MichiganTeacher

June 4th, 2013 at 9:14 PM ^

Huh. I never knew he was a superintendent.

I did know that he was a poor ref, but that's par for the course in basketball, CBAA NCAA or pro.

 

LSAClassOf2000

June 4th, 2013 at 9:29 PM ^

It will be difficult to imagine the odd NCAA game not having a moment similar to this:

In some seriousness, he has been doing this since at least the early 1990s, and has refereed almost 1,200 games since 1996 per StatSheet. I believe he is also on the board of trustees for his alma mater and on the board of directors for a hospital, so he can point dramatically at other things definitely. 

Bromigo

June 4th, 2013 at 9:37 PM ^

I hope he and Gordon Gee have a fishing trip or some epic bro-down planned for retirement.

What are the odds of these ass hats stepping down on the same day.

MichiganTeacher

June 4th, 2013 at 9:58 PM ^

Apologies to anyone else out there with an advanced degree in education, but no, it really doesn't count for anything. In my experience, graduate-level work in education is insultingly easy. As an educational professional myself, I'm embarrassed by the state of pretty much every education department I've seen. (Usual caveats apply; I'm sure there are some rigorous education classes and programs out there; this is just my opinion (albeit backed up by a lot of experience); etc.)

the Glove

June 4th, 2013 at 11:04 PM ^

And I think your opinion is maybe good for one state because I think that is absolute crap. I have Masters in Sports Administration and in Education and I'm working on a Doctorate in Education at the age of 30. So, if you've never been in an upper level program then you don't know what the hell you're talking about. How many thesis or dissertations have you done?

And Ed Hightower maybe a questionable ref, but I student taught at Edwardsville and he's a hell of a superintendent.

MichiganTeacher

June 4th, 2013 at 11:15 PM ^

Yeah, maybe I'm wrong. That'd be great.

I have a Masters from Long Island University (CW Post campus). I've taken graduate education classes at Columbia and Cornell, among other places. Not a single one has ever been remotely challenging or worth the time, other than as paper that can bump up my salary or satisfy some state certification requirement. In fact, I'm frequently insulted  because my standards for high school students are considerably higher than the standards I'm held to in education classes.

Based on what I read and what I see at national conventions and the like, I strongly doubt it's different in other states. But hey, as I said, I could be wrong. Maybe Illinois is really tearing it up in the educational world. I'll look into it.

the Glove

June 4th, 2013 at 11:19 PM ^

I'm not saying that the Illinois school system is tearing anything up. What I'm saying is that the doctoral program that I'm taking at St Louis U. is absolutely no joke. I'm sorry if I came across as a dick, but I would say that the education program that I did for a masters was just as hard as the Sports Administration one. Every school is going to be different.

MichiganTeacher

June 4th, 2013 at 11:59 PM ^

Not a problem and sorry if I came across as a dick too. I'm glad to hear that there's at least one serious program out there. There's certainly a ton of potential for the field, I mean, education is a very serious, important, and tricky subject. That's why I always get so mad when I see professors of education devoting classes to things like "What would your Native American name be?" (That's not a joke. Well it is, but it actually happened. I had an education class at Columbia where we did that for a two-hour class period.)

JamieH

June 4th, 2013 at 10:19 PM ^

As much as some people seem to hate Hightower, I always felt there were far worse basketball officials out there.  Say, for example, the fools that did the NCAA title game this year.

 

 

the Glove

June 4th, 2013 at 11:14 PM ^

His officiating maybe questionable, but he is a great superintendent. If anyone ever gets the chance to see Edwardsville High School it is immaculate for not only a public school, but even compared to private ones. It is by far and away the nicest school on the Metro East side of St. Louis(Illinois side). I student taught there when I was younger and he is actually a pretty funny guy.

DetroitBlue

June 4th, 2013 at 11:31 PM ^

I thought Hightower was a terrible ref, and then I watched the national championship game. He's by no means great, but I'd take him over that bunch of ass-clowns any day

TRIPP3

June 5th, 2013 at 12:17 AM ^

I hated working his games for the Btn or espn.
Everyone on the crew would be pissed when we seen him or
Heard he was working the game. He slowed the gam down, made bad calls and showed up coaches and players. It was all about him... Not the game. At least that's the vibe I got from him.

TheGeneral

June 5th, 2013 at 2:55 AM ^

This thread is shameful. Maybe he wasn't the best and he was dramatic but he game years of his life to college basketball. This is the paart of the internet that sickens me. Why don't those of yyou that are complaining about him explain what you have done for the betterment of the sport? Oh wait, that's not what the internet is about. Let's all bitch like incessant whiny,, well, bitches.

I apologize for my language, I was forced to attend a Kings/Blackhawks game because, well you all know.

Back to the point, he served, the quality of service is questionable but he served for the betterment of the sport. Give the man the honor he deserves and take the 13 year old girl drama home and put it in your journal.

You idolize Hoke, ever think about what he would say about your incessant whining? When you want to complain about those that have givdn their lives to the sports you love perhaps think WWHD

jmblue

June 5th, 2013 at 8:12 AM ^

Do you know him personally or something?  

He may be a good person and good superintendent, but his performance as a referee was not well-appreciated, to say the least.  If he did it for the "betterment of the sport," well, he didn't make it better.