Charlotte will be looking for new chain gang I guess....

[HLinNC]

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/860976852?h=f4fc2dc32a" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p> from Charles Allison on Vimeo.</p>

[Etref]

Officials pregame routine should include talking with the chaincrew

[CalhounLJ]

This was a return from halftime...

[Etref]

Ahhhh!

[JasonTX]

The hospitality room must have been too good.

[AlUpstateNY]

The hospitality room must have been too good.

Does ANYBODY actually know what the cause of the delay was, or if it was attributable to the chain crew?

[Etref]

Well, if the chain crew isn’t there at the start of the half, it is attributable to them!

[AlUpstateNY]

Well, if the chain crew isn’t there at the start of the half, it is attributable to them!

Even if the actual cause of their delay was directly attributed to something/someone else (mechanical problem, injury, medical issue, any one of a thousand possibilities)?  Do you think the field crew might notice their absence, investigate/inquire and determine the actual reason for delay PRIOR to setting up and highlighting their absence?

[Kalle]

Even if the actual cause of their delay was directly attributed to something/someone else (mechanical problem, injury, medical issue, any one of a thousand possibilities)?  Do you think the field crew might notice their absence, investigate/inquire and determine the actual reason for delay PRIOR to setting up and highlighting their absence?

I'll bet that verifying the chain and clock personnel also before the start of the 2nd half will become a PoE https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/hold-mayo-shane-beamer-clarifies-180058926.html

[AlUpstateNY]

Well, if the chain crew isn’t there at the start of the half, it is attributable to them!

There are endless possibilities of potential problems (mechanical issues, unexpected/improbable injury, equipment failure, etc.). As part of the Officiating Crew, delaying the teams to set up, for the 2nd half kick off until EVERYONE NECESSARY was in their assigned positions, to actual determine what the problem and/or resulting delay might be, seems a far better practice than high lighting an inappropriate, unfortunate delay.  The cause of the delay should be investigated, and dealt with, AFTER the contest conclusion and addressed as deemed necessary.

[dammitbobby]

Even if the actual cause of their delay was directly attributed to something/someone else (mechanical problem, injury, medical issue, any one of a thousand possibilities)?  Do you think the field crew might notice their absence, investigate/inquire and determine the actual reason for delay PRIOR to setting up and highlighting their absence?

Which is worse - being set up, and waiting on the chain crew, or the entire crew milling aimlessly on live TV?  Announcers would have had no idea what was going on and would have made the already bad perception worse.  IMO they did exactly what they were supposed to do.

Bottom line - this is on the chain crew.  Period.  When I'm running chains on a televised game, we don't leave the field at halftime except for a quick bio break if necessary, so that this does not happen.  Even if one got sick, or something happened, the rest of the chain gang should have been out there.  You can function (albeit less effectively) down one man, the clip becomes secondary.

[HLinNC]

The first association I worked provided chain crews for a D1AA/FCS championship level school.  The asst. AD that oversaw game operations eventually wound up being our state association's asst. commissioner for officials.  He was a HS basketball official also.

We were always well provided for- a van picked us up at a meeting spot off campus, we had sandwiches in the coaches conference room at halftime, and beer and pizza afterward.  There was a game clock timer in the conference room that we could monitor.  We never had an issue getting back down on the field in time.

[AlUpstateNY]

Which is worse - being set up, and waiting on the chain crew, or the entire crew milling aimlessly on live TV?  Announcers would have had no idea what was going on and would have made the already bad perception worse.  IMO they did exactly what they were supposed to do.

Bottom line - this is on the chain crew.  Period.  When I'm running chains on a televised game, we don't leave the field at halftime except for a quick bio break if necessary, so that this does not happen.  Even if one got sick, or something happened, the rest of the chain gang should have been out there.  You can function (albeit less effectively) down one man, the clip becomes secondary.

Neither one of us actually knows, why the Chain Crew was delayed, who, or what, may have been responsible for the delay, or why whatever caused it, happened.  Suggestion: Until & unless you actually KNOW what caused (any) problem (especially unusual ones) you might consider keeping your arrows in their quiver (until you find out). 

[ncwingman]

The first association I worked provided chain crews for a D1AA/FCS championship level school.  The asst. AD that oversaw game operations eventually wound up being our state association's asst. commissioner for officials.  He was a HS basketball official also.

So, very little between the line readings means I know exactly which school you're talking about... and I believe I now am on that chain crew.

We were always well provided for- a van picked us up at a meeting spot off campus, we had sandwiches in the coaches conference room at halftime, and beer and pizza afterward.  There was a game clock timer in the conference room that we could monitor. 

This is, sadly, very far from the current reality. The current game day administration, which has changed completely twice in the last two years, seems to have forgotten that the chain crew exists and certainly doesn't provide meaningful hospitality at all. I don't want to get into specifics in an internet forum, but let's just say things have drastically changed.

[HLinNC]

The current game day administration, which has changed completely twice in the last two years, seems to have forgotten that the chain crew exists and certainly doesn't provide meaningful hospitality at all.

Well that's the price of moving to big time football, I guess.  Of course, the folks back then that were so good to us "got gone" because they really weren't in favor of the move.

I usually took the alternate down marker on the home side.  There was one very large assistant who went on to be a HC that I had to occasionally dodge.  It was fun though.  Sorry your experience is not as it used to be.