How does the placket/placard/freakin' letter do anything to assist you in officiating the game? 
In essence, it doesn't contribute one cotton-picking thing to our officiating skills! No more than the NCAA, CCA, TASO, UIL patches that adorn those shirts. No more than the proposed 2 inch stripes or the black officiating slacks are going to help us to be better officials.
It's largely nothing more than an "every-so-often" fashion perception that comes about largely because of a societal sense of change, fueled greatly by their notion that if an idea for some form of change is inevitably signed on to and successfully implemented, that they can use it as some form of a revenue generator.
It's strictly fashion and has absolutely no bearing on what kind of an official that we truly are. In reality, that is solely judged by our internal combination of cognitive skills of knowing how and when to apply the rules; as well as learning how to work with our peers, as well as knowing how to handle and deal with people!
That is what truly makes an official! What we wear out there between the white lines is only a fashion statement!
