Could be worse, I suppose. Just yesterday I visited a friend of ours who just had a double knee replacement. He's hoping to be back on the field next fall.

REPLY: Who was that? Just give me his number in the roster book.

292

Get well wishes posted on the web site.

REPLY: Duh !!!:o I do remember hearing that he was having that surgery

I bought a new Timex Marathon watch that had a metal link band. The first game I wore it on the field the band broke. I was able to find the watch quickly and pocket it right after it broke. After getting a new band put on it, I wore it the next week. It broke again and I lost it for good. I will only use strap bands that buckle from now on, as they have fewer points of failure.

I've found the velcro bands work very well, I loop mine through with my down indicator, if I get bumped at U and the velcro slips it is still caught on my indicator. Thats just what I do...I have lost enough pencils to build a raft though!

First varsity game of the season. We had done two scrimmages and I had worked two junior high games the day before. We dressed in the school and took a van over to the field. Once over there I started feeling a bit funny like I was missing something. Finally I realized I was missing my down indicator. Having never forgotten any equipment in my previous 11 years this was a bit troublesome. I was able to get a few rubber bands and make my own indicator. But then I realized, just a couple minutes before game time, that I also forgot the clip for the chains. I was able to get some wire to work with until the AD could go back to the school and get my bag. At some point in the middle of the first quarter we finally had everything we needed.

Later at some point in the middle of the 4th quarter we had another problem. This school for some reason has a battery-powered down indicator. The operator pushes a button and scrolls from one number to the next. Well the batteries went dead and they spent a few minutes looking for a manual stick.

I forgot my down indicator for the first time when working the state championship game. Never thought I was nervous, guess I was wrong.

There are a few other stupid things from this past season, but I care not to relive them. Live and learn....

I've worked the past 4 years I worked on a crew with some very good officials and a well respected referee. In each of the last two seasons we worked semi-final games and did very good jobs. In all we had a very good season as a crew and our expectation (hope?) was to be assigned a final next season.

Doing the dumb thing, I quit the crew and took two of my crewmates with me to start a new crew. Now we're begging for games and don't have any realistic hopes of a playoff assignment for at least a few years.