Quote:
Originally posted by PSU213
First, and this is a stupid thing to get into a debate over, I must comment that during my observations at a school in the Philadelphia area there were a few occations where white students used the N-word while hanging out in the hall with their "clique" of mostly black friends. This is certainly not the norm, but if you take it to the field, it just shows why handling the situation in different ways based on skin color can create problems.
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There is not a single discussion here that is a "stupid" one. Mike asked the questions for a reason. And this discussion will make someone come to some kind of conclusion as to what they will do on the field, instead of being surprised by the situation if it occurs. I am sure some official has never dealt with this situation and will be better for it. Even I will admit until recently this was not even a concern of mine and I had no philosophy as to how to handle many of these situations. After they happen I came up with some basic personal rules to follow. Now if that does not fit your feelings or your philsophy, that is not a bad thing. You have the right to have your own philosophy and do whatever you see as right.
I have been fortunate to work with many different crews over my career. All of them had a philosophy or something that I might not have agreed with. But the thing I always get out of it, is that it works for them. That is all that matters. So whether you live in Illinois, North Carolina or Florida, you have to come up with the things that work for you and only you. Maybe you are influenced by the official around you, but in the end you have to decide what you are going to do. And if you can live with that, you are doing the right thing.
I started officiating in rural Illinois where I was the only Black person on the field in most cases (coaches, players and many times fans). When I moved to the Chicago area, I had to deal with some challenges that were race related that I never had to confront. And I am sure that many here are in on both ends of the spectrum.
Peace