Well, if I am a dumbass, I am a pretty successful dumbass.
I work in many conferences and many sports. I was asked to be the Referee on my Football crew when we had to get rid of someone. I have been asked to speak or help out with many camps or clinics. I get many big games in all my sports. Am I the best official around? I will let you decide that. There have been many that have worked with me. There have been many that have seen me work. I openly admit that baseball is the step child of my 3 sports. Because it does not take the dedication or drive to be successful at it. So if I am a horrible umpire, who cares. I have worked exactly what I have wanted to my entire career. I have never worked a season where most of my games were not varsity. I worked college ball my very first year and maintained that schedule the following year. I usually get my baseball schedule in March a week or so before the season starts. This past year was the first year I can think I had games in December. I have in my short career worked a Football Playoff as an "Registered Official" two years ago. I worked my first Regional Chmapionship in Basketball last year, during my first year as a Certified Official. I work in about every conference in Chicago in basketball. In Baseball I recieved my first IHSA Assigned playoff, but worked two before in my first and second year when schools assigned it. I only work a few conferences in baseball, mostly in my backyard or less than an hour away from where I live. I do not like to travel for baseball that much. But have been known to go further on Saturday Mornings. Give me a great basketball game, I will go just about anywhere. I have a basketball game this coming year in Quincy, Illinois. There will be more people at that one game than I will have at all my baseball games next season. So you can take your Minor League Baseball and.......
I do not care about anyone's college schedule or Minor League schedule. I do not care about what people do in the summer. If I do not have a clue about umpiring, then I guess I will take your word for it. But I seem to get hired by the same people, go to the best schools that anyone assigns and work some pretty decent ball. So Windy, you can drop any name and say "they are concerned." I will tell you so what. Because my schedule this week will tell you exactly where my heart is and what I want to do. If I become successful in basketball, you can have your Minor League game. Because I will make much more money doing a single D1 Basketball game, then you will in one D1 Baseball game. I have never attended a baseball camp outside of a local camp and I know I probably never will. I am not trying to impress baseball assignors and dedicate my time to baseball outside of the High School Season.
Say whatever you like. Call me whatever name you wish. Guess what, you just make me laugh. Because I will never understand why anyone would ever care what I say in the first place. I know that I could never, ever come to my local group and say, "You know, Peter on Officiating.com said to do this." Or "WindyCityBlue says to do that." If I said that to a coach or fellow umpires and officials, they would not only have no idea who you guys are, they would not care. So if anyone tries to quote me and my philosophy, and you live in another state, you are dumber than anyone here. I might not be the best guy in the world, but I know my place in life and on this board. The guys that are respected in my state are not respected because of what people on the internet think. They got there by working games and being successful on the field or court. It is obvious that you live for other people's opinion that will never influence you one way or the other. I just will tell you to go F### yourself and move on.
Peace
[Edited by JRutledge on Jun 26th, 2004 at 02:19 AM]