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Originally Posted by BlueLawyer
Thanks for the kind words. All valid points.
I have someone in my association (my assignor and the rules interpreter, as it happens) with whom I regularly butt heads on umpiring issues and association business (I'm on the exec board- he's a former President). It usually works like this: he says something or posts something I disagree with. I argue against him with varying degrees of passion, depending on the issue and how wrong I believe him to be. We argue, sometimes he wins, and then we go have a beer and make up. The loser of the argument buys the first round. He is slowly getting an education in courtroom technique.
The relationship works, I think, because of mutual professional respect, necessity (we have to work together both on the field and off) and beer.
There are very few umpires I have met in person who I don't like, including the two or three MLB guys. Maybe the general lack of personal contact is what we lack, although I would still think we share a whole lot more in common than any thing that divides us.
By the way, my name is Zega. Only my mother and the judges I work with call me "Steve".
Strikes and outs!
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Funny you said this. I have in the past several years been on a board official’s association in multiple associations in each of the sports I officiate. The people I have dealt with are some of the biggest egos in officiating where I live. Almost every board has an assignor, state final official, college official, state clinician or one of the better officials and officials that are on the verge of working a state final or breaking the D1 level. All these egos bump heads from time to time. Even in the most intensive debates or discussions, usually the discussions maintain a professional tone and we all go out have drinks after the meeting. You will not be on many of the boards if someone does not respect you as an official. So even when things get contentious in our meetings, we all know that in that room everyone has given back a lot to the organization. Online that is very hard to translate and many of us have no idea what the other has done. There is not the same mutual respect. It is also very easy to claim you have done something and none of us will ever be able to verify in the first place. This is why one of the primary reasons I come here is to talk about something I love and to pass time and to find entertainment in the conversation. It is fun to talk officiating even when there is some conflict. I also do not come here with the expectation that I am going to hear something or discuss an issue that will be new to me or that I cannot discuss off this board. This can be a great resource at times but ultimately what I learn from is the veterans I work with and the camps I attend.
Peace