Parents can be awful at their kids’ sporting events. And the abuse can make life miserable for Little League umpires, most of whom are doing the job for little or no money.
Well, one ump decided that he’d had enough after getting abused by the parents of some players.
In a clip posted to the Public Freakout subreddit, the Little League umpire warned some shouting dads that he’d call the game off if they kept yelling.
The dads, of course, didn’t listen. And in response, the ump followed through on his threat.
One dad was furious, yelling at the ump: “Feel better?”
But the umpire kept his cool, shouting back, “I feel fine, you feel ok? You just ruined the game for your kid.”
Incredibly, a woman (who we assume was with the yelling dad), screamed: “This guy’s a firefighter who protects your neighborhood!”
Um, ok? He still doesn’t get to act like a jerk in public?
Obviously being a parent is hard. Your kids grow up and think you’re lame. But you still can’t act like a jerk.
Commenters were on the ref’s side.
This video wasn’t just an isolated incident.
Harassment has become so bad that more than 70 percent of new referees in all sports quit the job within three years, according to the National Association of Sports Officials.
The reason? Pervasive abuse from parents and coaches.
In response, legislatures in nearly 20 states have increased the penalties for assaulting a sports official, according to Alan S. Goldberger, a lawyer from New Jersey who wrote a guide on sports officiating.
So what’s the lesson? Cheer for your kid, but give refs a break.