Please tell me I was seeing things!
 

I know, I know! I wear a belt so I am a referee fashion nightmare so who am I to say anything? Saw a game the other day with an official whose pants were at least 2" too short. And what was gleaming between the bottom of the high waters and the shoes. Bright white socks! Tell your partners not to do this, please!!!!!!!

And tell them not to wear a belt, too! :D

I don't want to make fun, but if this guy had not had on a belt, I'm afraid we would have seen white Fruit of the Looms before the night was over!

I was talking about you. :(

But was he holding the white socks up with a belt?

Spend some money and get some beltless pants - then you can make fun of him for wearing belted pants too!

Dang it, I like belted pants! I even POLISHED my belt with black kiwi shoe polish before my last game! I wore the beltless pants in the 70's with my leisure suits and black alligator patent leather shoes. I just don't like them. Go ahead and banish me to referee Siberia or somewhere.

Ok, you're banished. Now, go read your new FEEBLE Rule Book! :p

Honig's has a patent leather belt.

http://www.honigs.com/detail.asp?Cat=1&Sub=7&Item=126

JugglingReferee
Indeed they do.
They also sell ball bags, ...both large and small. :)
mick

There is a reason officials stopped wearing the belted pants. They look like crap. Stop wearing them.

Peace

You act like the beltless pants are out of style. For basketball officials, nothing screams out "I'm out of style" or "I'm a JV official for life" more than an official wearing belted pants.

I've never seen a D-I official on TV wearing pants with a belt. I've never seen a SERIOUS high school official wearing a belt.

To belt or not to belt
 

Unfortunately I've seen a number of officials with beltless pants that call such a bad game they need to be whipped with a belt! What's more important: looking good or calling a good game....

Obviously, it depends upon who you ask. And let's be real for a minute -- who besides another referee is even going to notice or care if you're wearing beltless or belted pants?

[Edited by refnrev on Nov 27th, 2005 at 03:16 PM]

You would be surprised. They might not care that you are wearing belted pants, but you would stick out. Part of the uniform is to look like we can cut the mustard. If all the top officials look the same way and you look like a JV official, they are going to think you are just that, a JV official. You will have to work a lot harder to overcome that stigma than other officials that look like the top officials. Also remember it is usually officials that are going to make the decisions about your ability it will not be outsiders usually. If you cannot wear what is expected for you to wear, and then what do you think you are willing to do in other aspects of you game? I can tell you the same expectations are put on officials in other sports. We do not wear adjustable hats in football and baseball for the very same reason we do not wear belted pants in basketball. You stand out and it takes no commitment to buy a hat that (or pants) that you can adjust. It takes a lot of commitment to get your pants fitted or to make sure you fit your head with the right hat size. I do not ever expect you or others to agree with my opinion, but it is not my opinion you have to worry about. I had to cut off most of my facial hair because no one else at the high levels was wearing a goatee like I was. I was even told to cut it off. So if I wanted to continue to work a certain level of games I had to do just that, cut off all that facial hair. Life is full of choices, do what you feel works for you. Just do not be surprised if you get passed up and this one issue might be a bigger factor than you will ever realize. It is usually the little things that advance people and the little things that hold them back. Just like in any job, if your resume is not together you will never get an interview. Your uniform is part of your resume.

Peace

Re: To belt or not to belt
 

Apples and Oranges.

What's better:
Looking good and calling a good game OR looking alright and calling a good game?

Or even:
Looking alright and calling a bad game OR looking alright and calling a bad game.

Re: Re: To belt or not to belt
 

Huh?

Re: Re: To belt or not to belt
 

Or even: Looking alright and calling a bad game OR looking alright and calling a bad game.


Or even: Looking alright and calling a bad game OR looking alright and calling a bad game.


Or even: Looking alright and calling a bad game OR looking alright and calling a bad game.


Or even: Looking alright and calling a bad game OR looking alright and calling a bad game....

:p


[Edited by rainmaker on Nov 28th, 2005 at 01:03 PM]

Re: Re: Re: To belt or not to belt
 

Don't forget...Or even: Looking alright and calling a bad game OR looking alright and calling a bad game.

The best thing about this whole thread is that when I clicked on it and the first page came up, there was a banner ad for "Kilt accessories" at the top of the page!! Wouldn't you love to see somebody try to ref in a kilt?!?!?! :D

Unfortunately, it might be a way to get more acceptance of women reffing! :eek:

This is a sore subject with me. I've got a real bad hernia. It looks like I'm growing another head down their. If I don't wear a belt the thing is flopping around all over he place. It's so bad a kid once grabbed it instead of the ball on a throw-in. I've tried the beltless pants and cheerleaders scream when they see me coming out. So...I'm sticking with the belt until I can save enough $ from blowing these 6th grade travel league games to have the operation and move up to JV where the real money is at.

__________________________________________________ _________

You think Padgett would wear the kilt -- and would you work with him if he did?

You would be surprised. They might not care that you are wearing belted pants, but you would stick out. Part of the uniform is to look like we can cut the mustard. If all the top officials look the same way and you look like a JV official, they are going to think you are just that, a JV official. You will have to work a lot harder to overcome that stigma than other officials that look like the top officials. Also remember it is usually officials that are going to make the decisions about your ability it will not be outsiders usually. If you cannot wear what is expected for you to wear, and then what do you think you are willing to do in other aspects of you game? I can tell you the same expectations are put on officials in other sports. We do not wear adjustable hats in football and baseball for the very same reason we do not wear belted pants in basketball. You stand out and it takes no commitment to buy a hat that (or pants) that you can adjust. It takes a lot of commitment to get your pants fitted or to make sure you fit your head with the right hat size. I do not ever expect you or others to agree with my opinion, but it is not my opinion you have to worry about. I had to cut off most of my facial hair because no one else at the high levels was wearing a goatee like I was. I was even told to cut it off. So if I wanted to continue to work a certain level of games I had to do just that, cut off all that facial hair. Life is full of choices, do what you feel works for you. Just do not be surprised if you get passed up and this one issue might be a bigger factor than you will ever realize. It is usually the little things that advance people and the little things that hold them back. Just like in any job, if your resume is not together you will never get an interview. Your uniform is part of your resume.


I agree with what you are saying to a point. I have friends who ref D-1, who say that its professional to have patent leather shoes and pleated pants. My association bans both. So if I decide to wear them anyway I will not contiune to get Varsity games. It's a shame we are at the mercy of our assigners. Even if they are wrong on a issue they are right because they control what games we get. Good officals get blackballed all the time for taking a stance on a issue. It is not right but it happens.

Just because your association bans pleated pants or patent leather shoes has nothing to do with professionalism. I also never said it was required to wear any particular type of shoes or type of beltless pants. I also do not live in an area where and association has any say over what we wear. Our state office is the only institution that matters where I am from. The fact that an official's association has that kind of say is rather silly to me, but that is another issue all together. We are not talking about what kind of things should be OK. We are talking about times have changed and it is time to get with the times. I do not wear the same cloths I did in the 80s for good reason. Fashions change and you look like a clown (in my opinion) wearing what you have to good searching for to buy.

Peace

All this fashion talk makes me want to see if I can find my collared shirts again.

However there is truth in Ruts statements about looking the look. It may not make a difference once you are established in a league where teams, coaches, and parents have watched you for years and know what to expect, but if you venture to new venues, you only get one chance to make a good first impression. Looking the part will certainly get you off to a good start - After that you will have to back it up with solid officiating to complete the package.

So to answer the question: Is it better to look good or referee good? - The answer in my humble opinion is you need both.