... to President Roosevelt:

<b>It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the referee stumbles, or where the lead or trail could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose whistle is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who reports violations valiantly; who errs, who makes calls again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to make the calls; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of the final horn, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.</b>

- Merry Christmas Ref's

Hey, cool! Thanks for this, Ref Daddy! I get kind of annoyed with your quotes out of the rule and case books, but this one I like a lot.

Merry Christmas to you, too!

No armchair official was ever booed by fans nor chastised by an angry coach for a missed call made in the 8th row, even if they were right. My hat is off to all those who dare to do what others will not. :)