Here's my tale: At a chapter meeting, our interpreter told us that the league had issued an edict that bands were not supposed to be playing while the opposing team had the ball. Didn't think much about it because it had never been an issue. 10 days later, my crew is officiating a game where the home team had an excellent and loud band. The visiting team coach complained to our HL that his team couldn't hear the signals. The HL communicates this to me and I pass word to the home sideline to have the school's athletic director/game manager made aware of the situation and to have the band stop playing when the visitor's had the ball. The message apparently was not getting to the right ears as the problem continued. At one point, I delayed the RFP until the band stopped. During this brief delay, maybe 15-20 seconds, the PA announcer made a statement that I couldn't make out but caused the home crowd to boo loudly. I asked my U what had been said. The U, who apparently knows me too well, said it was nothing. As we were leaving the field at halftime, I again asked the U what the PA announcer had said. He told that what was announced was, "The officials said that the band is not permitted to play when the (other team) has the ball, but we don't believe them." Needless to say, I was a bit miffed. Lo and behold, a few steps later, I meet the home school AD and inform him of what we were had been instructed and that if I had heard what his PA announcer had said there would have been an unsportsmanlike flag. Two things resulted from this: First, I was red-lined at that school for about 5 years. Secondly, I have never been able to live it down with the guys in our chapter.
