What is this world coming to... Breast Cancer Support

[SandrA9810]

http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/...ace-ban-for-charity-pin?urn=highschool-279246

As one of my first managers told me. Rules should be used as guidelines. There's always a grey area and the facts of the matter should be looked into before coming to a rash decision.

I think this is one of those cases. I believe what they did was great, and they really should fight back. And I hope now that it is in the media the Association will back down.

 

[redlight]

http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/...ace-ban-for-charity-pin?urn=highschool-279246

As one of my first managers told me. Rules should be used as guidelines. There's always a grey area and the facts of the matter should be looked into before coming to a rash decision.

I think this is one of those cases. I believe what they did was great, and they really should fight back. And I hope now that it is in the media the Association will back down.

I think this is one of those cases as well, but all too often people in charge aren't thinking and aren't seeing rules as guidelines.

 

[Planogirl]

I hope that they reconsider. I understand the need for rules but their stance sends an even worse message IMO.

 

[Scurvy]

I know this won't be a popular opinion, but I actually agree with the decision. It's not that I don't think the refs should have had pink whistles. I actually think it was a great idea and they should have been able to. And I do agree that rules shouldn't be an entirely black and white issue. But they knew the rules, and I think that they should have requested an exception before the game and not after.

 

[FireDancer]

I am actually between the two. The referees should have cleared using the whistles before hand but the association, when asked in advance, should have bent the rules to allow the whistles.

This is basically the exact situation that happened on the last stage of the Tour de France this year. Team RadioShack wore special cancer awareness jerseys for the final stage which is against the rules. You must race all stages in the approved uniforms. Even though it was for a good cause they had to change while still in the neutral zone in order for the entire team not to be disqualified as soon as the flag came in at mile 0.

After the race ASO, the organizers, said they could have worked out an exception had they been asked in advance but weren't.

The fine that RadioShack had to pay was donated to a cancer charity by the UCI so if the officials are fined I think their association should do the same.

 

[SandrA9810]

It seems to me, there's no real black and white rule on the whistles. My take on it is, it's one of those "assumed rules". Meaning the Association probably never thought that there would be a time that they would use pink whistles, so they never wrote it in black and white that a whistle must be black.

So in this case, it falls in the grey area, and really should be fully considered before coming to a penalty like that. At the same time, it's a great opportunity for the Association to rewrite the rule book, and make it a clear guideline.

 

[minniecarousel]

"sends the wrong message to the students" - what crap! It's a freaking pink whistle! Sounds like TPTB are taking themselves too seriously.

Yeah - let's take $$ out of the pockets of the officials, who just donated their day's pay to a worthy cause. brilliant

 

[Scurvy]

It seems to me, there's no real black and white rule on the whistles. My take on it is, it's one of those "assumed rules". Meaning the Association probably never thought that there would be a time that they would use pink whistles, so they never wrote it in black and white that a whistle must be black.

So in this case, it falls in the grey area, and really should be fully considered before coming to a penalty like that. At the same time, it's a great opportunity for the Association to rewrite the rule book, and make it a clear guideline.

If that's the case, and it's just one of those unspoken rules, then I agree there shouldn't be any penalty. I assumed from this part of the article that it was a written rule: "The playoff ban is possible because the colored whistles violate the uniform protocol for state high school officials. Those uniforms allegedly call for black whistles only, and the WOA claims that no officials asked for permission to use pink whistles for their designated charity games." But if it isn't in their handbook and they want to enforce it, then they definitely need to rewrite the rules to include it.

 

[SandrA9810]

If you look at their website, this is not the first time they've done something like this. In September of 09, they used blue flags for prostate cancer.

And the reason why I said what I did before, is from this statement:

Those uniforms allegedly call for black whistles only, and the WOA claims that no officials asked for permission to use pink whistles for their designated charity games.

Meanwhile, MyNorthwest.com is reporting the PNFOA is arguing the dress code for officials does not technically specify that only black whistles be used, which means any suspensions would be unwarranted.

According to officials' commissioner Todd Stordahl, pink whistles are a violation of the uniform code. "The norm is black, and I think every official would agree with that," he said. (From: http://www.mynorthwest.com/category...pended-for-supporting-breast-cancer-research/)

Just because something is the norm, doesn't make it an official rule.

 

[bicker]

I know this won't be a popular opinion, but I actually agree with the decision. It's not that I don't think the refs should have had pink whistles. I actually think it was a great idea and they should have been able to. And I do agree that rules shouldn't be an entirely black and white issue. But they knew the rules, and I think that they should have requested an exception before the game and not after.

Yes, you've hit the nail on the head. They neglected to live up to their obligations and responsibilities. It is the refs fault, entirely, for not asking for permission. If they had asked, and been turned down, then that would be another story. But no one would - and no one should - respect a referee who ignores the rules and does whatever he wants to do himself.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

A group of high school football officials in Washington state were trying to support breast cancer research while working this week's games, so they made a pledge to donate all game checks to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Then, to top off the charitable gesture, they announced they would all use pink whistles during the games.

officials who are part of the Pacific Northwest Football Officials Association who worked games on Thursday night were informed by the chair of the Washington Officials Association that they could face a two-game suspension for using pink whistles. The playoff ban is possible because the colored whistles violate the uniform protocol for state high school officials.

In the strictest sense of the word, yes, I guess they did break the rules of the dress code.

OTOH, as a "charitable" game, the game itself was already exceptional.

So I guess I could support either decision - yay or nay. (But it's silly to even have to go there, IMO.)

For fun I thought I'd throw in these pics in that I took on Mother's Day at Fenway Park. Seems these guys didn't get into any trouble for "playing in pink" in support of their moms, wives, daughters and women everywhere. Maybe the high school guys could take a lesson from them.

(In case you can't see them clearly, there is a pink bat, they have pink ribbons on their shirts, Jeter has pink shoelaces, and I guess the wristbands on players and umps are pretty easy to see.)

 

[bicker]

Seems these guys didn't get into any trouble for "playing in pink" in support of their moms, wives, daughters and women everywhere.

Why do you think that they were both explicitly prohibited from doing so, and did not have permission to ignore that prohibition? I think you're making a baseless leap there.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Why do you think that they were both explicitly prohibited from doing so, and did not have permission to ignore that prohibition?

I have already conceded that if they indeed broke the rules, then they were wrong and yes, it sets a bad precedent. However, there is debate over whether a whistle is considered part of the uniform and it seems a silly hill to die on, frankly, particularly given that the entire day was devoted to raising breast cancer awareness and the refs themselves gave up their (measly) paychecks for the cause.

Interstingly, Mr. Stordahl is now doing a major mea culpa given the widespread outrage over PinkWhistleGate.

Apparently he was not even in full authority to make the comments he did, and furthermore, the referees in question have stated they are now going to continue to use pink whistles. They'll all take the matter up later and hopefully we'll hear the outcome of those discussions.

So I guess we can thank Mr. Stordahl for singlehandedly, albeit unintentionally, doing more for breast cancer research than anyone at that high school football game in Washington ever imagined. What a dolt.

 

[doxdogy]

The reason they did not get in trouble is that it was sanctioned by Major League Baseball. The NFL did the same this year for a game. While their hearts were in the right place, they did break a rule.

In the strictest sense of the word, yes, I guess they did break the rules of the dress code.

OTOH, as a "charitable" game, the game itself was already exceptional.

So I guess I could support either decision - yay or nay. (But it's silly to even have to go there, IMO.)

For fun I thought I'd throw in these pics in that I took on Mother's Day at Fenway Park. Seems these guys didn't get into any trouble for "playing in pink" in support of their moms, wives, daughters and women everywhere. Maybe the high school guys could take a lesson from them.

(In case you can't see them clearly, there is a pink bat, they have pink ribbons on their shirts, Jeter has pink shoelaces, and I guess the wristbands on players and umps are pretty easy to see.)

 

[cm8]

even the NFL wears pink for BC month. I have awesome pics of Peyton and some of his crew in pink from the game this month

 

[Pea-n-Me]

http://www.mynorthwest.com/category...pended-for-supporting-breast-cancer-research/

PNFOA (Pacific Northwest Football Officials Association) argues that it's not a violation of the uniform dress code, as there is no rule or policy that governs the color of the refs' whistles.

So when the state said the entire group would be suspended from working playoff games if the pink whistles were used, they stood their ground.

PNFOA president Mike Livingston says their board voted unanimously to use the whistles, despite whatever penalty may be imposed.

That announcement was met with applause from the refs at their weekly meeting on Tuesday.

 

[bicker]

Imagine that... the first report about something didn't accurately describe the actuality. It's a good rule of thumb: Figure everything presented is always just one side of the story, and never accept anything posted at face-value. It may not be a balanced, accurate description.

Thanks for posting the balancing information.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Latest update: no penalties for refs. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/highschoolsports/2013257345_ringer26.html

 

[honugirl]

Personally, I don't think pink whistles are appropriate. As officials, we are to blend into the background during the game. The only time we should ever be noticed is when calling a penalty after play is stopped. Pink whistles obviously are there to be seen, bringing the official to the forefront, not where they should be.

If they want to make a statement, wear whatever color shirt they'd like under their jersey/sweater/whatever and donate your game fees to the charity of their choice. When I am working a game, I am not there to make a statement. I am there to call the rules as they are written in the book. Nothing more, nothing less. There is plenty of time before and after the game to promote whatever causes I am passionate about. Game time is game time.