Ah, Part 2...

It took a bit of time out of my stimulating Saturday afternoon to kick Part 2 in the head on get it off my computer to the interwebs. Thankfully, it wasn't nearly as much trouble as Part 1 and with any luck I can get silly little Jadon over here this week to record a bit.

Sorry to say, I have painfully little news from the girl's tournament a couple weekends back. I was hoping for a thrill-fest of cards, dissent, broken bones and complete carnage. Instead, it was an extremely laid back tournament (from my seats anyway), I issued a whopping two cautions, one each in two matches, for essentially the exact same foul (reckless contact after the ball had been played away). No protesting from the players (one actually apologized to the girl she had just flattened), no problems from the coaches or parents. Even the PK I called in the first minute of one match was met with nary a word from anyone. At the half, the AR mentioned that the coach of the player who committed the foul, stated he was surprised his player was still on the pitch after the foul. From my point of view, it was a foul and nothing more, but I can certainly see where it may have looked worse from the touchline.

I hope to have something to you in the next couple weeks. There is the boys tourney this coming weekend (as well as the Fair!!!), so there should be something to talk about.

Thanks again for checking out the show.

The weekend is ugly.

Here it is Thursday and I've been sending out emails begging the referees in the association to help out this weekend because there are a ton of matches (well, a ton for a dinky little community like Whatcom County) because not only is the recreation season in full swing with 140 matches on Saturday. There are six select matches on Saturday and five high school matches (only one JV match in the bunch). I still need four bodies for the select matches and one for the high school matches.

Unfortunately, Western hasn't started up yet so several of the referees who usually pick up matches for us aren't in town yet.

I did get a fun call from one of the athletic director's today concerning a player who recently decided to get a nose piercing immediately prior to the beginning of soccer season. Now, every recreational season the referees have to deal with five and six year old girls getting their ears pierced and bursting into tears when we tell them they can't play with their earrings in. And without fail a parent will go nutty cuckoo about how their little girl can't take her earrings out for six weeks and that we are bad people for not letting her play, and so and so forth. But now we have a high school player who figures the safest thing she can do for her soccer-playing self is have a piece of sharp metal in her face while on the pitch. I'd start quoting Laws or Rules of Play or some such nonsense but let's leave it with, if something is dangerous to a player or others, it is not allowed on the field. And jewelry of any kind fits into the above category.

I told the AD, while I wouldn't caution the coach (as is the high school rule) for the nose stud, I would most likely tell the young lady she had to remove it and if she refused, she wouldn't be allowed to play. That would be, of course, if I was feeling in a grumpy mood. If I was well-humored, I told him I would let her know that she could wear it as long as she understood that if she bled out on the field from a shot to the face, I would not be held responsible.

Yes, I would certainly be held accountable if the young lady suffered injury on my field from wearing such an item (if I did, in fact, see said item) and could face a lawsuit (and most likely lose). Is it worth the potentially lost house for this silly youngster to keep her uber-hip nose stud in for 90 minutes? A close call, I know, but perhaps I'll err on the side of get off my field silly young lady.

Thanks again for stopping by and reading my griping.

Jonathon

I heart technology.

While it certainly may seem that I am ignoring my podcast and blog of late (and to some degree I most certainly am), I did attempt to post to the blog last week while on vacation in Lincoln City, Oregon. I had completed a nice lengthy bit and clicked the Publish button only to have the connection fizzle out and the bit of nonsense I'd scribed vanished into the ether. While certainly not a loss of much magnitude, it would have shown that I hadn't just abandoned things with the podcast or the blog.

Regardless, I have had a busy week back from vacation (one of the more productive of the summer for me) and I've forgot to take the iRiver with me to the soccer park last Sunday while I worked Ballapalooza. Honestly, not much of a loss as far as catching any good stories about that particular tournament. It was amazingly boring with little in the way of silly, drunk adults doing silly, adult things. But I also lost the opportunity to catch a referee or two with questions for the podcast.

I am hoping to get something out this weekend but will again be on the road for a family reunion and my time will be limited (also, I'll be attempting to plumb in my casa...that in itself should be the very definition of comedy).

Jadon mentioned he'd have some time next week to sit down and chat and Steve did as well so hopefully, heading into the busy fall season, we should get back on schedule with weekly releases of the podcast.

Again, if you have stories, I'd love to read them on the show. Please email me at refereepov@gmail.com with amusing/horrifying anecdotes.

Jonathon

Tournament good times.

The iRiver found its way to Northwest Soccer Park last weekend (I managed not to forget -- an accomplishment in itself) and I managed to mix it into something almost audible.

My apologies for the sound quality...there's no way to monitor the levels while recording so you kinda have to hope for the best and give it some love in post. But as I was home with two sick kids yesterday (July 1) and battling the yuck myself, I was quite rushed and the result is well, somewhat disappointing (to me anyway).

I do have a question for all y'all who are listening to the podcast -- have you noticed a lack of high end? When I play back the mp3 version of the show, I am quite sure there is some drop off from the original wav file.

Let me know.

Jonathon

Show 003 with Jadon!

Click the title to hear the show!

Ok, so the topic of last weekend's LPT's didn't happen on Show 003, I guarantee they will for Show 004. And maybe even Show 005, if you're lucky.

As summer approaches, so does the madness of the tournaments and all the fun moronicy that happens with them. The stories should be flowing like the beer (which should be flowing like it means it).

Still hoping some of you will call up and offer up your stories of most memorable coach and player, but as Chris is returning for Show 004, we are changing topics (so as not to be OVERLY redundant).

Call in and let us know about your:

1. Most recent issuing of a card and the circumstances involved therein.
2. Your first send-off as well as your feelings about it.

Also, Euro 2008 started yesterday, did anyone disagree with the referee's determination of a PK against Austria (vs. Croatia)? If so, what was your take on the call?

The number to leave us a message is (641) 715-3900, then dial extension 91965.

Thanks for all the support.

Jonathon