Whenever I photograph basketball, I generally like to be under the basket where I can get a good view of the full field of play. Friends of mine often remark how I must have the best seat in the house. During a playoff game tonight, I was reminded how the best seat in the house is often made difficult by the referee who also needs to see the entire court, in order to call fouls, out of bounds and other infractions. The accompanying photograph is a good illustration of what can happen when a good play is taking place and I think I have a clear shot of the play. The ref slides in front of me and blocks my view of the play. In the game tonight it happened infrequently, but in some games it happens a lot. Usually it occurrs briefly and my view opens back up. At the half time break tonight, I walked over and showed the ref my "best" shot, the one you see here and he responded with, " Oh you got my good side again." The official tonight, Larry Datz, is an old friend. We go back over 20 years, he officiating football, soccer , basketball and lacrosse, while I covered many high school sports in Suffolk's North Shore.
Over the years I have had to deal with an infrequent official who appears to purposely get in the way and most of them who couldn't be more accommodating, like Larry was this evening. When we talked at the half, he remembered that one of my fellow photographers often talks to him during the game, saying, "Larry, you're in the way again, can't you move." It is an easy situation to deal with, when one realizes that many good plays will occur and percentages are you will be clear to capture most of them. It really is a privilege to be able to be so close to play and record numerous frozen images of good play and expressions on the athletes faces.
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