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Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve
I especially hated it when they [NFHS] banned tobacco use for umpires...oh well.
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Steve:
I am not questioning your rules knowledge nor am I questioning your umpiring ability.
BUT, NFHS as always banned tobacco use by umpires for as long as I have been umpiring (16 years). That aside, if you used tobacco products while umpiring a high school baseball game during the pre-ban days then you showed an absolute lack of professionalism and lack of knowledge of what high school sports are all about. I know a lot of umpires, myself included, that would have told you to leave your tobacco products in your bag for NFHS games even before the ban.
I have been an NFHS registered basketball official (OhioHSAA-37 yrs, FloridaHSAA-4 yrs, MichiganHSAA-20 years, CIF-2 yrs) for 37 years and I would never have thought of using a tobacco product (and I like a good cigar now and then) anywhere near the game site where I was to officiate. I know for a fact that the OhioHSAA will fine and/or suspend any of its sports officials for using tobacco products while officiating (that means from the official arrives at the game site until he leaves the game site).
If an official cannot give up his tobacco habit for a couple of hours then he should seek medical help in overcoming his tobaco addiction.
MTD, Sr.