Umpiring Politics

[UMP25]

Just a general comment about umpiring politics. I'm privileged to have friends who are umpires in several parts of the country, from the west coast to south to southeast and northeast. I even know some colleagues who used to live here in the Chicago metro area but have since moved to other parts of the country.

Every single one of them has said the same thing: there is no greater area of the country where umpiring is more political and backstabbing and cutthroat than in the Chicago metro area. It's not something of which I'm boasting, of course; rather, I'm just sharing the comments from some dozen or so guys who are successful NCAA Umpires, many at the D1 level, who all have commented on how ridiculous umpiring in the Chicago metro area is.

Take this for what it's worth. I'm simply sharing what many of my peers have said.