Cecil.........thanks for the welcome back..............
Just a note though...............when I first got on the internet exploring umpire forums.............(circa 1997-1998 I think????)...........(well..........back then there was only one message board which will always be know as............McGriffs..............prior to that there was RSO (Rec Sports Officiating).........eteamz and this one (along with SB on umpire.org and the NFHS site) came later......eteamz was probably second........but had some issues early............
Mike Rowe was already established as an internet authority............and freely gave advice to anyone who came along................Mike probably answered 99.9% of the questions at RSO..........(was a good time for me..........I spent 99% of my time in the rule book.........and ALWAYS the answer was there before I could reply........."
But...........it was probably because Mike was the only one who knew how to figure out their convoluted threading and posting protocol.............
Also unfortunately........back in the day (and today also)............there were more umpire haters than umpires looking for information.....................many, many flamewars broke out............mainly because everything was anonymous...........we still probably see that today..........
When I came along (seriously.........cannot remember the year.......but after my divorce......so had to be around 97-98).............Mike and SteveM.........were the two standards..........always giving of advice freely.........and NEVER argumentative.........(BIG grin)..........I am sure Mike wanted to kill me a time or two....................I think I about drove him and Steve nuts.................(I don't think Steve would have wanted to kill me..............but maybe wanted Mike to)..........
I learned so much from those two guys..............you would not believe...........
I was an ex baseball guy who just happened to have daughters..............and had only been umpiring softball a few years...................and wanted answers to some of my knottier problems in softball........................
I am sure there are other guys here that started at or about the same time that I did...........and evolved just the same way.............
There are too many guys that came along at around the same time I did.....Glen, Tom, Scott, Tom, etc., etc........(if I missed you..............sorry.............)........and if I did.........chime in........................
And you know what................we have all improved........all gotten better.........I bet even Mike and Steve are better umpires than they were 5-10 years ago...........
Joel
[Edited by Gulf Coast Blue on Aug 5th, 2005 at 08:12 AM]
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