Why do officials...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Seriously Billy?

Of course I was not being serious. We do not have any names, either real, or fictional, embroidered on our jackets. All we have is our local board affiliation patch.

However, I was being serious about the shiny, satin jacket. It really does look like a jacket from the disco roller skating era. In regard to this fashion faux pas, I am being serious, and you can take that to one of the big monster mega banks.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by futuredoc2014

However, it does help when one works in the inner city where everyone wants to hustle the ref just because they [think they] can.

Originally Posted by JRutledge

And I have never been hustled at any of those games, whatever that is supposed to mean.

Originally Posted by Bad Zebra

I've worked both inner city schools and the 'burbs my entire officiating career and I have no idea what that means either. Thought maybe I was missing out.

I've worked games in high schools in one of Connecticut's largest cities, where most parents either walk, or take the bus, to watch their kids play. I've worked games in suburban high schools where the parents park their BMW's outside the gym. I've worked games in rural high schools where they actually park their John Deere tractors in the gymnasium parking lot. Even after working in these various environments over the past thirty-one years, I still have no idea what these posts (above) mean? What am I missing here?

[futuredoc2014]

Originally Posted by tref

So they only hustle in the hood huh?

Politicians, Corporate America & organized crime families couldn't have taught the "art of hustling" aka the *American Way* to those lowlife inner city folks... nah no way!
The fact that we all reside in America today is one of the greatest hustles of All-Times


I sure hope you're no futuredoc of mine!

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

I honestly thought his comment sufficiently displayed his cluelessness. Maybe he only works in the inner city. The only time I've had folks try to hustle me is men's rec, and it never matters where the game is.

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I have worked in the inner city often and I worry more about going in rural areas than I would ever in most inner city schools. One I blend in, the other I stand out like stain on a clean outfit. And I have never been hustled at any of those games, whatever that is supposed to mean.

Peace

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Now that you mention it, I'm not exactly sure, either. Maybe our med student can shed some light.

Originally Posted by Bad Zebra

I've worked both inner city schools and the 'burbs my entire officiating career and I have no idea what that means either. Thought maybe I was missing out.

*Sigh* I guess that came out wrong. In my experience (btw I don't yet do HS because I'm not old enough) when I do rec/AAU games in certain neighborhoods (I'm in no way racist. I myself am black) and very rural areas, when I'm watching warm-ups we always have some teens and bums sitting on the bleacher just behind us trying to heckle us pre-game

eg. Hey look its the refs!
Ooh we got a new boy on this one
What's the jackets for? Trying to hide like we don't know who ya'll are?
Who are you, kid? you ain't from around here. They give ya some fancy shirt and whistle and you think you can ref just anywhere?
and etc.
We also have guys who hang out on the corner and try to mess with us or sell us stuff when we show up (we wear our uniforms to games as there are no private changing facilities)

The extremely rich neighborhoods are just as bad, with kids who think they can have whatever they want if 'Daddy buys it'. Then they come screaming and hollering with their parents when a call goes against them.
I think I'll get off my soapbox. I fear that I've started a highly controversial subject here.

[futuredoc2014]

Originally Posted by tref

So they only hustle in the hood huh?

Politicians, Corporate America & organized crime families couldn't have taught the "art of hustling" aka the *American Way* to those lowlife inner city folks... nah no way!
The fact that we all reside in America today is one of the greatest hustles of All-Times


I sure hope you're no futuredoc of mine!

I don't trust politicians and corporations either. We are where we are because of them and their greedy selves.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by futuredoc2014

*Sigh* I guess that came out wrong. In my experience (btw I don't yet do HS because I'm not old enough) when I do rec/AAU games in certain neighborhoods (I'm in no way racist. I myself am black) and very rural areas, when I'm watching warm-ups we always have some teens and bums sitting on the bleacher just behind us trying to heckle us pre-game

For the record, no one said anything about you being racist. I have been doing this for some time and had no idea what you were talking about as I have worked from the in the cornfields to the concrete jungle.

Peace

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by futuredoc2014

(I'm in no way racist. I myself am black)

Say what?

[Adam]

Originally Posted by futuredoc2014

*Sigh* I guess that came out wrong. In my experience (btw I don't yet do HS because I'm not old enough) when I do rec/AAU games in certain neighborhoods (I'm in no way racist. I myself am black) and very rural areas, when I'm watching warm-ups we always have some teens and bums sitting on the bleacher just behind us trying to heckle us pre-game

eg. Hey look its the refs!
Ooh we got a new boy on this one
What's the jackets for? Trying to hide like we don't know who ya'll are?
Who are you, kid? you ain't from around here. They give ya some fancy shirt and whistle and you think you can ref just anywhere?
and etc.
We also have guys who hang out on the corner and try to mess with us or sell us stuff when we show up (we wear our uniforms to games as there are no private changing facilities)

The extremely rich neighborhoods are just as bad, with kids who think they can have whatever they want if 'Daddy buys it'. Then they come screaming and hollering with their parents when a call goes against them.
I think I'll get off my soapbox. I fear that I've started a highly controversial subject here.

They're doing this because you're young and the adults are letting them. I'll never understand why people think that behavior is acceptable.

[DLH17]

Originally Posted by smitty

my association does not want us to wear jackets. I think it looks sharper to wear a jacket, but i won't miss leaving it in the locker room and having to go back the next day to pick it up. At least once a season...

btdt

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by Bad Zebra

+1.

Just another item that needs to be:
1. Purchased
2. Cared for.
3. Carried in an already overloaded bag.
4. ...and attended to after brief use (retireve, fold, launder, repeat)

Another one of those things we do without any discernable good reason. I used to think it was for the benefit of northern officials in a drafty gym, but I don't even think that's the case.

We have a number of crew chiefs who hate them, so they stay in the bag.

[Bad Zebra]

Originally Posted by futuredoc2014

... However, it does help when one works in the inner city where everyone wants to hustle the ref just because they [think they] can...

Originally Posted by futuredoc2014

*Sigh* I guess that came out wrong...

I think you meant to use the word "hassle".

[Bad Zebra]

Originally Posted by 26 Year Gap

We have a number of crew chiefs who hate them, so they stay in the bag.

And when I'm crew chief, that's the first order of business..."Anybody opposed to leaving the jackets in the bag tonight?" If we get caught, it's a small fine for each crew member...but I haven't been caught in 12 seasons.

[rsl]

Originally Posted by eyezen

Same reason (most) teams dont arrive on the court wearing just their playing uniform.

+1

Most athletics contests have some kind of warm-ups. The black jacket is ours. When we take them off it is the signal that we are ready to go.

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by Bad Zebra

I think you meant to use the word "hassle".

Mr. Annoying Grammar Guy frequents facebook during the off-season. Allegedly.

[stiffler3492]

I haven't done any varsity stuff yet, but I'll echo what JRut said. I've never seen Varsity officials without their pregame jackets on.

In my experience, for the underlevel stuff, main gym games get jackets 95% of the time. Maybe a Saturday morning Frosh B game might get the non-jacket treatment. Most back gym games will get the jacket treatment as well, though back gym games are more likely to get the non-jacket treatment.

I think the thing that contributes to the non-jacket treatment is either a doubleheader, or the fact that halftime is so short we won't even worry about heading back to the locker room, so we don't want to have worry about jackets.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by stiffler3492

I haven't done any varsity stuff yet, but I'll echo what JRut said. I've never seen Varsity officials without their pregame jackets on.

In my experience, for the underlevel stuff, main gym games get jackets 95% of the time. Maybe a Saturday morning Frosh B game might get the non-jacket treatment. Most back gym games will get the jacket treatment as well, though back gym games are more likely to get the non-jacket treatment.

I think the thing that contributes to the non-jacket treatment is either a doubleheader, or the fact that halftime is so short we won't even worry about heading back to the locker room, so we don't want to have worry about jackets.

Just as you said, we tend to treat varsity night games (prelim, sophomore or whatever you call JV) different than non-varsity night games. Really that is the approach here for the most part.

After all everyone else is out there in a warmup, so why not us? A lot of things we do anyway is ceremonial, so it really does not matter if it is practical at the end of the day.

Peace