Description:
On this webinar we talk with former NBA ref, Bob Delaney, and former minor league and college umpire, Tony Maners about all things sports officiating. Hear their stories including how Bob Delaney went from being an undercover state trooper to an NBA referee and stories from Tony Maners career including umpiring the longest game in organized baseball history.
Webinar Recording:
Guest Panelists:
Bob Delaney
Bob Delaney is a former professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association who officiated from the 1987-88 NBA season up until the 2010-11 NBA season. He is also the 2020 recipient of the NCAA’s highest honor, the Theodore Roosevelt Award.
In addition, he is the author of Covert: My Years Infiltrating the Mob which accounts the time he spent as undercover New Jersey state trooper.
Tony Maners
Tony Maners umpired minor league games for 12 years, including the longest game in organized baseball history. He later became a college baseball umpire, working in the Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Trans America Athletic Conference and Sunshine State Conference. He worked the 1989 Division II World Series, 1990 Division II World Series, 1991 Division II World Series, 2000 College World Series, 2003 College World Series, 2006 College World Series and 2009 College World Series.
Hosted by:
Ryan Christian
Ryan Christian is a Silbo community manager & 8-year Division I basketball and baseball official. He has also served twenty years with the City of Raleigh Parks & Recreation’s Athletic Dept.
Brendan Szulik
Brendan Szulik is the co-founder and CEO of Silbo, a digital marketplace connecting qualified sports officials to amateur sports games. He is the author of Whistleblower, which reveals the harsh truths of the amateur officiating industry and sheds light on the technologies, policies, and solutions that will make amateur sports officiating more accessible, enjoyable, and sustainable.
He resides in North Carolina, where he has officiated basketball, lacrosse, softball, and baseball for nearly a decade.
He graduated with distinction from Duke University; is a member of Phi Beta Kappa; and holds an M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a frequent speaker and presenter on the officiating and youth sports industries, sportsmanship, and entrepreneurship.