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Although offered earlier in sarcasm, I think the idea of a invitation-only 'senior' umpires section has merit. Have the moderator (s) issue invites to the proper contributors/audience and issue a password or whatever. The rest can ask eTeamz-level stuff as presently, and the 'senior' umpires can comment or not on those as they see fit.
I think there is a real need for a section where senior umpires can advise junior umpires who are *serious* about moving up and improving their skills without the attendant clutter and coach-speak, about the nuances in umpiring that this board's senior members only know from years of hard-won experience. Perhaps I am wrong.
I hate to think of the senior umpires here leaving in frustration. Yes, it can get rough at times but folks who whine about some senior-umpire comments must NEVER get evaluated on the field, or perhaps it is of the "No Umpire Left Behind" variety. My first evals were full of the terms "deficient," "sucks," "work on ...." and I did not take offense, I took it to heart and worked (work) to improve. I dont take offense at my evaluators' sometimes-salty commentary because I want to know what they know, and their 'war-stories' can save me from innumerable errors and misconceptions before I screw up in my next game. They've been there. I haven't, yet. Some places they've been, I don't want to go. But I will, if I don't listen.
I may never 'qualify' for the section described above but Ill keep trying, and above all I think its important to keep the priceless experience of senior umpires around. You can't get this from books...its the voice of hundreds or thousands of games and in many cases decades of game experience. So the medicine comes a bit tart and bitter sometimes. So. What?
I dont pretend to assume Im even a candidate to be even in the audience for such a group. But I know enough to know that the loss of our senior umpires would render this board meaningless.
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