Short Memory
 

VB tonight. Visitors won a close game. Immediately after the game, as we were leaving the gym, we heard a yell from behind, and saw a visiting player running to catch us. He addressed me. "Mr. Ref, the coach wants to know what your name is." I was leery. "Uh, why?" "He said he thinks you did a good job." "Oh, ok, thanks." I told the kid my name. Funny thing is, the only other time I called a game for this coach, late last year, he told me at one point "You should be ashamed of yourself."

Catcher in the . . .
 

Which is why, when the circumstances are suspicious, I always give my name as "Holden Caulfield" (regards to recently departed J.D. Salinger). By the time the inquisitor figures out who that really is they'd have forgotten why they wanted to know.
BTW, wasn't your name in the book anyway?

Our names don't go in the book. Well, the R signs the book, but that's it. Our names are easily obtainable from the assigner, however.

My thoughts (and why else would jar post but to get my thoughts :D):
This girl wouldn't have been able to catch me. I'm assuming her coach had time to tell her to go get the ref's name; by the time she left the bench area, I'd have been off the court. If caught, I'm still not sure I'd have given my name. "Tell your coach that he can get my name from the AD."

I don't pay attention when I'm ciriticized by fans/coaches. So I don't pay attention to attaboys either. I have no problem answering that question either way as my assignors will always have my back.

Our Association specifically instructed us earlier this season that all our names are specifically to be entered "legibly" in BOTH the official book and the visitor's book.

I personally like it.

Ours too must be in the book. We've made stickers (return address work great) that have our photo, names and officials number from the state on them. It's the only way I could be legible.

I think I'm going to do this (sans photo) for the pay sheets the schools have us fill out. My handwriting can be sloppy sometimes but I try and take my time on these. The name of the street I live on is rather complicated evidently as some of the iterations I've seen on my checks have been hilarious.

The post office has done a good job of figuring out where they are supposed to go.

We only put our photos on there so that when coaches do ratings later - they have an ideo who the heck they are giving the rating to. The whole rating system is not very good. But it is worse when a coach can't read your name and number. I've gotten ratings from coaches at schools I've never been to and didn't even know existed.

I have a Brother P-touch label maker. 3/8" tape. I make one label (at home prior to the games) with R/U or R/U1/U2 on the top line with our state numbers underneath on a second line. Fit perfectly in the book and takes less time than signing the book.

If I'm not the R or I'm not working with a regular partner, we just sign the books. I'm usually Bruce Froemming in those cases.

Rich, you've lost considerably more weight than Bruce.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/bas...emming_all.jpg

Coach or someone else at the game asks your name? Here's my top ten:

1) Skippy Weaselpants
2) Pat McCrotch
3) Kirk Spock
4) Tony Soprano
5) Kurt Enrod
6) Bob Alou
7) Paddy O'Furniture
8) Tim Donaghy
9) Theodore Cleaver
10) Thomas E. Dewey (special reason for this one)

It wasn't a girl, it was a guy. They run faster. :D Several minutes had passed. We had gone to the office to retrieve jackets, and were leaving the building. I really think the coach liked the calling, based on his actions during the game. I haven't seen this guy a lot, but I don't think of him as being a happy guy. I probably would have given my name either way. No big deal.

Don't forget Al Buterol

I don't know -- from what I've heard Bruce has slimmed down quite a bit since his retirement.