Quote:
Originally posted by Ump20
I've often seen your name mentioned as well as another self proclaimed umpire expert aka "apostle".
|
Those are two titles which I openly and honestly abhor, Jim, and I know you haven't applied either label where I'm concerned.
Firstly, I have NEVER claimed any expertise on my own account. It is against my personal nature, as much as it is against our Australian national character, to make any such lofty claims. Nevertheless, you are correct that I have been wrongly accused as such elsewhere.
Secondly, I have deep, personal, religious convictions that prevent me being an "apostle" for anyone but Jesus. I might applaud the knowledge, experience or expertise of someone like Carl Childress but it should never be presumed that makes me their "apostle". And before anyone starts in with claims that I can't be a very good Christian, or I must be some sort of hypocrite, let me state for the record that it is because of those deep, personal, religious convictions that I could never claim to be anything but a sinner just like everyone else! No moral high road is being vaunted here.
Carl and I have had some monumental disagreements from time to time, but they haven't been nasty on a personal level since we came to know and respect each other through our correspondence. That certainly doesn't mean that we haven't figuratively bared our teeth at one another from time to time; but it is never taken personally. We just have too much respect for each other to go that route. Would that others showed equal respect for
us in this forum. Still, the last time I asked for that, certain people elected to misread that I had instead demanded unquestioning respect for our views. *sigh*
Quote:
Quite honestly my first or second year of umpiring which I began in 1992, I purchased Behind The Mask and Taking Charge both authored by Carl. Did I think his writing made him appear somewhat pompous? Yes I did, but I preferred to attribute it to self-confidence born of experience. Even in his current book, which is only $2.00 more ten years later, he uses himself many times as an example of an umpire who screwed up perfectly fine games. I know this book has far fewer underlining by me so I guess it reflects how much I have learned from sound officials such as Carl and yourself.
I am now an "instructor" in my own association and it is human nature to want to be thought of well by others, even respected. I like this board but I wish there were a lot more submissions. Even the name-calling is more modified but somehow I miss "butt-snuffler" {I hope that passes the censors]. Thanks for being a mentor even if we've never met on the field. Jim Simms/NY
|
Well, Jim, I can't say that I would ever "miss" the "butt-snuffler" label, especially for the times it was rudely applied to me in that other forum. Unlike L G Dorsey, I lament not only that we apparently cannot seem to get along as fellow officials, but also our evident predisposition to see ourselves in opposing "camps" and so hold to the liberal or conservative line of those so-called camps no matter what. I lament that some people seem unable to fathom that the many times that Carl and I agree on something might just be because the view we share is the right or appropriate view, and not because I am his "apostle" or because we see ourselves in the same "camp". I simply prefer to be able to say on Subject A "Yes, I agree because...", and on Subject B "No, I disagree because..." regardless of which "camp" or individual postulated the theory or point of view. I also lament that too often any disagreement takes on a personal overtone at about the same time the opponent runs out of logic or reason. There are people in this thread who have openly lamented that too, and yet they have been principally guilty of that very tactic in debating with me on numerous occasions.
All the same, Jim, I appreciate that you believe what I have contributed has been useful to you in your officiating. That was always the objective, right alongside picking up some useful hints for myself! (grin) I apologise for using your post to springboard into this discussion of the ethics of posting in discussion forums.
Cheers,