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Football Officiating => General Discussion => Topic started by: TXMike on January 31, 2011, 08:24:11 PM
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Many of you probably received the email from Rom Gilbert re the passing of Bob Sandell. I never had the honor of knowing him but after reading all that is being said about him now, he sure seems like a unique guy. Saw this from an ESPN commentator:
ESPN’s Ryan McGee remembers ACC basketball and football official Bob Sandell
By Andy | January 31, 2011 - 3:10 pm - Posted in College from ESPN’s Ryan McGee on former ACC official Bob Sandell at www.espn.com:
A word of remembrance for former ACC football and basketball referee Bob Sandell, who died Friday night after a long battle with cancer.
Legend has it that Sandell, a Charlottesville, Va., resident, was in the stands for an early-1980s game between Maryland and Virginia when word came down that the officiating crew couldn’t get to the arena because of a winter storm. Virginia administrators approached Sandell and said they needed him to step in and ref the game. ACC rules prohibit residents of college towns from working their hometown team’s games, but Maryland had agreed to let the universally respected Sandell step in.
A little embarrassed, he explained that it still wasn’t a good idea because he’d already had a couple of pregame beers. Terrapins head coach Lefty Driesell replied, “So what? Bob Sandell on two beers is still better than most referees totally sober.”
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This is a true story. I had the extreme privilege of knowing Bob for over 35 years. I worked high school football, lacrosse, and he was still working for the ACC as a observer and in the replay box and helping many officials. We worked lacrosse when he was 81. What you don't mention is Bob's a lacrosse legend also. He won 4 national championships for Johns Hopkins and assigned college lacrosse for the mid atlantic district, besides assigning the local lacrosse officials until 3 years ago. The association promptly renamed their group the Sandell Lacrosse Officials Association. Bob is in the Lacrosse Hall of Fame and the Virginia High School Hall of Fame along wit many other honors. Bob never talked about himself, but lead by example. He always reached out to young officials and treated them like old friends. He knew how to get along with everyone, coaches, players, and officials.
I learned more football from Bob than anyone else. He was a true official and friend to all of us and will be sadly missed.