Author Topic: Worst experience officiating  (Read 9065 times)

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Offline yarnnelg

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Worst experience officiating
« on: October 29, 2017, 12:19:08 AM »
October 1998. Childs Park, St Petersburg, FL
3 in the afternoon.
South of the parking lot are projects. Drug deals galore.
Security? Armed off duty, St Petersburg Police Officers dressed in black fatigues.

Gun fight erupts in the projects.
400 hundred fans belly down in the dirt, off the stands. Two football teams belly down.
Five football Officials on the ground.
There is something sinister and serious about bullets whizzing by while in the dirt.
I was looking for a cleat divot to crawl into.

Offline sirhoagy

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Re: Worst experience officiating
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2018, 02:37:19 PM »
Detroit, 1995.  Honestly don't recall the school.

Daytime game, varsity, high school.  We played at 3:00 pm on Fridays because, you guessed it, night games in Detroit were NOT a good idea at that time.


The field was smack-dab against an alleyway.  The end zone was, if you kicked/passed a ball over the heads of players, into the brick alleyway and it was not a good place to be.  School was absolutely in the center of urban hell. 

We did the game, five of us.  I was R.  Ball is kicked, through the uprights.  Goes straight into the alley.  Several large dudes are hanging around the end zone outside the fence.  Wearing leather trenchcoats.  In September.  on a 80-plus degree day.  One of them screams, "I'll get the ball, ref!"  he does, tosses it back to us, but as he bent over to get it, we clearly - clearly - see a shotgun dangling out of his coat.  This wasn't iffy; it was a damned shotgun.

The other dudes he was hanging with start to talk to him after he tosses the ball back to us and I can see him "adjusting" something under his coat. 

Then the scoreboard goes blank.  They can't get it restarted.  My U says, "I HAVE A STOPWATCH RIGHT HERE COACHES!  WE WILL KEEP TIME ON THE FIELD"

We got through the game really fast, no one complained.  I asked my umpire..."Tim, you never have a stopwatch, how'd you know to have one today?"

He shows me his 'stopwatch.'  Tim is a baseball umpire and he had a ball/strike indicator and that was what he used to 'time' the game.

We finished the entire varsity game in one hour and six minutes.

Offline JasonTX

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Re: Worst experience officiating
« Reply #2 on: April 06, 2018, 05:41:29 PM »
Shotguns and Football games go hand in hand here in Texas.  All the trucks that line up around the stadium along the fence all have a least 2 guns on the gun rack.

Offline Sonofanump

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Re: Worst experience officiating
« Reply #3 on: May 05, 2018, 06:20:01 AM »
Detroit, 1995.  Honestly don't recall the school.

Daytime game, varsity, high school.  We played at 3:00 pm on Fridays because, you guessed it, night games in Detroit were NOT a good idea at that time.


The field was smack-dab against an alleyway.  The end zone was, if you kicked/passed a ball over the heads of players, into the brick alleyway and it was not a good place to be.  School was absolutely in the center of urban HECK. 

We did the game, five of us.  I was R.  Ball is kicked, through the uprights.  Goes straight into the alley.  Several large dudes are hanging around the end zone outside the fence.  Wearing leather trenchcoats.  In September.  on a 80-plus degree day.  One of them screams, "I'll get the ball, ref!"  he does, tosses it back to us, but as he bent over to get it, we clearly - clearly - see a shotgun dangling out of his coat.  This wasn't iffy; it was a darned shotgun.

The other dudes he was hanging with start to talk to him after he tosses the ball back to us and I can see him "adjusting" something under his coat. 

Then the scoreboard goes blank.  They can't get it restarted.  My U says, "I HAVE A STOPWATCH RIGHT HERE COACHES!  WE WILL KEEP TIME ON THE FIELD"

We got through the game really fast, no one complained.  I asked my umpire..."Tim, you never have a stopwatch, how'd you know to have one today?"

He shows me his 'stopwatch.'  Tim is a baseball umpire and he had a ball/strike indicator and that was what he used to 'time' the game.

We finished the entire varsity game in one hour and six minutes.

I was hoping your umpire was John from Sterling Hts, he had similar stories from Detroit HS.

Offline ilyazhito

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Re: Worst experience officiating
« Reply #4 on: May 06, 2018, 09:26:48 PM »
Detroit, 1995.  Honestly don't recall the school.

Daytime game, varsity, high school.  We played at 3:00 pm on Fridays because, you guessed it, night games in Detroit were NOT a good idea at that time.


The field was smack-dab against an alleyway.  The end zone was, if you kicked/passed a ball over the heads of players, into the brick alleyway and it was not a good place to be.  School was absolutely in the center of urban HECK. 

We did the game, five of us.  I was R.  Ball is kicked, through the uprights.  Goes straight into the alley.  Several large dudes are hanging around the end zone outside the fence.  Wearing leather trenchcoats.  In September.  on a 80-plus degree day.  One of them screams, "I'll get the ball, ref!"  he does, tosses it back to us, but as he bent over to get it, we clearly - clearly - see a shotgun dangling out of his coat.  This wasn't iffy; it was a darned shotgun.

The other dudes he was hanging with start to talk to him after he tosses the ball back to us and I can see him "adjusting" something under his coat. 

Then the scoreboard goes blank.  They can't get it restarted.  My U says, "I HAVE A STOPWATCH RIGHT HERE COACHES!  WE WILL KEEP TIME ON THE FIELD"

We got through the game really fast, no one complained.  I asked my umpire..."Tim, you never have a stopwatch, how'd you know to have one today?"

He shows me his 'stopwatch.'  Tim is a baseball umpire and he had a ball/strike indicator and that was what he used to 'time' the game.

We finished the entire varsity game in one hour and six minutes.

How did he time the game on his indicator? I umpire baseball, and I know that my indicator goes up to 9 on the innings, but how would one record the seconds? By rotating the "ball" indicator every 15 seconds (Ball 1 = 15, Ball 2 = 30, Ball 3 = 45, Ball 4/0 = 60)?

Still, your crew had to have an understanding boss (or a lot of free time) and cojones to do that game. Props to you!

yarnnelg, gun fights at a youth game are not something for the faint of heart. Thank goodness you got out of that game in one piece!

Offline Sonofanump

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Re: Worst experience officiating
« Reply #5 on: May 07, 2018, 12:23:37 PM »
How did he time the game on his indicator?

Quickly.

Offline scrounge

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Re: Worst experience officiating
« Reply #6 on: May 08, 2018, 07:19:43 PM »
How did he time the game on his indicator? I umpire baseball, and I know that my indicator goes up to 9 on the innings, but how would one record the seconds? By rotating the "ball" indicator every 15 seconds (Ball 1 = 15, Ball 2 = 30, Ball 3 = 45, Ball 4/0 = 60)?



Offline yarnnelg

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Re: Worst experience officiating
« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2018, 10:07:52 PM »
New contract. First game at home. Papers predict a score of 100-0 favoring the home team. My sideline.
Opening kick off to the visitors goes through the end zone. Visitors drive 80 yards for a TD. Try for point, player A blocks the kick, player B blows up the kicker and holder. White Hat flags.

My Head Coach goes out of his mind. "The kick was blocked!" "The player blocking the kick is the only one who can hit the kicker and holder coach!" "The kick was blocked! Tell the Ref I want a meeting now!" "It will cost you a time out Coach!" "Tell him to come here now!" We have the meeting, the coach jabbing the White Hat with his finger. Jim steps back and signals the penalty then the charged time out. Yardage done, try good 7-0

Going to position for the kickoff, the Assistant Coach trying to wake his team from their slumber.
 "The F ing Officials are not going to steal this game!"  Did I hear that right? Pointing at me he yells louder "The F ing Officials are not going to steal this game."

On the other side of the field, our Umpire is yucking it up with the chain crew. Suddenly one says "Oops, someone said something he didn't like." They watch one lone flag climbing into the night sky. Our umpire says "Only Ray can throw one that high."

At halftime our White Hat is laughing "I had to grab Ray by the shoulders, move him and yell look out! The flag buried three inches in the dirt when it hit." USC on the Assistant Coach.

Final score Home Team 78 Visitors 7

One would think that the Head Coach would be happy.

Showered, dressed, packing up, dinner plans for Hooters. Door burst open, Head Coach enters screaming about the call. Threatening us, demands for black listing, suddenly he glares at me and screams "What in the hell is your problem?" " Not much Coach, just trying to figure out what the fines and penalties will be." Coach storms out of the locker room.

"Who forgot to lock the door?" "He used his own key."

Florida fined the Head Coach $1500, the Assistant Coach $500 and both a two game suspension.

After the suspensions were served, the next game was a home game. The Booking Commisioner ignored our Association rules. Our schedule was changed, we officiated that game. Quietest sideline I ever worked.

Offline Ralph Damren

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Re: Worst experience officiating
« Reply #8 on: April 30, 2019, 10:27:51 AM »
I wasn't on the crew, but this event became a well known in officiating circles. The horror author Stephen king had just built a spiffy new ballpark with even an umpire's room. In it's early days the umps' valuables were kept safe with a padlock and base ump keeping the key.

Scene : Hotly contested playoff game with visiting team losing on a close play at the plate....

(1) Umpires quickly head into umpires' room and close door;
(2) padlock stays outside;
(3) grumpy visiting team passes by the umpires' room on the way to their bus;
(4) when all seemed quiet, the umps felt safe to leave;
(5) something had  >:D occurred  >:D when the grumpy players had walked by the room marked "UMPIRES";
(6) the padlock was locked from the outside with the umpires still inside  :o :o :o :o (4-man crew);
(7) they felt their only chance of release was to YELL:
(8) they YELLED, a lady using the woman's room next door heard;
(9) she reported to the concession stand operators : "There's a bunch of crazy old men screaming next door ::)"
(10) the concession mgr. came with a backup key.

EPILOGUE : The following year Mr. King had a real lock installed. :)

Offline Ralph Damren

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Re: Worst experience officiating
« Reply #9 on: April 30, 2019, 12:13:38 PM »
On Stephen King's spiffy new field, I was once involved it a "happening".....

Scene : American Legion tournament ...games scheduled for noon, 3:30 and 7:00. I had the plate in the 7:00 game. Without a game clock (like our beloved sport) , baseball games don't always follow a timeline :(. With extra innings, BP & infield between games, the 7:00 scheduled game started closer to 9:00.

(1) All was well until we neared the 11 PM hour;
(2) Runner @ 1st, no outs, batter hits grounder towards shortstop;
(3) SS fields and flips towards 2nd;
(4) clock hits 11 PM, every sprinkler (over 20 - remember THIS was a spiffy field) popped out of ground and began to spray;
(5) ball deflects off of 2nd  :o baseman's glove  :oas he is sprayed with water;
(6) game stops, sprinklers (set on an auto. timer for 11 PM) are quickly stopped :!# ;
(7) now, what  ??? ??? ??? ??? to do ^talk;
(8) got the coaches and explained 9-0-3c give umps the authority (like our 1-1-6) to make something fair up;
(9) I said: "Had it not been for the 'rain' the 2nd baseman would have caught the throw, but I'm not going to presuppose a double play. Batter stays @ 1st and runner forced out at 2nd."
(10) Coaches  yEs: yEs: looked and both responded : "Ayuh, 'spect so";
(11) The PA announcer was set up in the first row and I explained my 9-0-3c application to him;
(12) The PA then announced : "The ump made something up and everyone liked it, so let's play ball";

MORALE OF STORY : If you are ready for everything, you won't be stumped by anything.


Offline yarnnelg

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Re: Worst experience officiating
« Reply #10 on: November 10, 2019, 10:42:00 AM »
I forgot one ....

1993 I believe. On Thursday, two white Police Officers, protecting their own lives open fire and killed a known drug runner during a routine traffic stop in St Petersburg. The drug runner's girlfriend was in the car and unharmed. All day Thursday followed by Friday ...the Uhuru's threatened to riot on Friday night. Someone forgot about us.

Friday Night kickoff 7pm. St Pete High School, mid second quarter a helicopter appears. Typical, fly in, land at a designated space, camera crew jumps out runs to the sideline films a few plays and then heads to the next bank of lights on. The copter doesn't land. He is circling about two blocks away. Another helicopter enters the circle, then another, then another .....Suddenly one chopper lays on it's side and slides across the sky . ....we hear brrrrrrrrt, brrrrrrrt Umpire looks at me and yells "Viet Nam helicopter pilot!"

We are puzzled .....suddenly the gates on the west side entrance open and 12 cops run in yelling for us to leave the stadium. The riot is two blocks away from us. The brrrrt sound? The owner of a gun shop had barricaded himself inside. As rioters made their way to the gun shop, he opened a hatch to the roof, stood up and opened fire in the sky, with a fully automatic AK-47.

The rioters backed off then decided to make one last play for the gun shop .....Cops arrived and emerged from their cars .....shotgun first, ready to take down a few not so brilliant rioters.

On Monday night, we had a meeting. I always sat at a table full of Black Men......Off Duty St Pete Police Officers ......One of them said "Sorry Ray, we forgot you guys had the game Friday night. It wasn't until they made the rush to the gun shop that Carl said "Get those guys out of the Stadium!"

With the open threat for two days, that game should have been postponed. Fortuntely crowd, players. Admin, directed east with a warning ...."DO NOT Come back to sight see. See it on the news"

Offline NorCalMike

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Re: Worst experience officiating
« Reply #11 on: November 10, 2019, 12:57:37 PM »

Offline yarnnelg

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Re: Worst experience officiating
« Reply #12 on: November 12, 2019, 01:51:31 PM »


Saw your video on the other post. Hope you are recovering. Note to yourself ...... mandatory attendance at the local Y to get a refresher course in dodge ball. LOL .... Best of luck Mike.

Offline NorCalMike

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Re: Worst experience officiating
« Reply #13 on: November 12, 2019, 03:46:38 PM »
 
Saw your video on the other post. Hope you are recovering. Note to yourself ...... mandatory attendance at the local Y to get a refresher course in dodge ball. LOL .... Best of luck Mike.
LOL

Offline yarnnelg

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Re: Worst experience officiating
« Reply #14 on: November 07, 2020, 02:47:19 PM »
Four man crew. Touchdown ......try for point .....I'm standing behind the goalposts about 10 yards away. Kick up, between the uprights, over my head and into the weeds .....Start in the weeds to find the ball. Night game, bad lights ....suddenly .......Growlllllllllllllll .....I came out like shot and ran past the White Hat. "We need a new game ball" "Why?" "There is a huge Bull Gator back there with no sense of humor ....Keep looking over your back in case he decides you look good enough to eat!"