why?
 

Why does it matter if a guy wears his college jacket?
You all know i just recently stopped playing so, as a player the one time i saw a guy with a college jacket; I thought to myself " ok. well I know FOR SURE I've got one A+ official tonight" it was nice to know as a player. Did I think less of the partners NO not at all.:confused:

It's not really a huge issue to me, but it could be argued that wearing the college jacket instead of the high school one can give coaches/players a preconceived notion of the quality of officials at work...that the high school guys aren't as good as the college guy. Heck, your example is proof...you may say you didn't think less of the other officials, but you already thought the college guy was A+...meaning you thought less of the other two.

Also, for some officials, they could be doing it to try and big-time their high school partner(s).

I dont think less of an official until he calls my game. what I mean is that the other guys are gonna have to prove themselves on the court. Now keep in mind if the guy wearing the college jacket started kicking every other call then my post game thoughts about the crew could all be the same.

You've thought less of the other official(s) by virtue of not thinking of them A+ like you did the college official.

So ummm, which 1 is it :rolleyes:

If we are to use the approved mechanics/signals for the level we are working THAT particular night, we should be wearing the approved uniform for that level as well!
After all, how can we be uniformed if we are wearing different uniforms??IMO, the guy wearing the college jacket is simply stating, "I do a higher level than this!"

In my area, some officials wear their IAABO patched shirt w/flag to work wreck/youth ball during the off-season. I've even seen some guys wear them at MS games.
When I ask them about it, 7 out of 10 times its all about "letting the participants & fans know that they are certified." The other 3 just dont want to invest in a off-season shirt. Many say it lets the coaches know not to mess with them :rolleyes:

For ME, I just let my game do the talking!

Get plays right... have a presence on the court... exude confidence & an I've been here before attitude.... those things will keep a coach off of you no matter what level you're working, not a damn uniform!

Trust me when I say that working college games isn't a sign that the person is an "A+ official."

For one thing, the jacket is not authorized to be worn by anyone not working a game under the college level. That is the problem plain and simple. And wearing a jacket does not prove you are working that level in any way. It might call you out as a liar or trying to make it look like you are representing something you are not. And considering that in many cases those individuals wearing those jackets have never worked a single college game in their life that is why for me that is a big problem. Just like it is not allowed to wear a high school jacket for a college game. That would be out of place too and in my state we have shirts and jackets with state logos on them. I would never go out and where those shirts and jackets at that level, so why would it be OK to wear college stuff at the HS level?

Peace

professionalism and appropriateness
 

As was mentioned or inferred by others it's a principle of professionalism by showing respect for your state/local association and your officiating partners. It's also a simple matter of wearing the appropriate jacket. Joe DeRosa would never consider (nor would he be permitted) to wear his NBA jacket to work an NCAA game.