Why do officials...

[Sapper33]

Wear the black jackets before games? I've asked this question to everyone I've worked with this year and noone has an answer. I asked my Area Supervisor and he didn't know. I'm just curious...

[bainsey]

Because black is slimming.

[letemplay]

It's after Labor Day

[RookieDude]

...tradition.

Everybody else is jumping off the Empire State Building...so why not?

[tref]

*ouch*

[ref2coach]

Originally Posted by Sapper33

Wear the black jackets before games? I've asked this question to everyone I've worked with this year and noone has an answer. I asked my Area Supervisor and he didn't know. I'm just curious...

Allows equipment suppliers an additional profit item to sell. Especially since it can be changed on the whim of a state or local supervisor who has a buddy that owns the "approved" official supply company.

[mbyron]

Conceals the stripes, so they don't see us coming. Think of it as camo for officials.

[Rich]

I figure I wear the jacket for 30 minutes a night. It comes off during the introductions, spends a half at the table, and then gets carried back to the locker room (except for the handful of places that take the jackets back for us) folded and put into my bag.

I'd be more than happy to dispose of this tradition, personally.

[Bad Zebra]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

I'd be more than happy to dispose of this tradition, personally.

+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.

[whistleone]

It's commonplace for officials in our area to have a stamp with our name and state officiating ID number. Without the jacket, we'd have nowhere to put our stamp. Ah crap, our jackets are the official's version of a purse.

[Rich]

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.

I store the jacket inside out. When I take it off, I turn it inside out and zip it up -- it keeps dust from accumulating on the outside of the jacket. I *never* wash my officiating jacket since I only wear it pregame.

I do carry my needle in the pocket and when I'm the R probably use it 90% of the time, so maybe we do need it.

[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...

[oldschool]

I like it to warm me up a little or keep me warm during that famous 20 minutes

[wfd21]

I wear mine so I have a place to keep my glasses to which I need to use, so I can see the numbers in the score book & so I can see to sign it!

[Adam]

Because they only let me wear my pink one for one week in January.