THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2008
NEWS
5A
REFEREE (CONTINUED FROM 4A)
Jon Goering/KANSAN
Referrer Steve Welmer looks on as cole Aldrich guards Oklahoma's Longer Longer as he drives to the basket. Welmer, one of the few referees to have played college basketball, calls fewer fouls than most officials and tries to help teach players what they can and can do.
reason to criticize him," Hightower said. "Certainly if he's working too much, coaches will have a lot to say about it at the end of the season."
Full-time referees such as Welmer argue that their schedules allow plenty of time to rest between games. "I don't think I ever go onto the court with anything less than a full tank," Welmer said.
"Players practice every day for two to three hours and they have to go to class and watch film and so forth. I get a two or three or four hour nap every day. I can sleep on airplanes," he said. "I feel as good right now as I did in the first of November."
EVERYBODY LOVES STEVE
Welmer is popular in the college basketball world, both as a referee and a person.
"Everybody loves Steve Welmer," Hightower said.
Asked to name his favorite ref, Kansas senior Jeremy Case knew his answer without hesitation.
"Big Steve, for sure," Case said. "He's cool and funny, and for some reason, I always feel like he makes the right call, whether it is for us or against us."
Welmer has a reputation for not calling many fouls, perhaps because he is one of the few refs who played college basketball. Instead of calling an illegal screen or a touch foul, Welmer may tell players what they are doing wrong and help them learn what is and isn't allowed.
Coaches rarely confront Welmer about questionable calls, but Hightower said he remembered one instance when the two worked together during a preseason game.
A Division II team was playing at a Division I opponent when Welmer made a highly questionable call that Hightower and the third referee didn't agree with. The Division II coach was livid.
Jon Goering/KANSAN
"Steve made the call and the other referee and I just looked at each other and go, 'Holy cow, how is he going to get himself out of this one?' Hightower said.
When the Division II coach began to argue, a full time-out was called that allowed the coach even more time to let Welmer know his frustration for the call. By the end of the time-out, Welmer somehow had the coach laughing, Hightower said.
"Had it been one of us, we would have had to give this guy a technical foul and throw him out," Hightower said. "But nobody gets mad at Steve Welmer. This is one of the worst calls in America and we said, 'Let's just see how he gets out if it.' By the end of the time-out, the coach is laughing and everything is great."
Referee Steve Welmer pulls up his pants in a game earlier this year at Allen Fieldhouse. Welmer's balding head, 6-foot-10-inch frame and his constant pulling of up his pants has made him one of college basketball's most recognizable figures.
Even coaches known for their tempers are fond of him. Welmer recalled a golf outing years ago when he was paired in a foursome with Bobby Knight. The two were teeing off and Knight hit a shot headed straight for the bunker. As Knight turned away in disgust, Welmer watched as the ball bounced out of the bunker and back onto the fairway. Welmer never forgot Knight's response when he told him that his shot had in fact bounced back into play.
Hightower has also developed a relationship with Welmer beyond the court. "Steve Welmer and I are absolute best of friends; we have been friends for years. My youngest daughter Jennifer calls him Uncle Steve," he said.
"When the kids come out on the floor and they see that I've got the game, they will come up and shake my hand and put their arm around me," Welmer said. "They know that when they see Steve Welmer, for the most part they are going to get to play basketball that day and not have to worry about little touch fouls and so forth."
While other referees refrain from initiating conversations with players or coaches during games, Welmer often chats with players from both teams during a break in the action.
"Welmer," Knight said, "it just amazes me that you can see a golf ball trickle out of a sand trap at 250 yards, and you can't see one damn travel call right in front of you."
THE ELUSIVE GOAL
Despite being popular with players and coaches, Welmer has never received the phone call that all referees wait to get.
Kelly also assigns more games to officials than any other coordinator. "Steve is certainly capable of working the Final Four. He is one of several who 1 hope would get that opportunity. It's a real plum for officials, just like players, to get to
The 34-year officiating veteran has never been chosen by the NCAA to work the sport's biggest spectacle, the Final Four.
"It's just never happened," Welmer said. "I've had numerous regional championships where the winner went to the Final Four, but never a Final Four. Would I like for it to happen? Obviously, I'd like for that to be a part of my career."
Kelly, the Big 12 coordinator, said "I think there's probably been some comments along those lines from people who observe NCAA tournament games, that maybe he didn't call as many fouls or violations as some other officials, but during the games that he referees for me, Steve does a good job."
Welmer knows his style of officiating, which players like, doesn't sit well with everyone.
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," Welmer said. "I am kind of known for letting them play a little bit. I try to work with the kids a little bit and try to referee where we don't call as many things. I'm not sure how well suited that is for the NCAA."
the Final Four," he said
Bill Self, who, until winning the championship with Kansas had never reached the Final Four, called it "a shame" that the lovable referee had never worked the sport's greatest weekend.
Hightower also hopes Welmer
can accomplish his goal. "I'm hoping that someday he gets his Final Four. We'll all be happy for him when it happens," he said.
Time is running out for Welmer, who plans to referee three or four more years before hanging up his stripes and whistle. Though he may
go down as one of the most wellliked officials ever, Welmer hopes the final chapter in his storybook career has yet to be written.
Edited by Matt Hirschfeld
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