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Originally Posted by Dakota
"Favortism" would be a better word, I think, for what you are talking about. "Nepotism" means patronage or favortism toward family members.
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Both concepts mean the same thing in the South.
Yeah, there's still a bit of the "good ol' boy" mentality running around. I think I've mentioned this before, but I've heard that there are some UICs who will intentionally give umpires who are not in THEIR circle a lower evaluation, simply to justify not asking them to call the next State, Regional or National. These are, of course, rumors, but I don't think the rumors are that far from the truth.
At the same time, the UICs have the duty to provide good officials for their tourneys, and if you're a UIC and you've had good experiences with a particular set of umpires in the past, wouldn't it make sense to stick with that crew? Sure, it makes it difficult for someone like myself to get my foot in the door, but that's my problem, not the UICs'. Am I deserving? Maybe. But I'll simply wait my turn and not take it personally. In the meantime, I keep working to improve myself on and off the field.
There's something to be said for knowing what to expect when a particular crew arrives.