Kudos to the GB/SEA Crew...
 

Staying away from the cold weather gear... well done gentleman.

What is the worst weather anybody has ever worked in?

A late October downpour. Sidelines had 6 inches of water when we finished.

I like Mike's roughing the kicker signal. An open hand instead of the closed fist for roughing the passer.

I assume you mean his S38 signal for "personal foul"? I agree with you, give the signals as pictured in the book. However, I really don't know exactly what it looks like in a NFL book, but I do for NCAA and NFHS.

Why? What sense does it make to not use the equipment that's been made available to you? Is it supposed to be "manly?"

An open hand instead of the closed fist for roughing the passer.

What does an open fist look like? A fist is a fist.

From what I've heard, it is the R's choice what to wear.

If that is true, who is anyone to question what sense was used?

Just as we can question whether the correct call was made, we can question whether it's smart not to use the equipment made available to you.

Since my FB officiating took place in Southern california, I didn't encounter any really rough weather in 20 years. However, I played semi-pro in Chicago in 1949. The next-to-last game of the season was a night game in December, and it was below zero.

Bob

REPLY: According to an NFL friend, it's the crew's choice as to what to wear. But depending on how dogmatic the crew chief is, it might just become the R's choice.

Two bad games I can recall: One opening game began with the temp around 75F. Right after the game started, it began to pour--I mean REALLY pour. So much so that I could barely see my partner across the field. Then the temperature began to drop so that by game's end, it was down to around 45F. And there we are soaking wet in short sleeves and (embarrassed to admit it) shorts! Other game was night before Thanksgiving. Temperature was 8F, slight breeze. But that one was made even less bearable by two 0-8 teams who couldn't get out of their own ways.

Bob, Maybe that was God's punishment for wearing shorts!

I had a small college game up in Iowa once for a supervisor of officials who absolutely insisted that we only wear short sleeves. If he caught you wearing long sleeves, you did not get paid. He was an excellent supervisor who sent many guys on to the NFL, but he was a little dingy about this issue. It was about 10 degrees with a nice brisk wind. We ended up putting that Atomic Balm stuff all over our arms trying to get warm. Plus we looked like idiots out there with the short sleeves. It really doesn't inspire much confidence in the crew if walk out in that temperature wearing short sleeves.

My worst game was a late Oct game. The temp started just over 0, but by the end, it was sub-zero. The ground was hard as a rock. The game seemed to take forever, and was hampered, not only by one teams inordinate desire to pass nearly every down, by numerous stingers on the kids, and one bad leg injury (roughing the kicker).

After the first timeout, the trainers didn't even bother to bring us water anymore, since it was all frozen.

Despite the cold, we had some fun. At the end of halftime, we came out and hovered around one of the kerosene heaters on the field. Our U melted the tops of his shoes and had trouble keeping them on all game. :D

It just seems to me that if you're completely uncomfortable in your environment, you're going to be miserable and you're not going to able to do the best job possible. When the appropirate equipment is made available to you for a specific situation, it's stupid to not use it.

I'd say "Guess what, big man? I'm not playing for Bud Grant. You're not paying me enough to buy into your little martinet ideas of what makes a man."

Maybe more diplomatically than that, but that's still ridiculous.

Living about 40 miles from Lambeau, they probably didn't wear cold weather gear because it wasn't cold. It was a beautiful day with those great big wet snowflakes heavy enough to dent your car. But it was warm - mid-30s.