What the Heck is a Blarge? and How To Avoid It

November 17, 2006 |

On Wednesday evening, I was doing some work at home while watching the UNC vs. Winthrop game on ESPN. As always, I was watching the officials when something very rare and very unfortunate occurred during the game– a blarge.

I am sure that you are probably wondering what the heck a blarge is. I will try to answer without boring you with too much referee-speak: Simply put, a blarge is a situation in which one official calls a block, and another official calls a charge on the very same play. A block is a foul on the defensive player, and a charge is a foul on the offensive player. The blarge usually occurs on a play near the basket during which there is a collision between the two players. If you know anything about basketball, you are probably thinking to yourself, “how is the blarge possible? A foul should be either a block or a charge, how can it be both?” You are right. This is why the blarge is the scourge of officiating.

Blarges occur (thankfully) very rarely in basketball. They occur as a result in the breakdown of mechanics and communication between the officials on the court. Generally, the three officials on the floor work in a carefully choreographed effort to officiate the game. Each official has areas and players to watch at every moment during the game. Sometimes, there are gray areas, and they are handled with care. The blarge occurs when two officials are so intensely concentrating on the play in front of them, that they momentarily forget what their partners are doing. Then, when both officials call a foul on the play, they fail to communicate with each other, and they end up calling different fouls on the same play. This momentary lapse in concentration and communication creates big problems.

First, it just looks bad. A blarge makes a crew look disorganized, especially since when it happens, the entire crew usually has to get together on the court to discuss what to do.  Second, at least one coach is going to HATE it. The blarge is enforced by charging a foul to each player and then determining possession by going back to the point of the foul. This means that either the offense is going to commit a foul and retain possession of the ball.  The coach of the defensive team usually doesn’t like the fact that his opponent has committed a foul and going to be allowed to keep the ball.  This coach is not going to be happy. The officials know that he isn’t going to be happy, and the officials know that they are going to have to live with the potential wrath. That is the price of making such mistakes. This is why officials work very hard to avoid the blarge.

While the blarge may sound unique to basketball officiating, the conditions that create one are certainly not, and can occur just as easily in real estate. Breakdowns in concentration and communication between REALTORS and their clients, or even between REALTORS representing different clients in a transaction, can lead to real estate blarges that have their own consequences.

One place that communication can break down is between REALTORS and their clients. Most REALTORS are extremely dedicated to fulfilling the desires of their client. Sometimes, a REALTOR can get so caught up in what he is doing, that he forgets to ask his client what she is doing. This usually happens with buyers. A REALTOR may be diligently searching for properties that meet the criteria of the client, but often, the client is still searching on her own. This means that the work is being needlessly doubled. It also means that their is a potential for confusion between the REALTOR and the client. Both parties could be headed for a blarge.

The blarge can be avoided by clearly establishing up front what the responsibilities of each party are going to be, and how they are going to communicate with one another. Officials cover this type of thing in a pre-game, but REALTORS and their clients should constantly communicate this. The REALTOR should not assume that just because there is a signed Buyer’s Agreement, the buyer is completely aware of her responsibilities all the time. The client must also understand that if things change, she should tell her REALTOR immediately, so that he can adjust accordingly. The same applies to listing clients. Constant, open communication between REALTOR and client can help avoid the blarge.

Breakdowns in communication between REALTORS of different clients in a transaction can also lead to the blarge. While each REALTOR has specific duties to his client, he also has duties to the other REALTOR that are just as important. A successful transaction is a collaborative effort, and cannot be achieved without open communication between both parties. Obviously, there are things that a REALTOR cannot or should not tell another REALTOR, but their are plenty of things that should be discussed. Every negotiation is an exercise in communication.

The problems that can arise during a transaction are also critical points of communication. If a REALTOR is representing a seller, and it looks like there is going to be a problem, it is important to let the buyer’s REALTOR know about it before it gets too late to do anything. This is especially true if it is the type of issue that a buyer or a buyer’s REALTOR might be able to help solve to the benefit of both parties. Generally speaking, people are amicable and willing to help each other when they can during the course of a transaction. Everyone can use this to their advantage, and avoid blarges by communicating as openly as possible with each other. A blarge can be particularly devastating to a transaction, so anything that can be done to avoid one is usually a good idea.

The blarge is the scourge of officiating for a good reason. One single blarge during the course of a game is, at the very least, embarrassing. At the very worst, it can chip away at the trust that exists between officials, and between officials and participants in a game. Blarges are usually the result of a breakdown in concentration and communication within the crew of officials. The blarge can be just as bad in real estate. At the very least, losing concentration and failing to effectively communicate in real estate can be embarrassing. Sometimes, it can destroy trust, relationships, and transactions. If, however, everyone works hard to concentrate and communicate, the scourge of the blarge can be eradicated from basketball and real estate.

[tags] real estate, realtor, charlottesville, virginia, basketball, officiating, communication, concentration, agency, UNC, Winthrop [/tags]

Posted by Daniel Rothamel | Filed Under Buying, Industry Issues, Officiating, Selling 

Comments

2 Responses to “What the Heck is a Blarge? and How To Avoid It”

  1. Athol Kay on November 18th, 2006 12:15 am

    On one hand it cracks me up that you guys even have a name for it.

    On the other hand, cool new word. It’s going to stick in my head.

    [Reply]

  2. Nicki Conway on November 19th, 2006 8:16 pm

    I love this term “Blarge”. It’s so true. In Sarasota there are so many newbie “Realtors” that came into the market in the boom time thinking they could make a quick, easy buck. Now they are finding real estate a lot more difficult to sell. I find it especially true with listing agents who allow their listings to expire because of lack of communication between agent and seller. They’d rather not talk to the seller, than to sit face to face and suggest a price reduction, staging, or whatever needs to get done to get the place sold.

    Right on with Blarge…I love it!
    Nicki

    [Reply]

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