Dear dimwit on the phone

Same here. I did that for a number of years --- college as well as high school --- and wore the officials' shirt. When I was an SID, our official scorer wore it as well.

The way it was explained to me is that the reason was so the officials on the floor could spot the OFFICIAL scorer at the table if they needed to check the book for matters such as if a player fouled out, team in the penalty, timeouts remaining, etc. It was an identification tool.

 

Score keeper wore a striped vest at every game I covered here in Iderho.

 

According to the rule book, in 2011-2012, it was recommended the official scorer wear a striped shirt. For this season, according to our state association, it was mandatory.

 

Kentucky started doing that a year or so ago. Makes sense.

 

Started doing it this season in the primary league we cover. Didn't seem to affect one student scorer, who seemed to spend much of the game texting or having her photo taken with her buds. Mentioned it to the coach a couple of times, as did the PA announcer (who once swiped the book during a time out when the kid wasn't looking) and when scores kept coming up wrong, she was replaced.

 

That's how my stringers see it, too.

 

A softball mom emailed last week griping we hadn't covered her daughter's team yet - during basketball tournaments. We covered her daughter's team last night. They lost 12-1, thanks to more than 10 walks given by the "ace" pitcher on the team.

What was waiting for me this morning? An email from that mom complaining that we chose to cover a game the team lost as revenge.

 

And I presume you reponded by telling her: "You're exactly right. We have thousands of subscribers to this paper but we only care about pissing you off. You got us."

 

You should have told her that each of the paper's employees may use the corporate crystal ball once a year to see the future and make editorial decision based on it and you do not regret 2013's use one bit.

 

Only thing better would have been if the daughter was the "ace pitcher".

 

Official scorekeepers in Ohio must now wear a striped referee shirt.
During postseason tournament games, there are three scorers -- one for each team and an official scorekeeper.
I can't imagine the assinine decision by an official scorekeeper at a state championship game not marking anything down in the fourth quarter.

 

Dear overly muscular dimwit fisherman,

I'm sorry that your picture wasn't included in the paper when I ran winners from out-of-town fishing derby. I got multiple emails from people who submitted information and I used the one that had the most local names in it. I'm sorry that the version that I used didn't include your name. It turned out, the dude who promised he would submit your picture to me didn't do it. I mean it was way out of line of me to run four photos of local people and even more out of line that those photos contained a large number of children. I'm really sorry that you didn't appear in the paper. I guess I didn't realize you needed the validation. But I will make sure I go through the five to six emails I received from different people and get all the names, including yours, into the paper as I can. And yes, I will make sure I get your photo in there if I can find it. I don't have any other news going on today and I know how important it is for you to be seen by the public for dropping a piece of string with a metal hook into the water that fish happen to bite.