[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Mick, you have me at a disadvantage because you know a good story about me and I do not know how you heard about it but I will gladly tell the story.

First off you have to remember that I am a structural engineer so I am use to doing due diligence on behalf of my client. A few years ago I was officiating in a girls' spring tournament (that was made up of AAU and YBOA teams) at Eastern Michigan Univ. My partner was a lawyer, who speacilized in civil litigation.

I was the R for the game and during the pregame Steve and I were checking for jewelery and other illegal stuff on the players. One of the players was wearing a ring. I informed her that the wearing of jewelery was prohibited. She informed Steve and I that she could not get the ring off. We told her that we could not make her to take the ring off but she could not play while wearing the ring.

A few minutes later her coach approached us. Her coach was her father and he said that he did not understand why his daughter could not wear the ring. I told him that it was a safety matter and that whether I am officiating or engineering I always put the safety of my client first.

At this point the coach informed us that he was a dentist and he would never put in patients at risk. I told him that since he was a dentist then he should understand the liability risks that sports officials face. He then said that he would sign a waiver for his daughter promising not to sue us if she got hurt. I told him that it did not matter becuase if she did get hurt he would definitely sue me. The coach then said that he would never sue me if his daughter got hurt if we allowed him to sign a waiver.

At this point, Steve, my ever helpful partner, told the coach that he was a litigation lawyer, and if I allowed him to sign a waiver for his daughter and she got hurt, he would sue me for him. The coach looked at him in disbelief and Steve assured him that he would sue me. The coach looked at me and I told him that Steve would sue me. The coach then decided we were serious about the ring and he made his daughter go into the restroom and use soap to remove the ring.