I always tell coaches to refer to me by my nickname - "Studmuffin".

"Most people call me studmuffin but you can just call me Muffy."

:)

Be careful what you wish for, my tiny butter-bottom -- I mean, oatmealqueen.

(Sorry, I watched "Master of Disguise" with my daughter this weekend. :) )

Wait 'til she finds out what the initiation is! :eek:

heeheeheeheehee......

...and the women all laugh, and the men stare in disbelief -- except one.

When my son played baseball we often had the same umpires, and I became casual friends with a few. During one game, I called one by name - it wasn't a confrontational situation, or anything like that - just part of a conversation. He quietly told me, if I didn't mind, to address him as "blue" during games.

Also, in my howler monkey days I almost got thrown out of a gym for complaining to a ref, and calling him by name when I did so. Of course, it probably didn't help that I had complained, oh, once or twice before that. But, that was the specific reason he gave.

So, now, I call all officials "ref" or "blue" or "ump". I think it shows more respect, and gives the unreformed howlers less ammunition for conspiracy theory development.

Also, I suspect its a lot like being a good friend of the President. You call him Mr. President during official functions, and whatever he lets you get away with in private.

Yikes.. Is it bad?

I call the coaches "coach" and I prefer that they call me "ref." Yeah, I know most of them, and most of them know me. However, perception is reality. If a coach calls me by name all game long, I just ignore him. Then the next time I see him, I ask him to call me "ref" from now on during games. IMHO, it's about professionalism. Just like having a long conversation in the bleachers with one coach prior to a game can make the other coach think they're going to get homered, the same perception can occur if one coach is thinking that me and the other coach are first name buddies.

Z

Not for us!

Heeheeheeheehee.....

initiation
 

Well, I had to send my first born to NC, ... and then my last born.
I had to go through a remodeling project in NY.
I had to give out a secret recipe.
That almost completed the first stage, I hope.

The players do not know my last name since I *always* introduce myself as Rich.

The players and coaches can call me anything they like as long as it's done in the right manner. I have more important things to worry about.

Rich

I prefer, "Mr. Studmuffin...sir!" :D

But then wouldn't you have to T them up for lying??? :p

As a former assistant college basketball coach-turned referee, I can tell you that calling officials by name was a common occurrence. It was one of my duties to jot down the name of each official during pre-game introductions so that the head coach could use it later on. It didn't matter if it was DIII or DI - using the name of an official when talking to him is a standard practice.

As an official, we are in the "people business". We need to communicate with our partners, the scorers table, players and coaches. To run a smooth game, you are going to have to resolve conflict, prevent problems, have a feel for the tempo/tenor of the game. The best way to do that is by communicating. We're both going to be here for the next 2hrs, so why not have a working relationship. I don't have to like the coach, but we certainly need to work together. If I'm talking to a coach, I want to use his name; it creates an feeling of "approachability". I want a coach to talk to me, not yell at me. A coach just wants to know that you are willing listen to what he has to say - within reason, of course.

The funny thing is that in some associations the officials don't even know each others names.....