Pre-Thanksgiving TASO/UIL Federal Court Hearing in Austin

[Arbitrator]

 

Just a poll to get everyone's gut feeling of what might ultimately come out of tomorrow afternoon's scheduled hearing in Federal Court in Austin. Please feel free to leave commentary and argumentation rationale if you wish to defend your choice. This should be fun!   

[TXMike]

I think the  judge will invite all parties over to his place for turkey day. Maybe over a drumstick and a glass of wine they can reach an amicable solution,

[texref]

I think the  judge will invite all parties over to his place for turkey day. Maybe over a drumstick and a glass of wine they can reach an amicable solution,

The problem I see is that you have to have 2 sides willing to come up with an amicable solution. TASO has tried for nearly a year. No reason to think the UIL will play nice now. As noted earlier the UIL has attorneys who work for the State on salary. They could drag this out forever.

[TXMike]

Drag on!!!  The delay is good for us.

[Arbitrator]

 

I feel that the UIL approach of "it's my way or the highway" is not exactly going to go over real big in this particular Federal Court judicial setting, and to that end, I feel that the Federal Judge will find some element of jurisdiction on which to hang his hat; given that and knowing full well that securing a trial date in Federal Court is somewhere way down the line, just a little journey barely on this side of eternity, the only probable option would be for the Judge to suspend all current UIL registration and thereby keep everything pretty much in a pre-UIL registration status until either a trial date is set or the two parties can finally sit down and try to broker some kind of an amiable settlement. The UIL and their State Attorney General's attorney's only option then would be to file an appeal with the Fifth U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans seeking to overturn such a ruling~a lengthy and a costly process that would, no doubt, attract the attention of a lot of state legislators who would not be very thrilled with the prospects of expending its "already in the red" state revenues to help pay for such a "childish" endeavor on the part of the Manor Road Crowd. The UIL rationale may well be to keep this thing running until it feels that TASO depletes its finances largely on legal expenses. But in the long run, I don't really think that that particular scenario is going to play itself out and that the UIL will slowly and sadly learn that the time expended, not to even mention the court of public opinion is going to ultimately end up being on TASO's side!  

[TexDoc]

Taking it of the US Court of Appeals in NOLA could not hurt.  The UIL's long reach does not extend past the Louisiana border.

[drilsgt_98]

Maybe Obama should invite everyone to the Whitehouse for a beer.

[ballhog]

Drag on!!!  The delay is good for us.

Delay is good for us agreed but expensive. We need a victory today and then time to move this battle to the legislature as it comes back in session. Then we can put a stop to this nonsense for once and for all.

Hope everyone has a great holiday and after today I hope we all have more to be thankful for!

[CleanRef]

Why would we think that TASO is going to do anay better of a job now then they have done in the past 25 years?

All my training has come from the NCAA rule book via other officials not TASO.
And how much more of my dues are being spent on this Lawsuit that the members had no choice of being behind.

By the way...The UIL South Chapter is still working playoff games including for teams from the Valley.

[TXMike]

Why would we think that TASO is going to do anay better of a job now then they have done in the past 25 years?

All my training has come from the NCAA rule book via other officials not TASO.

You never attended a local, regional or state clinic?

By the way...The UIL South Chapter is still working playoff games including for teams from the Valley.

Games, plural?   I only see one.  At least they will not have to worry about not having long sleeve shirts this week.

[fleetofoot]

Is someone there to know what is going on?

[ballhog]

Why would we think that TASO is going to do anay better of a job now then they have done in the past 25 years?

Must be one of those who thinks government involvement improves everything

All my training has come from the NCAA rule book via other officials not TASO.
And how much more of my dues are being spent on this Lawsuit that the members had no choice of being behind.

"Your" dues are being used to fight for the existence of the organization that you paid to represent your interest. What do you think should happen? You can't get a refund.

By the way...The UIL South Chapter is still working playoff games including for teams from the Valley.

And why would they not work A game? I am interested to know if they will wear white or black long sleeves under their short sleeves this week?

[TexDoc]

"I am interested to know if they will wear white or black long sleeves under their short sleeves this week?"


 

[WABill]

Is someone there to know what is going on?

One or two courtroom observers are there.

[Hondo]

maybe for the 3rd round they can "kick it up a notch"  with white long johns and black shorts.

[CleanRef]

Don't worry about us guys. After all the positive feedback we received from the Valley coaches, they requested that we join the Rio Grand chapter next year and pick up Thursday and Saturday games. Look at it this way, we will be paying TASO dues again. Go TASO!!!

[Mark Liggett]

Just a poll to get everyone's gut feeling of what might ultimately come out of tomorrow afternoon's scheduled hearing in Federal Court in Austin. Please feel free to leave commentary and argumentation rationale if you wish to defend your choice. This should be fun!   

We'll have to wait till next Mon-Wed.  Court heard arguements today, then recessed for the holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving to y'all!

mdl

[fleetofoot]

Since Wednesday is 12/1, a ruling then is to late.

[Mark Liggett]

Since Wednesday is 12/1, a ruling then is to late.

nope, judge offered two weeks ago that he would (legal counsel pls correct me if i'm wrong....) either indicate how he would rule or rule as much as he could by the 1st.  Today he conceded that the written judgements may not be finalized by the first, but that.......... 

i guess it all makes sense if you're sitting there for 2 hrs and in the last 5 minutes you actually understand what's going on.......

[TXMike]

The next games after this weekend would be on Dec 3   But since most game assignments will be made by Monday, Nov 29 it will be interesting to see what happens.  Will chapters/schools insist guys be UIL registered by Nov 29 in order to make assignments for Dec 3-4?  Will they have to switch guys out after Dec 1 assuming they put non-UIL games in anticipating another possible delay in the deadline? 

[Arbitrator]

 

Thanks to the Austin Federal Judge's ruling, albeit a temporary one at this point in time, we don't really have to cross that bridge this weekend! Have a great weekend of officiating Texas high school playoff football, my fellow TASO zebras!   

[Joe Stack]

I didn't want to start a new thread on this, but wondered: is the suit making any effort to keep UIL from enforcing 1204 if the various chapters have independent contracts with the school district? To me, we're fighting a losing battle if, at the end of the day, all we get is no registration fee but required registration and having to abide by 1204. How UIL can cap our fees while they don't touch the fees of other school district contractors is beyond me, but unless we call them on it, we'll be letting them do it.

[TXMike]

The status quo gave them that right.  I do not believe TASO is asking for a change to the status quo.  In fact, I think TASO would not object if UIL started their own Chapters in areas and then gave the ISD's the option of which Chapter to use.  1204 historically said schools could use offficials registered with UIL or TASO.  But then they went and removed us from the mix to make themselves the only show in town. 

We have never been true independent contractors since I have been doing this.  I don't see any way to get to that point either.  I realize that would benefit guys in places where demand outstrips supply but there are so many problematic side issues I don't think that is a direction we want to head.