George Guido: Special chance to see special player Kobe Bryant

By: George Guido
Tuesday, January 28, 2020 | 5:43 PM

The terrible news that came out Sunday about Kobe Bryant’s death in a helicopter accident is another example of it being great to be a high school sports reporter and getting to see athletes before they become famous.

I was at the old Hersheypark Arena in 1996 when Bryant played in the PIAA finals for Lower Merion against Cathedral Prep.

In fact, I put my scorecard from the game on my Facebook page Monday.

In that game, Bryant scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the Aces defeated the Ramblers, 48-43.

It was rumored at the time that Bryant might go directly from high school into the NBA. Interest in that game was so broad that the attendance was 8,242 — about 1,000 over the listed capacity.

Also, Tom Stabile of Natrona Heights was one of the officials who worked the game.

Bryant and eight others, including Bryant’s daughter Gianna, died in the crash outside of Los Angeles.

Preliminary investigations show fog in a valley might have been the cause of the accident.

Nulph to Edinboro

Former Apollo-Ridge quarterback Jake Nulph was introduced Monday as the new football coach at Edinboro.

Nulph is best known as the quarterback of the 2000 team that posted the program’s first undefeated regular season.

Apollo-Ridge School District superintendent Matthew Curci was an assistant coach during Nulph’s playing days.

“They couldn’t have picked a better person for the job,” Curci said. “The Apollo-Ridge community is very proud, and it just seems like yesterday I was coaching him.”

Nulph isn’t the first person from an Alle-Kiski Valley school to coach the Fighting Scots.

Jim Hazlett, who led Springdale to an undefeated season in 1959, coached Edinboro from 1962-65.

Other PSAC West coaches from the A-K Valley include Freeport’s Gene Sobolewski, who guided Clarion from 1983-93, and Washington Township native Frank Cignetti, whose tenure as IUP coach lasted from 1986-2005. Cignetti piloted Leechburg to the 1965 WPIAL Class AA football title.

Freeport’s Clyde Conti and Har-Brack’s Tim Karrs were distinguished assistant coaches at Clarion who recruited a number of local players to the Golden Eagles.

Ref protection legislation

State Rep. Anita Astrino Kulik, D-Allegheny, is looking for co-sponsors of legislation Monday that would make it illegal to harass sports officials.

It’s already against the law in Pennsylvania to physically assault a sports referee.

“Sports officials, such as umpires and referees, are essential to the sporting events thousands of families attend each year in Pennsylvania,” said Astorino Kulik, who wrote in a memo to colleagues last week. “Regardless of the sport, a sports official’s job is a highly stressful one. This is due in no small part to the split-second, often contentious rulings they are required to make. These calls sometimes result in strong disagreement expressed by players, coaches, and spectators.”

Here’s the problem: There’s a shortage of sports officials around the state, particularly in the WPIAL, where you could have as many as 60 football games on a Friday night where you would need to schedule 360 officials.

According to a National Association of Sports Officials publication, there are more refs over the age of 60 than under age 30.

Of those officials who quit, 75% cite adult behavior as the reason. Also, 80% of all officials quit their jobs after two years. That has led to the shortage.

The shortage is becoming severe enough in some areas that athletic events are being postponed or cancelled. If there are no officials, there are no games.

Last June, lawmakers in Louisiana passed, and Gov. John Bel Edwards signed, legislation banning harassment of sports officials, AthleticBusiness reported. The law took effect last August.

State lawmakers in Wisconsin were in the early stages of mulling such a bill late last year, Urban Milwaukee reported. Violators faced a 9-month jail term, a $10,000 fine or both, the magazine reported.

Astorino Kulik’s co-sponsorship memo is silent on potential penalties for Pennsylvania violators. But it does point out the severity of the issue.

If that does come about, let’s hope law enforcement people and judges actually enforce the law.

Sometimes, a wrist-slap with the current assault law isn’t doing the trick.

Tags: Apollo-Ridge