Quote:
Originally posted by JRutledge
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
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Stupid was not the right word to use. All I meant was that the part on whites who had been accepted into the African-Amercian culture was a minor point in my original post on the manner.
This has been a great discussion, and, Mr. Rutlidge, I can promise you that I will reflect upon your thoughts on the cultural issues in football. Obviously there are differences in how we approach the general issue of culture and football and in how we approach the specific issue of racial slurs. Fortunately we were able to express our thoughts on here in an intelligent manner, and I hope all parties involved will grow as officials as a result. At the very least, I will have something new to think about as I approach this new season.