[QUOTE]Originally posted by ChapJim
[B]

Because baseball is the all American game and pasttime. Because it is sacred and holy and proper.
Because we love this game so much that we can't imagine someone demeaning this game with firearms and violence.
Yet we read in the papers that sports like ours are experiencing these kinds of events all too frequently. And all too frequently, the official is at the center of these conflicts.
That is why it is so hard to believe that we have to have this discussion. But we do have to have it. Because our well-being is at risk more and more with each game we officiate. The greater the number of contests we officiate, the greater the odds that we will be exposed to that violent situation.
That is the commentary of the sports enviornment we live in today.

Pepper spray is probably less effective on trained military personnel than on the general public. In any event, I'm not worried about pi$$ing the guy off. He's already pi$$ed off and he's got a baseball bat.

Leave the area? What do you think I'm trying to do? You think I'm going to stand there until he stops choking? The idea of pepper spray is to buy me enough time to get inside the car, lock the doors, maybe drive off, call the police, etc. It's also where the Sig .45 is. If he starts bashing car windows or doors, I believe a jury would find that under those circumstances, I had a reasonable fear of death or grave bodily harm and that shooting the SOB was a justifiable act of self-defense.

You know it's this very discussion, along with now having a bad reputation in my community because of a controversial call I made in a high school playoff basketball game, that makes me wonder why I even do this.

todd, you do this because of the love for sports. You officiate because of the need to make sure the games are played according to the rules. Finally, you do it because you have observed others officiating and felt there effort was less than admirable.

Did you make the correct call? Was it a judgement call that some agreed with and some didn't? If you live and that community and you didn't "homer" them and now they're mad, forget them because that's not what HS sports is about. They can blame you all they want but you didn't miss any shots or have any turnovers the entire game.

I don't know you but I can predict that you do this for the same reasons I do; love of the game, love the kids, want to give them the opportunity to play a safe and fair game, adreneline junkie, little extra $ in your pocket and I'm sure there are more. Now get your head up kid!