Not touching the players

[IRISHMAFIA]

One of the things I impress upon new umpires is that they are working a softball game, not a wrestling or boxing match. If two or more people want to go after each other, try to discourage it, but once it starts, just stand back and take down numbers.

Here is a video of the action:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=cA4T5iRERo0

Obviously, this 66 year old umpire saw a confrontation developing and did what he could to separate the two which included removing a player more than half his age with a few pounds and muscle on him. If you ask me, Nick Barnett should be embarassed, not filing a grievence.

This is the story concerning the NFLs reaction.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3171273

AFAIC, this is way over the edge since the NFL does not discourage officials from jumping in the middle of a fray to act as a bouncer.

Here is an older story about Jim Quirk. Obviously, he takes his job seriously and has taken down a player before with no repercussions. For that matter, the player he wrestled before ask for a photograph, not file a grievence.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/ins...8/drz_insider/

BTW, Jim Quirk played guard for the Univ. of Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens in '61 & '62 for the man who invented the Wing-T, Hall of Fame Coach, Dave Nelson.

[MichaelVA2000]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

One of the things I impress upon new umpires is that they are working a softball game, not a wrestling or boxing match. If two or more people want to go after each other, try to discourage it, but once it starts, just stand back and take down numbers.

Great advice Mike. Here's a YouTube video I came across showing an umpire tossing a child to the ground. Forgive me if this has been posted in the past.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF-W1GmPPc4

[Andy]

Mike - I am in complete agreement with you about not getting in the middle of players going at it. I'm not a bouncer on the softball field.

As you stated, the NFL has a different perspective regarding their officials intervening between players. I think the biggest concern in the Quirk incident was that he ended up holding the Packer player around the neck, which had the potential for greater injury to the player. In the earlier incident from the second article, he grabbed the player around the waist and pulled him away from the incident. Probably not much more contact than any other play.

I'm not sure an entire game fee was an appropriate fine, since Mr. Quirk was simply doing his job as instructed by his supervisors. I believe there needs to be some repercussions due to the fact that Mr. Quirk did pull the Packer player down by his neck. I'm definitely not one for throwing a fellow official in any sport under the bus, but I do believe that officials should be held accountable for their actions.

I just don't know what the right answer is in this particular situation is.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Andy,

If the NFL owners had any courage (wouldn't want any of them in a foxhole with me), they would tell the officials to step aside and eject participants.

However, since they don't, nothing will ever happen and the official will more often than not, be the one taking it on the chin.

BTW, I don't care where or how he grabbed him. I have been a bouncer in a bar and when you are involved in any type of "action", you grab anything you can to accomplish your task.

If his job is to break it up, you do what you can in a situation like that. If they (owners) are concerned about injury to the players, they should adopt the policy noted above.

[tcblue13]

That game check is a nice chunk of change

The Fabulous Sports Babe used to advocate that NFL officials not be "part-timers" but rather full time employees of the league. She felt that this would lead to better officiating. With a game checks of 8 G's, she could have a point.

I think it will be interesting the next time a fracas breaks out on the field and all the stripes huddle on the 20 and let security break it up. Someone will invariably ask, "How come the officials aren't in there breaking that up?"
Because it might cost them $8,150 to step in and do something.

If the NFL has a union for the officials, I hope they appeal.

[MNBlue]

Originally Posted by tcblue13

The Fabulous Sports Babe used to advocate that NFL officials not be "part-timers" but rather full time employees of the league. She felt that this would lead to better officiating.

With a 17 week regular season and just 11 playoff games, I've always wondered what else NFL officials could do to be 'full time'. There is a finite number of games played at that level, and from what I understand, those officials spend a great deal of time 'off' the field preparing for the game.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by tcblue13

The Fabulous Sports Babe used to advocate that NFL officials not be "part-timers" but rather full time employees of the league. She felt that this would lead to better officiating. With a game checks of 8 G's, she could have a point.

Maybe it is nicer to hear this from a "sports babe", but she is just echoing comments which have been made for nearly 20 years.

And to be honest, if my math is correct, even with a weekend off during the season and working just 16 games during regular season, $8K a game is a pretty healthy paycheck for seasonal work.

[bkbjones]

1. Knowing Nancy, who is a Seattle area resident, I can assure you that she is NOT a babe. (The name is something of a joke.)

2. It seems like it has been dang near 20 years since The Fabulous Sports Babe has been on the air full time. Actually, she has been going through some health issues. But...she was pushing for that 20 years ago as were others.

It would be nice, I suppose, if we could make NFL officials "full time," but it ain't happening. In fact, many of the owners feel that bringing these folks in from a wide cross-section of professions lends some the "color" to the game and a broader sense of judgement.

IMHO, it's just not a good idea to try to make football officials full-time. Too many weeks of off-season. And how close are our NFL brethren to a Tim Donaghy-type disaster? Since many are top professionals in their career field, anything like that would be doubly punitive -- as long as they are not full-time NFL officials.

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Maybe it is nicer to hear this from a "sports babe", but she is just echoing comments which have been made for nearly 20 years.

And to be honest, if my math is correct, even with a weekend off during the season and working just 16 games during regular season, $8K a game is a pretty healthy paycheck for seasonal work.

[DaveASA/FED]

Ya I was doing the math myself when I heard the story....if you work 16 regular season, and would work every playoff weekend (4 weekends), which might not happen to any one official, but still for arguement sake....that is $163,000 for 20-21 weeks of work, and O' ya what about preseason....another 3-4 weeks right? Dang it I knew I picked the wrong sports to officiate

[NewNCref]

Originally Posted by DaveASA/FED

Ya I was doing the math myself when I heard the story....if you work 16 regular season, and would work every playoff weekend (4 weekends), which might not happen to any one official, but still for arguement sake....that is $163,000 for 20-21 weeks of work, and O' ya what about preseason....another 3-4 weeks right? Dang it I knew I picked the wrong sports to officiate

And from what I understand, depending on your position and length of time you've been with the league, you may make more or less. Quirk, having been with the NFL for almost 20 years, may be making quite a bit more than others.

Keeping them seasonal employees certainly does insure they come from a varied background. For example, I know that Hochuli is a lawyer and Walt Anderson is a dentist (though I think he may have retired from dentistry now). Just an observation from seeing them work last night.

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by NewNCref

Keeping them seasonal employees certainly does insure they come from a varied background. For example, I know that Hochuli is a lawyer and Walt Anderson is a dentist (though I think he may have retired from dentistry now). Just an observation from seeing them work last night.

Why's that? Were they handing out cards during the game?

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

Why's that? Were they handing out cards during the game?

Maybe it was a reasonable assumption, since after an injury, Anderson was seen examining the player and Hochuli was observed talking to the player's agent.

[NewNCref]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

Why's that? Were they handing out cards during the game?

That's exactly it.

Due to my original poor phrasing, let me rephrase. These are some observations using examples from yesterday's playoff games.

But maybe Hochuli's long winded explanations have something to do with his day job?