Whoa, Bubba! :)

You said they got a reputation, you didn't say they actually acted in the manner you decribed in the latest post. Polite and professional manners are often a matter of perception, not necessarily reality.

On the field, if someone asks me a question which I need to answer, I give them the Reader's Digest version. In some parts of the country, it is considered "rude" and "impolite" to not have a full conversation. As an umpire, I'm not there to entertain people. I don't even want to be noticed, let alone get involved in a conversation.

Then again, Saint's HC Jim Haslett probably thought the referee in the MNF game last night to be impolite when informed of the never-ending plane of the goal line. ;)

How "solid" can an official be if they think themselves as the show instead of just the umpire? Making the right calls from the right position doesn't make someone an umpire. Knowing all the rule and interps doesn't make someone an umpire. Dressing in the proper uniform and maintaining a professional appearance doesn't make someone an umpire. These are merely individual components which when applied properly make an umpire.

How does one get a reputation without there being some truth behind it.

A solid official can be a crappy people person, just like "Mr. Personality" can be a crappy official.

And Don't Call Me Bubba ;)

Simple, it's perception. We use to have an umpire who had a reputation for tossing players and coaches. In fact, he didn't dump any more than the other umpires. He got the "rep" because he didn't care who you the player was or level of play, if their actions or language crossed the line, it was bye-bye time.

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A solid official can be a crappy people person, just like "Mr. Personality" can be a crappy official.

This may be where we start to separate ways. I think part of being a solid official is the ability to handle players and coaches without being mean or obstinate.

Isn't perception based on reality?

Not necessarily. Isn't perception nothing more than opinion based on belief and personal observation?

I can go through a pile of umpire rating cards submitted by HS coaches and tell you which team won the game based on comments about the umpires. Is a coach's perception reality, or just how they felt?

Last year a coach stated that the umpire was terrible, had no idea what the strike zone should be and was "short" with a coach.

In fact, the umpire is a highly regarded ISF qualified umpire who works the NPF & Big East/ECAC games.

While the coach may truly believe her perception to be reality, it may be only HER reality, not anyone else's.

I'll give you that one specific umpire may be disliked and thought of as horrible by one specific coach.

But from that game of "horrible officiating" that coach will never think of the umpire as good. Thus perception becomes reality.

Whatever qualifications a person holds (NCAA/ASA/USSSA/ISF/ETC) is based on someone elses perception of the umpire.

Thus, perception is reality.

Nice try, but again, reality to whom?

Main Entry: re·al·i·ty
Pronunciation: rE-'a-l&-tE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -ties
1 : the quality or state of being real
2 a (1) : a real event, entity, or state of affairs <his dream became a reality> (2) : the totality of real things and events <trying to escape from reality> b : something that is neither derivative nor dependent but exists necessarily
- in reality : in actual fact

I guess we shall agree to disagree, becuase I too can quote a dictionary, but isn't that just Websters perception of what the definition of reality is? :)

Any time we enact judgment upon someone we are using perception. Unfortunately, when we "advance" in our careers, the perception of those evaluating us is the reality we must deal with.

Existential enough for you?

I too can wax poetic. :)

GREAT CONVERSATION MIKE!

There IS a difference between waxing poetic and waxing pedantic.

Maybe you need this? ;)
http://a1468.g.akamai.net/f/1468/580.../56663/200.jpg

Apparently not. ;)

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but isn't that just Websters perception of what the definition of reality is? :) Any time we enact judgment upon someone we are using perception. Unfortunately, when we "advance" in our careers, the perception of those evaluating us is the reality we must deal with.

The Superior Court of New York declared Kris Kringle the one and only Santa Claus. Maybe Mr. Macy, Gimbel and Sawyer have to live with that "reality", but it doesn't make it real.

Speaking of evaluations, perception is only the basis for a follow-up discussion with the individual and should never be the sole event used to determine how an umpire is to be evaluated. That happened to one of the umpires I sent to a national tournament this year. After checking with all those involved, it seemed that the on-site person aiding the UIC in evaluating the umpires saw an umpire talking to a member of the ground crew and ASSUMED the umpire was making them do something. He reported to the UIC that there was no way these two umpires should be working on Sunday, that they were causing trouble at the complex. This appeared on the umpire's evaluation.

I talked to the umpire, a member of the on-site crew and the TD to determine what had occurred which reflected poorly on this umpire and his partner. Turned out that the person who directed the ground crew was the TD. The umpire didn't do a thing wrong and actually got an "atta boy" for handling the situation. I cornered the TD and UIC and brought this to their attention. The UIC requested and received permission from ASA to ammend the evaluation of the umpire crew on the field.

One individual's perception does not make something real anywhere, but in that person's own world. Luckily, what was real for everyone else prevailed and kept this umpire in good standing. BTW, no, I was not the umpire. :)

What he said!