New Season, New Gear...
 

Well I tried searching this topic and didn't have any luck. I remember posting something like this last year. Never-the-less, the new season is almost upon us... anyone have any new gear they are waiting to trying out?

For me, I've added the Honig's Pro-Soft shirt. I almost got a Dolfin whistle, but my previous posts on here got the better of me.

Are you getting a new shipping crate to bring with you to games? ;)

I was tempted on the dolphin, but got some fox40 CMG whistles instead. The mouth guards do not show the teeth marks as readily. The down side is that whistles with teeth marks, just like pencils with teeth marks, tend not to be borrowed. :D

I've got football gear to deal with now, but I did get a pair of New Balance running shoes I'm going to wear next hoops season. I was going to break them in at a local clinic a few weeks ago, but the clinic got cancelled. So, I'll get them on the floor soon enough.

Before the season starts, I'll have a few side panel shirts, enough pants to fill out 4 or 5 full unis, and at least 2 extra pairs of under armour tights/shirts and briefs. I probably need a few more pairs of socks. The underwear stuff lasts for about 2 years max on my schedule, I've found. So I just keep adding small amounts each year. Whistles and lanyards are a dime a dozen. I pick up 3 or 4 each at a time.

The big purchase this year (for football initially) will be the roller bag. Last year, I got by with an older duffle style but I need more room and want something to hold up to wear and tear a bit better.

By the way: any recommendations on a roller bag?

No, I saw your bag wasn't very full last February. Therefore, I'm hiring your bag to carry the rest of my stuff! Looks like I'll be seeing a lot of you this season! :D

Go to your local big box store and buy whatever's on sale.

Yes, you might have to replace it sooner than you would a "name officiating brand" bag. But, it will cost less than 1/2 the price (and in my experience you won't replace it twice as often).

I agree with Bob about the bag. I may try to replace mine this year.

Just a question. What's the deal with the wide side panel shirts? Does anybody really think they look that much better than a normal shirt? Personally, I think they look kind of odd. You've got 1" stripes all around the shirt, except for this HUGE stripe right under your armpit.

I just purchased a pair of black Huarache 64 all black. looks and feels real good. I spent more than I wanted to but they feel great..

I thought that it was a standard in Collegiate Officiating

Not necessarily. There are many officials that do not wear them.

Peace

How do handle when three officials on a game and not all wear same shirt?

How do you handle it any other time? You go out and work the game. I rarely ever see three officials with the exact same shirt anyway. Not sure why we would make a big deal about it now?

Peace

What's to handle? You gonna make one of them sit out? You do the game. :shrug:

Well at the high school level, we don't have that issue, But I would think at the collegiate level you at least want to look uniform. It's just a question, Don't bite my head off.

Didn't mean to bite your head off. I'm just wondering what you think could be done about it? How would you suggest "handling" it?

No one biting your head off. You asked a question, we gave an answer.

Secondly, there are no rules against wearing any kind of shirt as long as the shirts are striped. So if someone wants to wear these shirts, unless the assignor says something, you might see someone wear these shirts.

Peace

In high school we contact each other to discuss all perticulars. Game, location, time, history, AD names and then not that we talk about jerzey's becuase we don't. if it were we would make sure we discuss that as well. Also a meeting place so that we all arrive together and also all leave together.

You make it sound like officials do not do this during college games?

Either way it goes, if someone shows up with a shirt other than what is required, you still work the game. If someone does not like those shirts to be worn I am sure some consequences will have to be considered. But not workinig the game or worrying about it personally is not something I am going to do.

Peace

Exactly. (Extra words inserted b/c "exactly" doesn't have enough characters for a full message. :mad: Blah, blah, blah, blah.)

In a perfect world, it would be nice it all the officals are wearing the same shirts. But but living in the real world, who other than us goofy officals would ever notice that someone's shirt does not match the other officals.

"Exactly."

Ok exactly, OK exactly,, OK exactly..

Hey I thought the Collegiate level would be different. Sorry!

Also, they are suppose to be cooler, I think.

I think the new collegiate shirts look good. I observed a D1 game last year at Dartmouth and had two officials wearing the regular shirts and one official wearing the new shirt. It was noticeable and I didn't like the look of them not wearing the same shirt.

As far as I know, these new shirts are not approved for every conference and are being approved just like that... conference by conference. Last year it was the shirt of choice for the ACC, Big East, PAC 10 and a couple others not to mention the tournament. It has yet to hit the Ivy & Patriot Leagues, nor the America East league.

I was at a camp two weeks ago and that is apparently the new shirt for MA high school (IAABO) this year. Which looks good with all the flags & patches the MA officials wear.

Its a nice shirt, I wouldn't say it is any cooler than the micro-softer or micro-mesh shirts out on the market by anyone else, but it is a nice shirt. Look sharp!

http://nicekicks.com/images/jordan-laney-23-black.jpg

I saw these online and was thinking about getting them. They will come out on September 30

Just something around here, but I'd color in the logo and the other grey spots.

There's no "approved" shirt in MA. Stripes with the IAABO and MSAABO patches is all that's required. No flag required, although many individuals (mostly college guys) wear one.

The "wide band" shirt has not been approved or disapproved in MA. To each his own. As you yourself might say, "Live free or die". :)

M&M,
Tanner doesn't need a shiping crate to take his stuff to a game -- he needs a van or a panel truck. I've been on vacation with a smaller bag full of stuff that he takes!:D :D :D

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I saw a game last season where one of the guys was wearing a byron collar shirt. Yes, it was a boys V game and YES -- it looked stupid -- and I'm pretty sure that most people noticed -- and that most people thought it looked stupid!

Actually, truth be told, I did buy a new gear "bag."

Here it is:
http://images.scripting.com/archiveS...01/11/pods.jpg

This year I will take at least one side panel and one no panel to each game, along with a backup no panel in case one of my partners brings only a panel and the other guy brings only a no panel. We'll decide in the room if its worth messing with, but I learned long ago to prepare for mis packing, even amoung partners. In football, I take an extra short sleeved shirt in case, and this has happened, one guy brings only long sleeved in September in Texas.

Now, the question is, if everyone insists on wearing their own brought shirt, do I wear the panel or no panel? Does it matter if its a college or HS game?

(Note: please don't take this branched discussion seriously!)

Isn't that normal for Mass? Wear whatever you want, do whatever you want, nothings approved by the state.... Hows the tunnel? Talk about "Live Free or Die" :rolleyes:

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TJ1,
You can't use that! :eek: They monogrammed it wrong and it doesn't have any wheels on it! Take it back and get a refund!!!

Approved?
 

Not trying to be funny, but someone has to "approve" a shirt for officials to wear? I thought the only requirement was to have a striped black and white shirt? I did not realize that there was much difference between shirts after that. Now I understand if someone says these shirts are not approved, but considering there are many types of striped shirts, I am not sure anyone is going to care what kind of shirt is used. I bet most officials do not even know there is a difference between the shirts with the panels and the shirts without the panels. I just bought two college panel shirts and wore them at a couple of camps. No one said a word to me about them at the camps I attended one way or the other. And I do not live in Massachusetts either.

Peace

I guess it all depends on your observers. In my area, they don't want to see us wearing the panel shirts unless all three (or two in some cases) are wearing them.

I agree with you that most officials don't even know there is a difference.

I guess the question to ask, if no one said anything about the shirt, Did you get picked up?

refnrev,
Nah! They move it to any location for you. That sure beats hauling it from place to place. :D I'm still trying to get it monogrammed correctly, so far they aren't enjoying my ideas.

I can't tell if you're trying to be funny or if you have a real problem with MA officials. (If you're trying to be funny, it didn't work.) But in either case, it's not true that "nothings [sic] approved by the state". The MA IAABO board (MSAABO) approves all the mechanics we use (which differ from the IAABO mechanics manual) and several rules that differ from the FED rulebook.

We also can't wear whatever we want. However, there is no approved or disapproved style of shirt. As long it is a black-and-white striped shirt, it's ok. Technically, I think a Byron shirt (with the IAABO and MSAABO patches) would be ok; but I haven't seen one in years, thankfully.

The tunnel is a disgrace. Is that news to you? I don't get the point of bringing that up.

Sorry if my post rubbed you the wrong way. It wasn't intended that way.

I don't have a problem with Mass. In fact, I used to live in Boston and started my college career in Boston as well.

In NH, as far as the shirts go, if we want to get varsity (HS) games they have to be approved by the state or IAABO #32. That is our governing body that approves or disapproves our uniform. For example, last year, Honigs made a mistake with the IAABO Grey & Black shirts. They put the red & black IAABO patch (used on the back and white shirts) on the Grey & Black shirts, rather than the black & white patch supposed to be used. It was 32 that made the conclusion we are not allowed to use the red & black patches on the grey shirt. I don't know of anyone that has been fined for using it, but they do make the rules we have in place for just the case.

They also made the rule for us that we HAVE to wear the flag on the back below the collar. That is required for all HS Varsity & JV matches.

A few of us up here in NH, still have the original solid grey uniform from way back when... and up until two years ago, we could use that uniform for any game, but not anymore.

Point of this post is, yes, in NH, our shirts have to be approved by the state board or the HS refs don't get the games they want. As far as college, I don't know of them approving or disapproving shirts as long as they are black and white.

And no, we can't wear the Byron collar shirts and I am glad of that. I don't like the look of the collar shirts, I prefer the V-Neck.