REPLY: I once heard Jon Bible say that some of his colleagues in TX describe downfield officiating as "58 minutes of boredom mixed in with two minutes of sheer ultimate terror."

lol. Yea i can see how it can be tough when you're a BJ. But I'm sure you've been yelled at for PI calls when wroking wings on a four man crew, not muhc difference. But I do agree, PI is one of the toughest calls to make.... or not make.

(referring to mostly high school varsity)
I'm with "Big Ump"--- and I truly believe that a good
umpire can go a long way in controlling the flow and
temperment of a game.
When I first started football officiating in CNY I worked a
lot at "wings". Early in my career, I got assigned at Umpire
for a varsity game, and that was it !!
I worked at learning my position, began to get big games,
sectional play-offs, intersectional games, and eventually
state play-offs when they began.
Our assignor would frequently team me up with a
"weaker" referee, knowing that I was a stabilizing
factor. It was a good feeling to know that he had
such confidence in my ability.
Years later, I'm retired in SW FL and working a limited
schedule here, but still at umpire !
My legs are still good and I hope to stay healthy enough to
work for a few more years.
Umpires--- you gotta love it !!