Free Food

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by just another ref

Called games tonight with a partner I have worked with a few times, but this was our first time to ride together. On the way home, we were approaching a couple of fast food places, and he asked if I had a preference. I said he was driving, either one was fine. He said that either one would "take care of us."
To make a long story short, apparently it is a common practice for various eating establishments to provide free food for sports officials, including the Burger King on my way home, where I have stopped probably a hundred times returning from games.

Is this a southern thing, or is it everywhere? For the record, this is not a practice with which I am comfortable.

If it is a "southern thing" then Virginia was skipped over. But if a restaurant is offering me free food then I'm taking it.

Now hospitality rooms? Well, depends on who your boss is. I have one supervisor who has made it perfectly clear that we do not utilize any hospitality rooms when working his games.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

I'm wondering how the people in the drive thru would know you're sports officials. My bag's in the trunk and I'm business casual.

Did he tell the people he was an official?

Perhaps in that area of the country officials change in the parking lots of the local fast food restaurants.

[Welpe]

I have never heard of that one before. Since I'm trying not to eat that food, I'm not going to start driving around to Chick-Fil-As in my stripes asking for free sandwiches.

This raises an important question, do Footlocker employees get the same free meals?

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Perhaps in that area of the country officials change in the parking lots of the local fast food restaurants.

Well played.

Peace

[SamIAm]

Originally Posted by fullor30

Along these lines, more than once I've had my bag/suitcase in front seat and when stopped by police for speeding I quickly unzip bag to show stripes.......pass everytime!

When asked by officers what I do for a living, which seems to be a standard question, right after "Do you know how fast you were going?", I always include that "I am also a basketball official, kind of the same as you except I don't get to carry a gun". Usually followed by a grin, chuckle, and "slow down and have a nice day".

[DRJ1960]

Several schools in Central Va toss some really good food our way............

[fullor30]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I do not know about you, but I paid for my food.

Peace

Ha!

[bainsey]

Nothing like that in this corner. Still, if management wants to give you the food, I see no conflict of interest.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by fullor30

Along these lines, more than once I've had my bag/suitcase in front seat and when stopped by police for speeding I quickly unzip bag to show stripes.......pass everytime!

I was once pulled over in a small town because I was the referee.

Night game. Home team lost, showered, left. Not more than a few hundred yards out of the school, I get pulled over. Apparently I was speeding.

Cop makes the mistake about mentioning that I was a referee. I asked if he was just at the game....he said he wan't. Suspicious, I asked him how he knew I was a referee. He claimed to have recognized me from his kids games....I hadn't been to that town in about 2 years. Hmmmm.

He let me go. Later, I told my partner about it.....he got pulled over too.

We asked around and found that several referees were pulled over just after leaving that same school...none ever with tickets, just warnings (probably so it wouldn't ever show up in any official record).

While nothing was ever proven, the assumption was that the coach, the AD, or someone connected with the school was having a buddy copy harass officials after games where the home team lost or was tough. Our commissioner called the AD on the issue and said it needed to stop....and it did. Hmmm.

[fiasco]

We get free produce. But it gets thrown at us, not served to us.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

I was once pulled over in a small town because I was the referee.

Night game. Home team lost, showered, left. Not more than a few hundred yards out of the school, I get pulled over. Apparently I was speeding.

Cop makes the mistake about mentioning that I was a referee. I asked if he was just at the game....he said he wan't. Suspicious, I asked him how he knew I was a referee. He claimed to have recognized me from his kids games....I hadn't been to that town in about 2 years. Hmmmm.

He let me go. Later, I told my partner about it.....he got pulled over too.

We asked around and found that several referees were pulled over just after leaving that same school...none ever with tickets, just warnings (probably so it wouldn't ever show up in any official record).

While nothing was ever proven, the assumption was that the coach, the AD, or someone connected with the school was having a buddy copy harass officials after games where the home team lost or was tough. Our commissioner called the AD on the issue and said it needed to stop....and it did. Hmmm.

I would love to see this hit the papers!

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

I had friends that worked at fast food joints as teenagers. They all had the same policy: when a bus pulled in, try to see how many people are on it, and put on a whole whack of burgers right away.

One night, a bus came pulled in to the local Wendy's parking lot. My buddy put on 15 burgers. The driver comes in wanting directions. My friend called the 4 or 5 of us, and we all ate for free. In that case, it was bad for business and good for us! lol

Juggler - you're killing me!

Same situation. Bus pulls in about 20 minutes prior to closing. About 30 "seniors" (to us teenagers anyhow) get off and start walking toward the doors. Burgers go on, fries go down......we're ready for action!

"May I help you?"

"Yes, I'd like an apple pie and coffee please......" x about 25!

We too ate well that night at closing!

Classic!

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

I'm wondering how the people in the drive thru would know you're sports officials. My bag's in the trunk and I'm business casual.

Of course, if you were a Mythbuster, you could just show them your Mythbuster Secret Decoder Ring.

[cmhjordan23]

There are quite a few middle schools in my area that will feed officials during tournaments. There are a couple of guys I know that definitely take advantage of this. I kid them that they are the reason schools only give us a tix for sandwich and drink know instead of whatever we want.

[JRutledge]

This happened to us for the first time I can think of. We happened to go to McDs (which I do not like to go to) in the town we had the game and we got our meal for free. I was a little shocked. Then again we were not dressed in uniform, but the visiting team was there and that is how they knew I guess.

Peace