[NCASAUmp]

Yes, society has gotten a little too tender, and I agree it needs to "toughen up" some. You and I are on the same wavelength, Mike (just ask my wife - she's heard plenty of rants from me on the subject). And yes, I believe that words are just words, and that it's the listener's context that makes their meaning take shape. Not the speaker's, but the listener's. If it were the speaker's context, no one would ever be misunderstood, now would they?

However, when I'm on the field, I always choose my words carefully. Not because I'm afraid of offending someone's overly-delicate senses, but because I believe that allowing yourself to express yourself in that fashion while in uniform doesn't illustrate a cool, calm and collected umpire in control of the game. Coaches and players will always push to see if they can break us, and when you slip into using profanity, that's when they've got you. At that point, you're playing their game, not yours. You've lost your composure, you're no longer in control, and you're in for a long f***ing game.

My advice? Just don't do it. We already have enough problems out on the field, and playing down to the coaches'/players' game just adds fuel to the fire.