Good fans make officiating so much fun

[Not_Ed_Hochuli]

I was hustling down the sideline as a lacrosse field judge last month when I heard a young spectator shout, "Damn look at that ref move! I see you ref!" It really made my whole day, wish more fans could be like that.

What positive experiences with fans/spectators have you experienced?

[JasonTX]

I was working a baseball game and one yelled out, "You suck, stick with football, you are much better."

[dammitbobby]

OK I can relate way too much to that one .  There's a reason I just do one sport.

[ElvisLives]

I was working a baseball game and one yelled out, "You suck, stick with football, you are much better."

Working a minor league game in Florida in 1980, I called a balk and got the question: “Where were you on December 7, 1941?”

I laughed (to myself).

[AlUpstateNY]

I was working a baseball game and one yelled out, "You suck, stick with football, you are much better."

Sadly, for those poor folks, nobody much pays any attention to, and desperate to be noticed,  have found shouting "stupid stuff", an easy and convenient way to try and be important.  They don't realize the only people who bother to listen to them are other sad, poor folks.

[Ralph Damren]

Early in my baseball umping career -dating it, the base ump had also been at Normandy Beach on D-Day - we were working a high school gamein farm country. The backstop was made out of chicken wire and an older fella' was sitting in a lawchair directly behind.  When his home team was at bat, if I called a strike I would hear :

"HOKEY PETE, HE NEEDED A GOLF CLUB!" or "HOKEY PETE, HE NEEDED A TENNIS RACKET!"   

When the visitors were up, if I called a ball I would hear:

"HOKEY PETE, RIGHT DOWN BROADWAY !"     

In the 3rd or 4th inning, a warmup pitch went to the backstop. I flipped the catcher a new one and went to retrieve. As I was picking up the ball my eyes met those of the fan . His face was beet-red with a hard stare. I felt I should say something,so I did :

"Let me know if I miss any  ."

He responded:

"MISS ANY  , I AIN'T SURE YOU GOT ANY RIGHT, YET  !"       

We both  laughed and I never heard a peep from him the remainder of the game  . His team lost and as we were heading toward  my car, we heard:

"MR. UMPIRE, MR. UMPIRE...."   

Paul, the base ump who had once ran toward Nazi pill boxes on Normandy Beach, wispered : " Don't look, don't look..." . I responded : "It can't be too bad, he said MiISTER  !" I looked, the fan was waving and said :

'MISTER UMPIRE, YOU WEREN'T SO BAD  !"

FAN IS SHORT FOR FANATIC...

[ElvisLives]

Early in my baseball umping career -dating it, the base ump had also been at Normandy Beach on D-Day - we were working a high school gamein farm country. The backstop was made out of chicken wire and an older fella' was sitting in a lawchair directly behind.  When his home team was at bat, if I called a strike I would hear :

"HOKEY PETE, HE NEEDED A GOLF CLUB!" or "HOKEY PETE, HE NEEDED A TENNIS RACKET!"   

When the visitors were up, if I called a ball I would hear:

"HOKEY PETE, RIGHT DOWN BROADWAY !"     

In the 3rd or 4th inning, a warmup pitch went to the backstop. I flipped the catcher a new one and went to retrieve. As I was picking up the ball my eyes met those of the fan . His face was beet-red with a hard stare. I felt I should say something,so I did :

"Let me know if I miss any  ."

He responded:

"MISS ANY  , I AIN'T SURE YOU GOT ANY RIGHT, YET  !"       

We both  laughed and I never heard a peep from him the remainder of the game  . His team lost and as we were heading toward  my car, we heard:

"MR. UMPIRE, MR. UMPIRE...."   

Paul, the base ump who had once ran toward Nazi pill boxes on Normandy Beach, wispered : " Don't look, don't look..." . I responded : "It can't be too bad, he said MiISTER  !" I looked, the fan was waving and said :

'MISTER UMPIRE, YOU WEREN'T SO BAD  !"

FAN IS SHORT FOR FANATIC...

Deep down - sometimes WAY deep down - most all fans are human, after all. Good story.

[Ralph Damren]

Deep down - sometimes WAY deep down - most all fans are human, after all. Good story.

SO TRUE... here are several other examples of 'fan fun" I've experienced....

TOPIC: Wounder Why.....    DATE :  4/5/ 2022  REPLY #  11  (General)

TOPIC : Thursday Night Lights        DATE: 9/15/2022    AUTHOR (NFHS)

TOPIC :Asking for Autographs       DATE 9-15-2021    (NFHS)

TOPIC : I cheated noce...and lived to tell about it.    DATE: 3-17-2023             AUTHOR (GENERAL)

YES,ELVIS, MOST FANS ARE HUMAN, TOO 

[CalhounLJ]

The week after the NFL officials went back, I was working deep wing. As I got near the concession stand, a jolly old gent yelled out, “Well, now we know where the replacements refs went.”  I couldn’t help but turn to him and  give him the thumbs up with the words, “that’s a good one.”


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