The advice says "often" not always. There is a news video of this incident on the NFHS forum wherein the quoted Officials Assocciation spokesperson really makes himself and his association look like horse's backsides. The more he explained his position the more ridiculous and pompous he looked. The position they took is really dumb and excessive down to the gnat's eyelash level.

The problem with any "Zero Tolerance" application of any rule is that it removes the judgment factor from decision making which usually produces some sort of really stupid, extreme conclusion, from time to time, such as this one.

I don't know about the specific language of the local Official's Association, but I can tell you there is no specification for whistle color in the NFHS manuals. Sometimes in life, rules for adults don't necessarily extend to children, and vice versa, and that's just the way life is.

Wouldn't it be a shame if none of the officials in the area decided to be available for the playoffs?

Absolutely stupid, control freak behavior. Someone needs a lesson in public relations. But Toad did something that is pretty hard to do -- rally everyone around the officials involved.

If the "idea" comes from his office, he gets the recognition, now that he doesn't, he's throwing a hissy fit.

Just the kind of guy I want leading my group....:mad:

I am mailing my two pink whistles to Todd this afternoon. He can stick them wherever it may be appropriate. ;)

I agree with all three of you.

Somebody above this guy needs to jerk a knot in his a$$ and say, "Will you just shut up!"

I have met Todd too at a conference in our state in 2009. I think they have missed an opportunity here. If they did not like the pink whistles, then just give the officials a way to use them. This has nothing to do with the kids (and if I hear that one more time I am going to scream). Every level and multiple sports use some sort of awareness for Breast Cancer symbols and the officials are involved in just about every sport. Come on guys, it is not about a rule, it is about awareness. If they are not following a policy, just inform them. Did the game change because an official had a pink whistle? It is not like they wore different shirts or socks. They just had a whistle??

Very disappointed in that people do not get it sometimes.

Peace

We all ought to mail him a pink whistle.

Unless the state said "no pink whistles" in advance (like NC), exactly what are they basing this "decision" on? The NFHS manual only says "whistles" without reference to a color.

Only thing I could think is they have a policy that the whistles must be black. Their policy always trumps anything in that manual, but I had a friend claim there is more to the story. Not sure what that is but I still think the WOA is overreacting to a situation that really is not a big deal.

Peace

Well,
 

I have sent Todd an e-mail and asked if he would like to be interviewed for the NFHS banner magazine High School Today and explain his statements more fully to educators, school board members and superintendents across America.

Let's see if he'll man-up and accept my invite.

T

~Sigh~
 

I just received the following from Todd:

Approval? Really? They can't let this be just a local issue? :rolleyes:

Just as I suspected....

If it's on the local level, they (he) do not (does not) get the recognition.

The whole point is that awareness initiatives raise more money by encouraging others to donate as well.

Yep, we could just donate our game fee; or we could do that and wear a pink whistle (or shirt or whatever) and publicize our efforts, thus encouraging spectators to donate as well.

Agreed. I have a white one that I won as a prize at a clinic. Rarely, if ever, gets used....sub whistle on occasion for someone who forgot or breaks theirs. Should I not be using it? Ridiclulous.
I know some pretty good officials who work all the way to the state finals here every year and more than one uses a Roy Gonia bright orange dog hunting whistle.

Since those of you who are bashing on Todd do not live in Washington State, let me take a moment here to tell some of you to lighten up. You heard/read one side of the issue - a very slanted side, I might add. One of the officials involved works for the tv station that ran the story - they taped almost 25 min. of interview with Todd, and then whacked it down to several short sound bites to make him look like the bad guy.

Short story - there is a process in place to apply for a waiver of the WOA policies. The PNFOA did not follow that process - and has violated many other policies of the WIAA/WOA over the last several years. This is not the first issue where they have done their own thing and told the WIAA and the WOA to stick it. If they lose playoff berths over this, they knew it beforehand and chose to forge ahead anyway.

It is not about the pink whistles or not supporting breast cancer. It is about one local association in the State trying to tell the State Association to take a hike, over and over. And now that it has come back to bite them in the butt, they run to the media...and people who know nothing about the situation inundate Todd Stordahl with e-mails and pink whistles because they believe what they see in the media without taking the time to get the whole story.