Who Is "They?"
 

Late this season, I'm working a ms boys game, and in pregame I notice a home player with identical bandaids on each ear. I call him over and ask, "what's under the bandaids?"

"Oh, it's just earrings."

"They have to come out if you're going to play."

"But they said I could play with them if I taped them over."

"Sorry, they were wrong."

Since I didn't care at the time who they were, I didn't bother to ask, but I do sort of wonder who "they" are.

Coaches? Some administrator?

Peace

"They" would be the coach that told the player to put tape over it and see if the officials notice and/or let them get away with it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

And I wonder what your response would have been had the player said, "nothing".

"They" is a close relative of "Idontknow".

I'm not checking under the bandaids.

Would you?

I think this coach knows better. My guess is it was the lady who took his money when he got them pierced over the weekend.

Yep. Under NYS girls' rules I have to. When I'm working under NFHS rules it's standard practice for us to check in my area.

"Holey Cow!"
 

I still think it's best for men to leave this life with the same number of holes in their bodies as God gave them when He brought them into this world. That precludes earrings and bullets.

Heck no. Dumb kid tells you he's wearing jewelry, we have to address it. He tells me there's nothing under there, I believe him.

Um ... really? What rule do they use to justify that? (Or is it a special NYS rule?)

There's ZERO chance I'm going to be asking to look under a bandaid of any sort. (In fact, I probably never get in Adam's situation as I would not have asked). They've got a bandaid, I'm assuming it's there for what it's supposed to be for - and there's no way I want to see some kid's open sore (much less make them possibly have to get another new bandaid when they mess up the first one from me asking to see.)

Yep. If we let that go, then we become "they".

Bad call.

Where does that stop? You checking for belly piercings too now? Or worse?

Don't be so over dramatic. Bandaids over the ears are a blatantly obvious covering for earrings. I'm gonna take care of it so the next officials who work this kids games can't say I was "they". You do what you want and look the other way.

U: So, what is underneath that bandaid? An earring?
P: No, sir. I had an earring last game, hidden under a bandaid - slid into home and it hooked on the catcher's earring hidden under a bandaid, and both of them ripped out. The bandaid is covering my ripped earlobe.
U: Oh, ok. Um - what about the other ear?
P: Uh..... same thing happened 2 games ago?

:)