The whistle to beat all inadvertent whistles......

[Ralph Damren]

 It was a clear fall Saturday noon, 1970's. 2 crewmates and I were waiting for the arrival of our whitehat and wagonmaster (regrettably the same one in my post on"Bad officiating stories?") for a 45 minute drive to the 1:30 game. Wagonmaster arrived at 12:45 with the tardy excuse of "I was doing stuff ". We tried dressing in the car on the way to the game . Finally arrived at the field at 1:40 for a 1:30 game . The coaches had already had the coin toss and both teams were lined up for the kickoff .. We quickly assumed our positions :embarrassed: The  whitehat was now ready for the kickoff and sounded his whistle....... some of the band members were not ready for the kickoff and felt it was the band director's whistle .....as the ball was kicked, the Star Spangled Banner began..... some players stopped ...some continued  ....our white hat (who was grumpy on a good day) crazy sounded his whistle again, and again, and again...... ......looseball play = we replayed the down(kick)..... ..it was not an enjoyable day ....and the band played on......

[Etref]

Too funny!!!!,

[Ralph Damren]

It was a clear fall Saturday noon, 1970's. 2 crewmates and I were waiting for the arrival of our whitehat and wagonmaster (regrettably the same one in my post on"Bad officiating stories?") for a 45 minute drive to the 1:30 game. Wagonmaster arrived at 12:45 with the tardy excuse of "I was doing stuff ". We tried dressing in the car on the way to the game . Finally arrived at the field at 1:40 for a 1:30 game . The coaches had already had the coin toss and both teams were lined up for the kickoff .. We quickly assumed our positions :embarrassed: The  whitehat was now ready for the kickoff and sounded his whistle....... some of the band members were not ready for the kickoff and felt it was the band director's whistle .....as the ball was kicked, the Star Spangled Banner began..... some players stopped ...some continued  ....our white hat (who was grumpy on a good day) crazy sounded his whistle again, and again, and again...... ......looseball play = we replayed the down(kick)..... ..it was not an enjoyable day ....and the band played on......

Felt you guys might enjoy my story from yesteryear  .As I recall ,the grumpy old white hat returned home to do 'some more stuff' while my two crewmates and I went to a local pub. Their TV was blurting a news bulletin : Nixon had just fired most of the Justice Dept. - "The Saturday Night Massacre". We then decided that our day wasn't that bad after all ….and ordered another beer  .

[AlUpstateNY]

Felt you guys might enjoy my story from yesteryear  .As I recall ,the grumpy old white hat returned home to do 'some more stuff' while my two crewmates and I went to a local pub. Their TV was blurting a news bulletin : Nixon had just fired most of the Justice Dept. - "The Saturday Night Massacre". We then decided that our day wasn't that bad after all ….and ordered another beer  .

Thanks for the memories, 4 man crew, with a grumpy white hat, one more beer likely wouldn't have been near enough. 

[yarnnelg]

We are waiting for the National Anthem to be played.

White Hat growls “I told him to start it five minutes ago.”

I was standing two officials to his right, out of reach.

“Flag him, I dare you.”

He didn’t laugh

But we chuckled….

[Bubba Ump]

we were meeting the whitehat for an afternoon game out in the sticks.  I drove four of the 5 man crew.  One hour from the park and ride where we met up.  The sandle wearing backjudge on arrival says we have to go back because he left his cleats in his car.  I asked him in front of the whitehat what size shoes he wears and he says 10.  I wear ten and had white tennis shoes on.  I let him wear my cleats and later that night I read my evaluation from the whitehat.  He gave me a 1 out of 5 for appearance for being out of uniform.  The backjudge got 5 out of 5.  You can tell I've gotten over it.... 

[AlUpstateNY]

we were meeting the whitehat for an afternoon game out in the sticks.  I drove four of the 5 man crew.  One hour from the park and ride where we met up.  The sandle wearing backjudge on arrival says we have to go back because he left his cleats in his car.  I asked him in front of the whitehat what size shoes he wears and he says 10.  I wear ten and had white tennis shoes on.  I let him wear my cleats and later that night I read my evaluation from the whitehat.  He gave me a 1 out of 5 for appearance for being out of uniform.  The backjudge got 5 out of 5.  You can tell I've gotten over it....

Thanks for bringing back an old, bad memory.  Yucking it up with the crew getting dressed when the Umpire arrived and put his gear down next to  me & joined the conversation.  All went well, until he exclaimed, "Oh sugar, I left my cleats home."  He lived fairly close, and took off for home, as we all laughed.  Several minutes later he returned with a bad look on his face.  His cleats weren't at home either, and he thought he might have left them at last week's game site. 

We were still dressing and I reached into my bag for something, and there were MY cleats.  Whose cleats had I just put on my feet?  They were the right size, right brand and unfortunately the same size & brand as the Umpire had apparently set down next to my bag. 

Apologies were accepted, all was forgiven and forgotten UNTIL the check, for our Post Game Review, was presented to me.  Thankfully it didn't exceed my game fee (by much).  Like certain mistakes made on the field, the scar tissue remaining forever, prevents repetition.

[ElvisLives]

I had spent some time the night before shining both pairs of my officiating shoes, and packing my bag. Got to the game site the next night, 80 miles from home, and took out my uniform stuff. Yep, had a pair of my officiating shoes, all shined up and ready to go. It was a pair, alright - two left shoes. Uh oh.
We were acquainted with the home head coach enough to know that he was also a basketball official. He let us borrow a pair of his BB shoes, which my U wore (a size too large), and I wore my U's shoes (a size too large). But, we got through it.

[Ralph Damren]

Don't have a 'no shoe' mishap story, but do recall a hat problem. We finished our pregame and was about to take the field when the umpire blurted : " OH, @#$% , I left my hat at home    !". Game started in 30 minutes, ump lived 30 miles away  .

SOLUTION : Brewer HS (Witches - black & orange) were hosting Gardner (Tigers -black & orange)
         (1) Found home's AD and asked to 'borrow' a coaches cap - solid black, with orange B and use black tape to cover up the B.
         (2) AD obliged. 
         (3) Went to visiting coach to explain the 'wardrobe malfunction'.
         (4) Coach responded : " I'll consider it acceptable  ONLY IF  he will wear one of our hats with black tape over the G, in the second half  .
         (5)  (5 man-crew),  (V coach)
         (6) Game started... (5-man crew)….  (coach)

[/AND THE BAND PLAYED ON    tR:oLllor]]or]lor]b]

[ncwingman]

In my early peewee days, I once got to a field and realized I forgot my hat as well. Fortunately, the peewee administrator was also a high school official and always had his gear in his car (I mean... all of it... every shirt, hat, pair of shoes, flag, he'd ever used in his career).

What was awkward is that he was a rather large man, and I am... not. I thought they only made those hats in two sizes - smaller and larger. He had a third size that shouldn't be humanly possible.

But I technically had a hat on my head for that game and never forgot it again.

[Ralph Damren]

In my early peewee days, I once got to a field and realized I forgot my hat as well. Fortunately, the peewee administrator was also a high school official and always had his gear in his car (I mean... all of it... every shirt, hat, pair of shoes, flag, he'd ever used in his career).

What was awkward is that he was a rather large man, and I am... not. I thought they only made those hats in two sizes - smaller and larger. He had a third size that shouldn't be humanly possible.

But I technically had a hat on my head for that game and never forgot it again.

Every mistake is a learning experience and a mistake that you'll won't make again. 

[BIG UMP]

I can add to this.
1996 working the 5A State Championship we were all dressed and getting ready to take a picture.  My R starts looking for his hat, no where to be found.  He's cussing, snorting and finally an old friend on the chain crew busted out laughing.  He'd seen Jerry's hat fall off the bench, in the dressing room, picked it up and hid it in the showers. Jerry made the chain crew go out with us that night and James had to buy the first round.

Jerry did continue to cuss and snort the first quarter, then he started smiling about it.

TO go on, after the game my 10 year old son went to unlock the van, we had all ridden in.  It was December and of course cold, the tailgaters next to the van told Franklin come into their tent to stay warm.  He did, first we couldn't find him then we realized the doors were locked with the engine running.  Few minutes later I remembered I had a door key in my wallet. 

MEMORIES!

[toma]

The crew and I were inside the school getting dressed for our varsity game and our U, Norm a 6'6" giant of a man takes off is socks and his toe nails were Blue. i mean bright Blue. After the laughter died down, he told us what had happen. He fell asleep and his daughter painted his toes. Of course we still to this day don't believe him.
I call our assigner and told him we had a problem. I got to make a switch got to bring our clock operator on to the field because there was something wrong with Norm His toe nails are blue. A scream from the phone "What is he ok. Is he breathing. Than he heard all of us laughing.
Well we now call Norm Blue Toes .