Balloon Protector

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Steve:

I am not questioning your rules knowledge nor am I questioning your umpiring ability.

BUT, NFHS as always banned tobacco use by umpires for as long as I have been umpiring (16 years). That aside, if you used tobacco products while umpiring a high school baseball game during the pre-ban days then you showed an absolute lack of professionalism and lack of knowledge of what high school sports are all about. I know a lot of umpires, myself included, that would have told you to leave your tobacco products in your bag for NFHS games even before the ban.

I have been an NFHS registered basketball official (OhioHSAA-37 yrs, FloridaHSAA-4 yrs, MichiganHSAA-20 years, CIF-2 yrs) for 37 years and I would never have thought of using a tobacco product (and I like a good cigar now and then) anywhere near the game site where I was to officiate. I know for a fact that the OhioHSAA will fine and/or suspend any of its sports officials for using tobacco products while officiating (that means from the official arrives at the game site until he leaves the game site).

If an official cannot give up his tobacco habit for a couple of hours then he should seek medical help in overcoming his tobaco addiction.

MTD, Sr.

What a load of hooey. Half our association dipped or chewed tobacco and the other half chewed sunflower seeds. It wasn't like I was all alone. Coaches were all the time hitting me up for a dip. It seemed like the majority of varsity coaches had a dip can in their uni pocket. I guess we were a bit more laid back out here in the land of fruits and nuts.

For the last 15 years or so there have been signs posted at the school fields and elsewhere on campus prohibiting the use of tobacco. Once those signs came up, and once there was a rule in the book against it, I no longer did it. I wasn't so addicted that I couldn't do without. I just didn't like being forced to not do it (I'm a big fan of personal freedom). I didn't like seeds. I liked Skoal. Big deal.

There were also plenty of adult league games where not only the umpires were chewing, but more than half of the players. There are still some MLB umpires, players and coaches who have a chaw in their mouths.

BTW, I quit smoking and using all tobacco products a few years back, and cannot even stand the smell of a cigarette, even 50 feet away. So I am one of those ex-smokers who really hates smoking.

Here is a brochure sold by the NFHS Publications:

"ROLE MODELS DON’T DIP OR CHEW . . . DO YOU? This 12-page publication reinforces the role of coaches and athletic directors as a model, points out the dangers of spit tobacco use and offers tips to help coaches quit the spit habit."

I guess there are still some coaches that didn't get the memo and are still using tobacco.