And he is still working. So there you go. I guess our opinion does not matter. But this is a bigger lesson in our lives.

Peace

since we're on the topic...
 

I was recently told by a referee colleague of mine that the red and blue
"N F H S" logo that is stamped on the upper back of referee jerseys is no longer being done by referee shirt sellers. You cannot get this logo put on the back of your ref shirts anymore-- apparently there were licensing issues--this is what a Ref colleague told me.

But this whole issue brings to the fore a key issue: are we Officials considered to be "walking advertisements" ? Much like the jerseys of many sports that bear a private company logo (e.g., Roku, Fly Emirites, CBD Online) that is prominently placed on the uniform clothing article/jersey/pant--ergo making these players "walking billboards".

And, if this trend is taken to the taken to the most absurd extreme: our whistles, socks, pants, lanyards, and shirts could eventually bear some type of prominent company logo. As Officials, you all are in what I call a "uniquely visible status" on the court---so your clothing will be clearly seen by many people (fans, coaches, players, news highlights, etc...).

You might think "who cares what that ref is wearing [or advertising]" ; however, visual cues [ads] are definitely noticed. Would you take money to wear a private company logo on your ref attire? I would.

None of my shirts has ever had such a logo

edited: I seem to recall that NFHS once sold / supplied shirts -- maybe these had the logo (like H on Honigs shirts or the S on Smitty's shirts).

I have never seen it either. I have seen the state association logos, the IAABO roundel, and American flags show up on officiating shirts, but never the NFHS logo.

I'm Gonna Party Like It's 1912 ...
 

(Apologies to Prince)

Mark T. DeNucci, Sr. has an old officiating shirt with an American flag with only forty-six stars, from before New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska, and Hawaii were states.

I think that he still wears it for scrimmages.

https://tse3.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.o...=0&w=300&h=300

I'm all for refs getting fairly compensated. But I don't at all like the idea of refs being able to cut deals to wear logos or advertising in games. Nike, addidas, etc., sponsor teams because they want to be associated with them--they want to be associated with WINNERS. If a Nike sponsored team is playing an addidas sponsored team, Nike wants "its" team to win, as that supports the profile it is trying to build by the millions it is paying the school. Having a ref on the court also being paid by Nike is, IMO, a really bad idea.

There has to be an obvious answer but.....

What is the difference between that and the giant Nike swoosh on his shoes? Aren't we all guilty of wearing company logo items on our feet? Why is that universally accepted but other apparel items are not. Is it because the NCAA is lenient with regards to shoes, whistles, and other small items that aren't really relevant? I'm surprised Smittys or Honigs or whoever have not had there own shoe brand so that the NCAA could mandate them and require refs to wear them so they fill their pockets more. Much like the shirts, pants, jackets, etc.

Smitty does sell shoes. They have court shoes, plate umpire shoes, and field shoes, as of 2019.

After my post, a quick search revealed just that. When will the NCAA require officials to wear them, lol. As independent contractors, perhaps officials will start to seek endorsements and wear company logos. Are there any logo restrictions on officials shirts? lol and why no restrictions on logo size on shoes?
:D:D:D

Scarcity of Visibility
 

Often I watch a high profile TV game with officials near and dear to my heart working. I am really locked in on catching every frames where my favorite ref is visible. If he were getting paid 5 bucks a second for his TV airtime, I doubt he would earn enough for a good dinner. I am left disappointed at the relatively short exposure during the game.

I honestly don't think the illustrious Teddy V has any pecuniary rewards owing to his choice of apparel, even with his 56 games this season.

Just not enough time to make it worthwhile for sponsors.

One of your favorite officials picked up an easy $187 this past Saturday due to my injury. :D

It may not seem that way, but I have seen more posts on social media about what Teddy is wearing than any other official at any level of officiating, that includes guys in the NFL, NBA or MLB. So it might not be worth their while, but there is certainly a lot of discussion about what he is doing.

Peace

That escaped me. I need to hit him up for my cut...

Somehow I missed this, um, Valentine a couple days ago:

https://twitter.com/SportsChannel8/s...78409653964801

:D

Old news, and why he was dropped from B1G 10.

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