3 seconds....THREE SECONDS!!!

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

Why do so many supposed adults, who have grown beyond those brain-damaged teenage years where we were all convinced that our friends knew everything and the adults knew nothing, why is it they so easily revert to that same mentality at sporting events?

And how is it that a complete stranger sitting two rows in front of mommy and daddy is afforded instant credibility and assumed to be vastly more knowledgeable and observant than the folks in stripes? We really need to figure that one out, and then teach those skills at camps!

I had a ball near the sideline last night. I'm right on the line (which is the hardest part of having to bounce between 2 and 3 person for me -- getting to the sideline as the lead official) and the ball had gone off of a home player's foot and was heading out. For some unknown reason, a visiting player reached down and tried to stop the ball and the ball squirted out of her hands and onto the sideline. I signal the violation, and some clown 8 rows up starts yelling:

"How can you miss that? That ball was already out! You're giving it to the wrong team!"

Later, we had a scramble, loose ball, players rolling around, ball's tied up, players roll over, and one ends up on top of the other. No foul, the ball was already tied up, etc. :

"She's got a knee in her back! That's a foul! You guys are terrible! Call something! Somebody's going to get hurt! Oh, the HUMANITY!"

OK, I made the last sentence up. I think.

I could go on and on and on and I tuned about 90% (I'd estimate) out completely. The parents are just complete and total idiots. I'm OK with that, but how about keeping their idiotic opinions to themselves?