[officialtony]

Ah folks . . . . you missed the whole point of my replies.
If you reread, you will see that I stated " it does not imply that we are competent officials . . " if we are certified. My point was to show the commitment to learning and trying to be better. If you are willing to give up the time to get certified, I guess I figured that long term it would make you a better official. My state certainly does not suggest that the patch can " signify excellence ".
I also stated that " there are certified officials who are not as competent as others . . ". Again my point was to show that being certified doesn't guarantee competence.
I didn't misquote anybody concerning the lack of respect some posters expressed towards the "patching " process. If they don't use that process in your " neck of the woods ", so be it. We DO and we are proud of it. I would rather work in my neck of the woods with others who have the same training. My preference - nothing more. It doesn't make me better than anyone else - or even as good as anyone else. It just puts me on the same page as everyone else.
If the things I expressed, including my apologies, didn't pertain to you, than certainly don't be offended by them. Just ignore them. I have learned alot from this forum - in other sports as well as baseball. I will continue to visit and learn from the others who participate.