The One Time, And Only Time, It's Good To Wear A Black Belt ...

[BillyMac]

Almost everybody on this Forum subscribes to the idea that it's unprofessional for a basketball official to wear a black belt. IAABO (International) agrees, and stipulates that beltless slacks shall be worn, a change that started last season.

My local board passed a constitutional amendment last season allowing those who wanted to wear a belt, a very small minority, the option of doing so.

Last night my partner ripped the zipper of his beltless slacks while getting dressed for our varsity game. Safety pins didn't do the trick. Striped shirt worn untucked covered the broken zipper, but didn't look good.

My partner was a thirty-eight waist. One of the junior varsity officials was a thirty-four waist, the other a forty-two waist. My partner tried on the forty-two waist but, of course, the pants were way too big and kept on falling down. But the forty-two waist pants were belted pants, so my partner simply tightened up the belt, and away we went.

Sometimes a black belt comes in handy. Not often, but sometimes. And if you ever need a tourniquet in the middle of a game ...

[BryanV21]

Sounds like a good reminder to always have a spare pair of pants, a spare shirt, etc, in your bag.

[UNIgiantslayers]

Chuck Norris disagrees.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by UNIgiantslayers

Chuck Norris disagrees.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BryanV21

Sounds like a good reminder to always have a spare pair of pants, a spare shirt, etc, in your bag.

Great advice, as is the advice to always keep packed bag in the trunk of your car, just in case ...

But I just don't have the room in my bag, or the time to keep up with laundry, to have multiple sets of uniforms available, at all times.

I do my own laundry, and like Sheldon Cooper, Saturday night is laundry night, and I just don't have the time to do it other nights, especially since I'm out most nights working games.

Someday this will come back to bite me in the ass, but I'm willing to take a chance.

[BryanV21]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Great advice, as is the advice to always keep packed bag in the trunk of your car, just in case ...

But I just don't have the room in my bag, or the time to keep up with laundry, to have multiple sets of uniforms available, at all times.

I do my own laundry, and like Sheldon Cooper, Saturday night is laundry night, and I just don't have the time to do it other nights, especially since I'm out most nights working games.

Someday this will come back to bite me in the ass, but I'm willing to take a chance.

You do your laundry on Saturday nights? Ha... loser

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BryanV21

You do your laundry on Saturday nights? Ha... loser

I always do it after attending the Saturday afternoon vigil mass, followed by an evening watching Doc Martin with my cat, Callie.

Ha! Now who's the loser. Wait? I'm being told ... Not exciting? Better things to do on a Saturday night? Never mind.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by BryanV21

Sounds like a good reminder to always have a spare pair of pants, a spare shirt, etc, in your bag.

Agreed. I have a spare everything in my bag. Only used em a couple of times.

Once last yr, our electronic clock operator (ECO) forgot his court shoes, and used mine.

[Mark Padgett]

I used to keep a staple gun in my bag for situations like this.

[bob jenkins]

This has nothing to do with "laundry" or "room in your bag."

Put a spare uniform in your car at the beginning of the season and leave it there until the end of the season.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Put a spare uniform in your car at the beginning of the season and leave it there until the end of the season.

Great advice, same advice we get from our assignment commissioner every season, but I can't afford to take a full set of "stuff" (including expensive items like a shoes, pants, and a bag) out of commission for an entire season. It's benefit versus risk, and I'm prepared to take a calculated risk at not having extra "stuff" available on the very slight chance that I'll need something, my partner may need something, a colleague may need something, or a site might need need an official. But, like I stated earlier, someday this logic may come back to bite me in the ass, and I'm prepared to get a lot of deserved "I told you so".

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BryanV21

Sounds like a good reminder to always have a spare pair of pants, a spare shirt, etc, in your bag.

I have two of everything in my bag. Problem solved.

Next topic.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I have two of everything in my bag.

Two towels? I forgot to pack a towel last week. I was lucky that the athletic director was able to get one for me. It was a prep school. I doubt that I would have been able to get one at a public high school.

[LRZ]

Kmart has flat front black pants for $16--and they have belt loops!

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by LRZ

Kmart has flat front black pants for $16--and they have belt loops!

Too late, just purchased Haggar Plain Front Pants, $36.99, from Amazon. Free shipping. Free belt loops.

https://youtu.be/dQ2w94WALoU