Quote:
Originally posted by WindyCityBlue
I can only speak for my sport, baseball, but there are hundreds of D-1 umpires with facial hair. Most of them have moustaches, a few have goatees and a couple sport full beards. Some shave because it is more comfortable wearing a facemask, others don't shave for the same reason. I can think of a handful of Minor League and Major Leaguers that have moustaches, as well. None of these umps are black.
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No one I am talking to was a baseball umpire. Baseball is a totally different animal. In baseball you can wear a uniform that is not the same as your partners and that is still considered professional. In football if one official wears long sleeves, we all wear long sleeves. In basketball if one person wears a jacket in pregame warm-ups, we all wear jackets in pregame warm-up. In both football and basketball the things that are acceptable are not the same as baseball. The very reason you do not see any football officials wear sun glasses while working a game. It is not considered professional attire. I know Windy you seem to think everyone thinks or cares about baseball, but you cannot name one white official in football or baseball at the levels I just mentioned that has any facial hair.
Rich Wiley a former D1 Football and Basketball official from Chicago (former member of one of my current associations) made this statement, "Only Black guys can wear facial hair." Mr. Wiley is the only official to work a Final Four and a Rose Bowl in his career. Now I know he was not talking about baseball or gave a damn about it in his comments. You are right, there are many white umpires that wear facial hair, but I did not make the statement on the baseball board. I know this, I was told to remove my goatee for basketball. I have never been told to do anything with my facial hair in baseball.
Peace