Best officiating "comebackers..."

[Ralph Damren]

Sometimes an official's response is worth remembering . This occurred many years ago when umpiring a Little League tourney. I had the plate and Harvey (a mailman) had the bases. A batting cage was built into the centerfield fence with a challenging ground rule of : "If the ball strikes the support of the cage (pipes) above the homerun fence, it's a home run. If it hits inside the cage it stays in play."

(1) A home team batter hits a shot directly at the cage;
(2) I couldn't tell if it hit inside the cage or the support;
(3) Harvey felt it hit inside;
(4) the centerfielder fielded the ball and nailed the batter trying for a double;
(5) out of the home dugout came : 3 coaches, a grandmother scorekeeper and a hunting dawg;
(6) they were are all yelling/barking that it hit the support;
(7) Harvey's attention was ,however, drawn to the local Catholic Priest who had been standing next to the batting cage;
(8) he was now running along the outside of the fence yelling : "HARVEY...HARVEY....";
(9) Harvey didn't go postal , he just raised his big hand and said : "With all due respect, Father, out on this field I'M GOD !";
(10) the priest stopped and retreated back to his post in CF, coaches, grandma and dog all returned to their dugout.....

...AND THE BAND PLAYED ON 

[Ralph Damren]

As I watch the snow fall on VP Hamlin's statue (under Lincoln) in the park below, I recalled another "comebacker" I felt you guys might enjoy.....

(1) Early '70s, game in lumberjack country, WH was a retired Army Ranger with a tour in Viet. ;
(2) game ended with home team runner fumbling just before breaking goal line plane with potential winning TD;
(3) WH made the brave, but correct ruling after we conferred;
(4) as we were hurrying off the field, we were approached by a huge ,Paul Bunyon size, lumberjack;
(5) he went nose-to-nose with our WH ,who was half his size but twice as brave, and said;
   
   "I'd punch you in the nose if I wouldn't go to jail "

WH responded : " You wouldn't go to jail, sir, You WOULD GO TO THE HOSPITAL  !"

The lumberjack cowered and quickly walked away.
The local sheriff  walked over to ask if there was a problem  .

WH responded : "Just a friendly discussion about the last play  ."

......as we left I felt he had witnessed  many events that would make that one a "friendly discussion"  : (4-man crew then)

[yarnnelg]

Coach says "Ray, I know what the crew's problem is. You all wear glasses!"

Thought for a second, stepped back ...."Coach, you wear glasses too."

[AlUpstateNY]

Remember a game, a while back, working with a senior HLM, who had a serious hearing deficiency.  After a specific play, that required a brief conference with crewmembers, before agreeing with the HLM's call, the aggrieved coach let loose a string of invectives at the HLM, who asked the U, "what did he say?"

The U replied, "He said you were doing a hell of a job", to which the HLM replied, to the coach, "Thanks, just doing my job".  The coach didn't offer a peep the rest of the game. 

Hard of hearing can be a special gift to football officials, and husbands.

[Etref]

Working a wing in a high school game. Coach behind me is snippy from the start. He gets louder and louder as the game progresses.  R had a hold (takedown almost) and the coach lost it calling him a “gray haired SON OF A GUN” I flagged it and we marched another 15 towards his goal line. This put the ball about the 23-24 yard line. He is still behind me mouthing. I never looked back, just said “ you are inside the 25 aren’t you coach?)

His priceless reply was “ well yeah, I’m stupid but not crazy”

[VALJ]

Perhaps apocryphal, but there’s a story in our association from one of our officials many, many years back.

At one point I’m the game, the head coach told the WH “you stink.”

After throwing the flag and marching it off, the WH turned and asked the coach ”how do I smell from down here?”

[SCHSref]

Coach was giving my partner, the LJ, a hard time about everything. The coach looked at the LJ and said, "You're supposed to be having fun out here." The LJ quipped back and said, "I am having fun. How about you coach?"  Coach shut up because it had been almost 20 years since he had started the season 0-3.

[Ted T]

Team is called for an illegal formation - 5 in the backfield.   Coach yells, "What number?  Who was it?"  My response, "There were 5 of them, coach.  Not sure which one wasn't supposed to be there."

[GoodScout]

Legend in our association was the linesman who threw a flag for pass interference and the sideline coach starting screaming at him, saying "That's the worst f- call I've ever seen!"

Without missing a beat, our H said "Coach, if you didn't like that call, you're gonna hate this one" and sent a second flag flying straight up for a USC.

[dammitbobby]

Had a umpire get screamed at by a lineman whose dignity had been besmirched (according to him) by being held every play (also according to him), and he eventually yelled at the U to 'flow his effing flag!' to which which the U responded, 'Wish granted!' and gave him a UNS.

[ElvisLives]

Legend has it that a local HS official was verbally accosted by a coach post-game as he was exiting the field. The coach stated, “That’s the worst f——-g we’ve ever got!” The official retorted by saying, “Turn around and drop your drawers and I’ll show you the worst f——-g you’ll ever get.”
(That was before ‘incident reports,’ so neither coach nor official had to face any discipline.)