This thread reminds me of a several war stories.
First: Most of you know that way back in 1974 I became the first male to officiate women's college basketball in the State of Florida. I was attending the Univ. of Miami at the time and my sister was also attending UM and playing on the women's golf team. I also was dating on of the guards on UM's women's basketball team. The NAGWS Officiating Code of Ethics was quite clear: I should not officiate any game involving UM. BUT, I would be assigned to officiate them on the road anywhere from 4 to 6 times a year and the home school knew my situation. On Saturday afternoon I had UM on the road and after my partner called a foul on my GF (her first of the game) I proceeded to four more fouls on her during the rest of the game (they lost the game too),
. The rest of the weekend was not a very romantic one.
Second: When MTD, Jr. was 10, the umpire did not show up for his youth baseball game. I eneded up umpiring the game from behind the pitcher. In the bottom of the last inning with the scored tied I balked in the winning run for the oppossing team,
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Third: MTD, Jr. was a freshmen in H.S. and his H.S. freshmen baseball team's final home game of the season was on a Sunday afternoon. Start H.S. home field is literally across the street from our home. Somehow no umpires were assigned to the game and the assigner (my assigner) couldn't find anybody to cover the game, so I went home and put my plate gear. Start H.S. won the game by 5 or 6 runs, but I ripped Junior out on a curve ball. It was a border line pitch but he know that if the pitch didn't bounce before it got to the plate he had better be swinging. He looked at me and then burst out laughing and trotted back to the dugout.
MTD, Sr.