Here is the origin:

Classic Movie Line #34 - YouTube

Like Rich said, Lighten up Francis (great movie by the way)...

There mare so many other things more important than this when it comes to "setting a tone" to start a game.

It really is ok to laugh and smile on the court when things like this happen.

Last week I was about to tip off the 1st game a BJV/BV DH and realized I didn't have my whistle. It actually ended up lightening the mood of the official scorer who seemed irritated during my pre-game table meeting. She teased me about it and then she and I were best of friends the rest of the evening.

Speaking of pi$$ing off table staff...

We were watching a bit of the JV game at a school last week. My partner noticed that the timeout timer was put up on the clock and ticked down for every timeout called. He wanted that shut off and, well, I agree. Teams want to know how much time is left in a quarter, the officials want to know, etc. etc. Watching a timeout tick down is silly.

During his meeting with the timer, he told the timer to shut that function off. This really ground the timer's gears apparently, cause when I went over prior to the game he turned away when I went down the line to introduce myself and shake hands. I immediately turned to my partner and said (pretty loudly), "Now look at what you did."

He did turn off the function, however.

Had a stinkin' parent during the same game I tossed the coach running the clock for 6th grade. Clock was only supposed to stop for TOs and during FTs. The entire game he would stop the clock when he wasn't supposed to and then forget to restart it pretty much every time. Bill, clock, every 30 seconds was really annoying. Anyway, got that game finished and realized he would be doing the next game because his son's team was doing a DH. About 3 min. into the game I had been hollering at him for about a minute and so was my partner to start the clock. he didn't. As we were transitioning, I slapped the table really loudly and hollered at him "clock!!!" The rest of the game ran very smoothly after that. :D

indeed. :D

I think having the whistle hanging out of your pocket is just another ritual. I don't see it being a big deal either way. Really, people don't pay as much attention to us as some of us think.

What I do with my whistle is actually on the opposite end of this discussion. When I start getting dressed, I put my whistle around my neck...before I do anything else. Well, almost anything - depending on what I'm wearing. If I'm wearing anything except a tie, the whistle goes on before I start undressing. It is just something I do and have done for a long time.

+1.

But I do think you should take it out of your pocket in time so that if you do need to straighten it out, you don't delay the start of the game.

Up next: at EXACTLY what time during the introductions do you take off your jacket? Does it depend on whether the announcer alternates teams or doeas all of one team first followed by the other team? (Sorry -- flashing back to an overly detailed pre-game from many years ago)

For the first time in awhile I had a game where the announcer alternated each starter. That has not happen in some time. :)

Peace

When I feel like it? We used to always take them off after the visiting team was announced. Now I may take it off earlier, depending on how I feel at the time.

If both teams go in and we go back to the locker room, we may just leave them there. Hasn't happened this season, though.

Another one of the "normal" rituals I don't participate in...I don't fold my jacket up when I take it off. What I do it close to balling it up and sometimes I do actually ball it up. I'm a rebel! :D

Only The Old Timers Will Get This ...
 

I'm picturing Brooke Shields, as a basketball official, getting dressed.

"You wanna know what comes between me and my whistle? Nothing."

(And it's a pretty picture.)

Oh. That's completely unprofessional. It even borders on affecting your integrity. You're just trying to "big-time" me. I'd never work with you if you do that.

Why? Because it's not how I do it and my way is the only right way.

Now if we could just make that the auto reply to all threads of this sort and then automatically close the thread we'd all be better off.

(First two paragraphs in blue. Third one is reasonably serious).

I have my lanyard hanging out of my pocket. I've done it for a number of years. I don't like having the lanyard around my neck, which is the style I wear, and I don't want it to ball up into a knot in my pocket.

Jacket comes off between national anthem and starters being announced.

I started putting my whistle in my right pocket after I forgot my whistle at the start of one game. If it is on your shirt / around your neck it is easier to think you have it on when you don't — at least for me it was.

Just started putting it in my right pocket and as I left the locker room I would pat my pocket to make sure I had it ... never forgot again!! :)