Old school

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

The original IAABO jacket was black with gray trim. It's successor was the deep blue with gray trim that you had. I've got one of those too. Part pack-rat, I guess.

The preferred pant color with the "in crowd" was black (kind of like the more modern belt versus no belt debates), even though IAABO allowed us to wear black or blue pants. I did wear blue pants once when I forgot to pack my black officials pants in my bag, and happened to have worn blue pants to my day job that day. The blue pants actually looked better with the gray jersey with blue piping than the black pants. But I wanted to be one of the "cool" guys.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Butterfly182310

Old habits die hard. The Smitty is too short. Can't take the whistle out of my mouth and talk to the players without braking the loop on the shirt.

I had the same problem. I wanted to be like one of the "cool" guys and use a Smitty, but I kept on breaking the little loop.

[ref2coach]

Best loop replacement is a small black rubber grommet sewn on with heavy black thread. The elasticity of the rubber keeps the smitty from breaking the threads.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I had the same problem. I wanted to be like one of the "cool" guys and use a Smitty, but I kept on breaking the little loop.

There were two different length smittys. A shorter one for zippered shirts since the point of attachment was higher (at the top of the zipper) and a longer one meant to reach the the loop at the bottom of the V. Sounds like you have the shorter one (or you have a really long neck).

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

There were two different length smittys. A shorter one for zippered shirts since the point of attachment was higher (at the top of the zipper) and a longer one meant to reach the the loop at the bottom of the V. Sounds like you have the shorter one (or you have a really long neck).

Uh-oh.....

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Wow. Someone cheaper than me. I still wear one of my very first warm up jacket to Catholic school middle school games. It's an unlined, black, windbreaker. The insignia was silk screened and the whistle fell off, leaving just the lettering. It's got to be at least twenty-five years old.

Actually, that sounds relatively new. I still wear my Springfield YMCA sweater that was given to me by Dr. Naismith to games. I also carry an extra peach basket in my buggy.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by Butterfly182310

The Smitty is too short.

They come in different lengths.