Teddy V & Nike

[Kansas Ref]

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.