Best story of your week - 2017

It wasn't that many years ago that I was doing a D3 college women's game on the first Saturday of November. The air temperature was in the upper 30's and it was raining steadily. There was a cross field wind that was so strong that the team and officials' shelters (the European type with clear plastic backs) were blown over, even though they were sand bagged. Oh, and since it was the last home game, it was senior day!

At halftime, we were invited to go into the lobby of the gym to "warm up." Of course, we were all soaked and wearing our sweats didn't help. (We later found out that the players from both teams had been told to take off their uniforms and sit in the sauna, while they ran the uniforms through the dryer!) The other AR and I told the center that we were not going to go back out for the second half unless we could wear our sweats. And we were not kidding! He let us wear the sweats and we survived to tell the tale, although halftime ended up lasting an hour, due to lightning just before we were going back out, and the game went to [insert dirty word of your choice here] overtime!

So sweats, hats, gloves and hand warmers are all recommended. The rules were made for people, not the other way around.

 

75° and cloudless today, five games tomorrow starting at 9:00 AM with a 100% chance of thunderstorms and a high of 61°. I have a funny feeling this game will get rained out.

 

I've been outside for my share of below freezing games when I lived above the Mason-Dixon Line, heck, even in Oklahoma. If it wasn't such a big swing I would have been fine. I suppose the good news is that I can wear whatever I want while sitting around.

 

There is a nor’easter set up for all day Sunday along the East Coast. Driving rain, 50 mph winds. I’m so pumped. I have the last center of the set we are doing. First two on turf, so they won’t cancel. Last one 10minutes away on grass and it’s a county park so I have a shot.

Last year, I AR’d the single wettest match I have ever been involved in. I went out and bought these big rubber gloves at the local boat store. Just put them in the car for Sunday. I am hugely hoping for a cancellation or 3.

 

BV High School senior day, special occasion in the stadium , decent sized crowd. PA announcer introduces each player,

" Senior Joe Smith and his parents Bob and Karen"

Get through seven seniors and the PA comes to the last player,

" Bob Jones accompanied by his parents Fred and Sara and , for once, without his girlfriend Suzy."

Everyone gets a chuckle out of that comment

 

I'm scheduled to do 3 U10 lines with new CRs tomorrow. Weather looks like 40s and rainy. Wondering whether my Wellies are black enough to pass uniform muster.

 

I was just looking at my black gore Tex hiking boots last night. I think they may be too heavy! I’m doing 13, 14,& 15’s tomorrow.

 

I did three U11 and U12 boys this afternoon. Dang, those guys are a hoot. I just broke out laughing several times.

 

Game report I read for a high school girls playoff game on Saturday. Goalkeeper and forward both going for the ball in the penalty area. Keeper gets there first and scoops it up. Forward stops her run before contacting the keeper. Keeper offended that the forward was even there, apparently, and uses the ball to push the forward over. Tweet! Yellow card, sub out, bring on the second string keeper to face the penalty kick and their team loses, 2-1, season over.

And I saw another game reported as having been decided in kicks, 12-11. Tough way to end the team's season if you're the one who missed.

 

I bet that keeper will never make that mistake again.

 

I didn't check to see if she's a senior.

 

I had a U19B game a couple of weeks ago. There was a foul on a home team defender who jumped into an opponent's back. Nothing serious. Not even card worthy. Well, the defender didn't appreciate the call and kicked the ball away about fifteen yards, so out came the yellow card. BTW, the defender is also a referee, so he knows better. A parent yelled out, "That needs to be a red card!" I was close, so I just looked at him and calmly put my finger to my lips in a "shhh" motion and the parent's volume slowly diminished and eventually went silent. And I'm only 5'8" and 150#s.

 

Watched one of those Sunday. Only went 5-4, but the 10th kicker. Final year, never misses... 2-3 yards overtop of the crossbar.

Terrible way to end a university career.

 

The year my daughter got her HS state champions ring they won the semi-final in KFTM. One of her best friends played for the other team. My daughter made her kick, but her friend missed hers. It ruined it for both of them.

I guess the good news is that it was the semi and not the final, but that's the game my daughter really remembers.

I've hated KFTM ever since. (And last week's Atlanta United result did nothing to alleviate that.)

 

This week was a very difficult week for me, multiple important centers, some interesting situations, and a ton of hard decisions on tough games.

Last night, I called a couple close offside decisions as an AR in an adult O-30 D1 game, right in front of the benches. One of the players complained but his teammate on the sideline said "This guy's got it, he's a good AR"

You could call me a million names and I wouldn't care much, but it felt really damn good to hear that after a tough week.

 

My first year playing MBB, my hometown team met my guys-from-work team in the final. Townies had[\s] made no room for me on the roster, so joined with guys from work.

2-2 after regulation and 2OT. Season was like that too, tied or near-tied in aggregate.

I made some saves, I let some in, some guys piked it to the moon--but after 9 rounds of kicks, we won.

That night was my hometown youth club's banquet. Attendees including, you know, me and a bunch of the guys from the hometown team. A keg of cheap beer never tasted so good!

Intellectually I do despise KFTM. It's a hell of a thing to decide a match in a manner different from the match itself. But on that day, I figured, let's rock! Easy to say considering we won...

 

We had been getting reports of problems during our “adult” league games recently. General nonsense play, lots of mouthy dissent, stupid fouls, player confrontations, mass confrontation with the ref (virtually entire team got a red card) etc..etc. You know standard issue adult games!

I don’t generally do adult games because….I DON’T WANT TO deal with the crappola, but my assignor asked if I would do a three game set and report back about any issues. I grimaced, put on my asbestos underwear and did them.

I was trying to figure out how we could reel in the teams a little in the pregame. So during the pregame with each team I told them “The only reason you have the old, slow guy out here as your center is because of the reports of trouble with this league generally. So I am out here to do these games and report back on how it went.”

During my pregame instructions and little speech I first took out my yellow card and held it in my hand while I was gesturing. I put it in my right front pocket, then as I continued to talk I took out my red card and held in my hand while gesturing, then put it in my back pocket. It was funny because all of the players’ eyes were transfixed on the cards as I was talking. When I finished up with the pregame check-in and instructions I told each team that I noticed that they were watching as I was putting my cards in my pocket and then told them “Whether my cards stay in my pockets is entirely up to you.”

Did three games and not a single card of any color in any game!!! Actually all three games were quite enjoyable….but not enough to get me to want to do them as part of my regular reffing diet.

 

If you don't already have a pair of underarmor heatwear (or equivalent from other brand) black tights run don't walk to buy them. I felt really awkward the first time I wore them but in cold games they are a HUGE improvement and still (IMO) look professional whereas sweatpants do not (again IMO).

 

?? I though the heatwear line was for hot weather?

 

There's the Heatgear line and the Coldgear line. Coldgear keeps you warmer than Heatgear, and is slightly more expensive. Generally it adds a fleece lining, which makes it somewhat thicker, but it still fits under referee socks without trouble. I'm a huge believer in all of it.

 

I have been invited to work the Development Academy Girls’ Winter Showcase!

 

I have black silks which also work well both thermally and sartorially.