Grumpy Old Ganz

The Hecklers

I have been covering several sporting events recently so I thought this might be of some interest to you.

In all sports there usually is a referee, umpire or someone to make sure the game is played by the rules. Whomever is enforcing the rules and regulations may not be doing so to the liking of the coach or fans, but they still have to do their job and for that I give them credit.

It never fails when you attend a sporting event that a coach, parent or fan, at some time or another, has felt the need to make a comment and it’s not always complimentary.

Following are a few of the comments I’ve actually heard and witnessed people saying at games...

One coach, getting frustrated with his team’s play, said to these adult players, “See ball, hit ball, catch ball, throw ball. How complicated can it be?” The look he received was rather undefinable!

At a basketball game a fan stood up after a questionable call and said, “You’ve made more bad calls then a telemarketer.”

The best baseball comment I ever heard was when the umpire was struggling to be consistent with balls and strikes and said, “That was higher then a tee-shirt at Mardi Gras.”

At yet another basketball game I heard this remark, “If you’re gonna watch the game, buy a ticket.”

Another struggling umpire at the plate heard a fan make these consecutive comments, “Why do you keep looking at your hand? Is there a map of the strike zone in it?” On the next call, “I was confused the first time I saw a game, too.” And the one that got him kicked out, “We know you’re blind, we’ve seen your wife.” (Ouch!)

The last comment I’d like to share was made at a basketball game also, “Hey! Which one of you is the designated driver?”

Sometimes when it’s all said and done...it’s the fan’s or coach’s comments that I remember more then the game itself.