or comply with them. If they don't like the result, they can drop out of the athletic association. They can then be an independent and schedule their own season. But if I were their opponents, I would not permit them to enforce their male-only rule in officials assignments, either, as that would send a horrible message. In other words, I would boycott them.

It's sad, because the kids are caught in the middle. But you cannot coddle folks like this. They need to learn that their "religious beliefs" are unacceptable in a civilized society.