It's Why We Call Them Rats......

[mbyron]

Garth, based on Rich's history of posting, I believe that he does know better.

The lie to the umpire is one issue, and incontrovertible, it seems to me, IF one admits that the coach was coaching and not merely checking on his player.

So everything hangs on whether he was coaching. To me, that question turns NOT on the content of what the coach says, but on whether he's delaying the game in saying it.

In the OP, he is: he's standing (or whatever - motionless) next to the player and requiring the game to await the end of their conversation. IIRC, in Rich's second case, the coach is already off to the dugout, and the over-the-shoulder advice will not delay the game.

Pretty heavy weather on this issue, but I think there's a valuable point here: not everything an O-coach says to his players warrants charging him with a conference. The criterion I was taught is whether he's holding up the game.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by mbyron

Garth, based on Rich's history of posting, I believe that he does know better.

You're confusing a Rat's knowledge of the rules, which can be impressive, with a Rat's attitude of right and wrong, which is dismal.

Rats, at times, know the black and white of the rulebook, but come time for application, they still think like a Rat.

[UmpLarryJohnson]

Rats either--

dont bother to know rules or--

learn rules to twist to thier advantage. they see no other reason to do so!

[Interested Ump]

Originally Posted by UmpLarryJohnson

Rats either--

dont bother to know rules or--

learn rules to twist to thier advantage. they see no other reason to do so!

Is that your entire experience with coaches?

[UmpLarryJohnson]

Originally Posted by Interested Ump

Is that your entire experience with coaches?

ANY umpire whos been in the 'game' long enough....this WILL be your experience-- if its not, then you arent umpiring games of conseqence.


if you want to study the back ground of the term "rat' you need to do a search here--if you are not familair with the term then you are brandnew to umpiring!

[Interested Ump]

Originally Posted by UmpLarryJohnson

ANY umpire whos been in the 'game' long enough....this WILL be your experience-- if its not, then you arent umpiring games of conseqence.


if you want to study the back ground of the term "rat' you need to do a search here--if you are not familiar with the term then you are brandnew to umpiring!

I think I have enough experiences and game counts to say that my overall experience with coaches has been as varied as their's with umpires. A lot of good, bad and mixed. I catch the drift of the word Rat and, no, the term is common only here as far as I know.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by Interested Ump

the term is common only here as far as I know.

Having worked in four states and having close friends in at least ten others, I know the term to be common in many areas of the country.

[Interested Ump]

Originally Posted by GarthB

You're confusing a Rat's knowledge of the rules, which can be impressive, with a Rat's attitude of right and wrong, which is dismal.

Rats, at times, know the black and white of the rulebook, but come time for application, they still think like a Rat.

Is the term Rat used perjoratively or tongue-in-cheek or both?

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by Interested Ump

Is the term Rat used perjoratively or tongue-in-cheek or both?

Depends on the Rat.

[Interested Ump]

Originally Posted by Interested Ump
Is the term Rat used perjoratively or tongue-in-cheek or both?

Originally Posted by GarthB

Depends on the Rat.

Glad to hear.

[spokanelurker]

Are your association officers and league officials (district and school athletic coordinators) aware that you write in such a derogatory manner about the coaches, in at least some cases, of their member schools?

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by spokanelurker

Are your association officers and league officials (district and school athletic coordinators) aware that you write in such a derogatory manner about the coaches, in at least some cases, of their member schools?

Coaches like you are the main reason that the term "rats" is so widely used.

Just saying.......

[RPatrino]

Why should we care what the school district administrators think? I only see AD's at playoff games anyway.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by spokanelurker

Are your association officers and league officials (district and school athletic coordinators) aware that you write in such a derogatory manner about the coaches, in at least some cases, of their member schools?

Coach, I suspect some are. Just as we are aware of the derogatory terms and language used by certain area coaches towards umpires.

The term Rat is an old one and, in part, refers to the fact that some coaches, while appropriately acting as lobbyists for their teams, take that to such an exteme that, during the game, what they say becomes suspect and disbelieved. Some of the top Spokane area coaches have outright lied to me and tried to cheat during games and admitted it afterwards, shrugging it off as, "part of my job."

Hard as it is for some beginners to believe, we accept that, although we still consider it dishonest and rat-like behavior.

Off the field, I have an excellent relationship with many of the coaches who display this kind of behavior on the field.