Pants: Sansabelt vs. Smitty

[just another ref]

For the record, if the style of pants is an issue where I work, I am blissfully unaware of it. I honestly do not know how many wear belts or not, I'm thinking it is close to an even split. Is appearance an issue? Of course. Is it more important than knowing whether the game should be over or not?

If an association wants all officials to match, simple, it should specify the brand, the style, whatever it takes. If that same association allows all kinds, but favors officials who wear one because someone (who?) said it looks better, that is a bad policy. If that same association penalizes an official for anything, without at least letting it be known that that one thing is discouraged, I find that unacceptable.