During his career, Chappell has seen about everything there is to see in competition. During the fall, Avery High School volleyball players, coaches and fans still see him multiple times in the gymnasium at home volleyball matches calling during the regular season and the state playoffs.
“I’ve always had an interest in athletics. My first two years in high school I was too small to participate, so the coach had me refereeing scrimmage games at practice,” Chappell said in an interview last week. “The year after I graduated from school, which was in 1959, I started officiating football and basketball. I had a great love of the game and enjoyed being involved with the youth, and hoped to inspire one or two of them along the way.”
As with most individuals, there are always people who provide inspiration and influence what they are passionate about. When it comes to officiating, Chappell is no exception.
“I had two great influences early on. Ralph Stout from Mountain City and John Hollers from Boone were two people who really got behind me and helped me along. They really carried me the first two or three years until I got my feet wet and realized that I was going to get hollered at,” Chappell said.
Officiating has taken Chappell around the state of North Carolina, but it has also opened doors for him to travel around the world. Chappell worked as a referee for the world famous Harlem Globetrotters from 1987 until a knee injury forced him to leave the group in 1991. His work with the internationally-renowned group took him to locales that many only dream of visiting.
“We went all over the world. We went to Tokyo and Hong Kong on tour, to China and seen the Forbidden City. The streets were narrow and everyone there, probably over 90 percent of the people, rode bicycles with tags on them,” Chappell said. “We also toured in Guam and stayed there a week and traveled all over Europe. We worked once at the Boston Garden, where the officials dressed in the Celtics locker room, and we were able to see Larry Bird’s locker there.” Chappell had no problem describing his favorite location that the tour visited.
“My favorite place we went was when we traveled and spent seven weeks in Australia. We played only three nights a week there rather than playing every night as we did in most places,” Chappell said. “The promoter who had us there felt if we played three or four nights a week and had more rest instead of playing every night, we’d put on a better show. We had a lot of time to golf and I enjoyed the time we were there.”
Not only did Chappell’s time with the Globetrotters take him around the world, he had experiences that few people get the chance to enjoy, such as a visit to see the home of the nation’s Chief Executive.
“We once were in Washington, D.C. and we had a private tour of the White House,” Chappell said. “I tell folks I went to see President Bush and tell him what he needed to do to straighten out the economy. We visited the White House Press Room where the press conferences are held that are seen on television. We went through all kinds of places that average people who take the tour don’t get to see.”
Many would be surprised to know that not only did Chappell’s work with the Globetrotters mean an opportunity to see the world, but it also afforded him the chance to meet a number of famous athletes and individuals. One particular story Chappell shared involved the time he starred opposite comedian and actor Bill Cosby on the popular sitcom “The Cosby Show.”
“When Teresa Edwards won the 1988 Olympic gold medal in women’s basketball, she was on the show. Cosby contacted me and another official to come do the show and film a basketball scene,” Chappell said. “So we go up to New York to film an episode where Edwards and some of the best women’s players in the nation played against some of the retired NBA basketball players like Bobby Jones, Bill Bradley, Walt Hazzard and lots of other players.”The Harlem Globetrotters are best remembered for their antics and family entertainment provided to millions around the world. Chappell was able to get to know many of the players and built lasting relationships with a number of people associated with the group.
“Twiggy Sanders, Sweet Lou Dunbar and ‘Showbiz’ Jackson were the three showmen. We had two teams. Sweet Lou was with one of the teams and Twiggy and Showbiz were with the other team. We had one team that traveled to the bigger cities and the other that traveled around to the smaller towns,” Chappell said. “I still stay in touch with Sweet Lou as well as Clyde Sinclair. They are both still involved with the group as coaches, and anytime they are in the vicinity and the Globetrotters have games, they’ll provide me with tickets for myself and my family.”
One of the greatest satisfactions Chappell received from his years on tour centered on the audiences the group entertained from town to town.
“The adults and older people were always as active and involved as the children were,” Chappell recalled. “When Twiggy or one of the players held something up, you’d see adults holding up their hands standing and begging for it as much as the kids. I remember the first time I took my father to an event. During the show Twiggy had a tutu on under his shorts, and when he pulled down his shorts and waved them around asking who wanted them, I look on the front row and I see my dad standing up hollering as loud if not louder than the kids.”
Chappell received his break with the Globetrotters after receiving a call from former Atlantic Coast Conference Director of Officials Fred Barakat, who knew Chappell from observing Chappell’s work as an ACC football official.
“Fred was the one who recommended me for the job. He called me up and told me the Globetrotters were looking for an official. Well actually, he started by kidding me, asking me if I wanted to come officiate a North Carolina-N.C. State basketball game. I first thought it was Wayne Otto joking with me, as we went on all the time like that,” Chappell said. “Fred then apologized and told me the Globetrotters were looking for someone. Knowing me and my personality and especially my size at five feet, six inches compared to the seven-foot tall players they had, he felt that I would be perfect for the show.”
After the call, Chappell traveled to Greensboro and spent two weeks touring with the Globetrotters auditioning for the referee position with six other officials before winning out and receiving his job offer.
“After that period they told me they really wanted me to stay with them for the rest of the tour, but I told them I had to go back to my old job and give my notice to them,” he stated. “From that point I spent the next four years with the group.”
Through the years Chappell as a Globetrotter referee was often the victim of more than one player prank on the court. Yet through it all, Chappell feels blessed to have been part of such a special group.
“Of course as officials we had water thrown on us every night. Every time there was a TV camera players would come over and pull my shirt up and ask me “Who’s afraid of cholesterol?” Chappell said. “The whole show, seeing the kids and everybody smile always made it worthwhile.”
