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I can say as a basketball official, I would say the equivalent would be an official wearing shorts and a collared T plus white shoes during a regular season game...and there's no way I would consider not working the game. I'd definitely have a word with the partner when appropriate...and you can bet an assignor is getting a word from me and probably both coaches.
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Chaos isn't a pit. Chaos is a ladder. Many who try to climb it fail and never get to try again. The fall breaks them. And some, given a chance to climb, they refuse. They cling to the realm, or the gods, or love. Illusions. Only the ladder is real. The climb is all there is. |
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Peace
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Let us get into "Good Trouble." ----------------------------------------------------------- Charles Michael “Mick” Chambers (1947-2010) |
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Why not? If he hustles and gets the calls correct his tight clothes simply smack of a bad economy or lack of polish. Maybe the guy is working games because that is his only source of income. I recall working with a guy who made all his calls with his left hand. Yes, all of them. It wasn't until a week or two later that I learned he had been in a horrific car accident that left him unable to raise his right arm to shoulder height. If the coaches didn't care, I certainly could look past it.
While many go out of their way to shine shoes, press clean trousers, wear the latest gear and show off new Oakleys/UA sunglasses, I'll take the partner who knows the rules and makes the correct call any day. |
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Ken Kaiser made all of his calls with his left hand for his entire carreer. To quote: "He's just as out with my left hand as he is with my right." |
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This thread reminds of the movie "Dumb and Dumber" when the guy appears on the slopes wearing racing apparel. I've worked with a few guys who had all the latest gear, carried it in an MLB roller, possessed a library of JEAPU-J/R-Carl C. books and looked like they stepped out of a 'how to make an umpire' factory. Their gear betrayed their talent and it wasn't fun to see them berated by coaches, players or fans.
I'll take talent over appearance any day. Still, those who write how they would encourage a post game or private phone call to promote a more professional look are on target. Constructive criticism is par and parcel of post game. |
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I have two experiences.
One day I was to work a game with a young man, 17. As we left his house, his dad asked him if he had all that he needed. He said he did, in the annoyed manner of teenagers. When we arrived at the site and started to dress, he let out an oath and "How does he do that!" He had forgotten his pants. By chance, since he was a young man, I had a pair of pants that would fit him. (When I started umpiring, only men's pants were available.) They only just fit him. He did a quality job on the plate, we were both complemented by the coaches on the job we did. The coaches were able to look past the uniform. The second experience was a bit different. I arrived at a Little League game to work with a new partner. He was wearing khaki pants. His shirt hung over his pants. I asked if he wanted the plate. Sure, he let me know he had been umpiring for 30 years. He showed up on the field with shinguards on the outside and hat on backwards. (I did say something about that.) You should understand that around here, Little League umpires hold themselves to a higher uniform standard. It wasn't how he was dressed that was the real issue. Once he learned how we try to dress a little more professionally around here, he has done the same. No, it was how he umpired. His plate conference was mainly warnings, he signaled strikes with his left hand. He overall sucked. He has repeatedly shown that he is an umpire who has had "one year experience 30 times". He has used his "30 years experience" as a hammer to show how what he thinks goes. So it's not how my partner is dressed. It's how my partner umpires that counts. Rita |
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I have worked with umpires who wore neatly pressed new unis, looked like a million dollars and couldn't umpire worth a nickel.
However, I have never worked with, nor met, a quality umpire who looked like sh!t. I have never seen a truly good umpire who did not understand the importance of appearance. I'll repeat my answer to the original question...would you work with this guy? Not twice. |
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