Shoe by Gary Brookins and Susie MacNelly for June 05, 2023

Fowl language is okay…..

The first thing parents insult is the manager and then the umpire.

I’m so glad that when I played little league baseball most of those in attendance were our mothers who could have cared less what the outcome was, I always felt for sorry for those that had parents screaming at them.I also felt sorry for my son for some of the abhorrent behavior exhibited by the parents, coaches and players that he had to deal with.

Good Luck with that !

It’s getting dark. Here I come, Elizabeth!

So are you saying that the parents are behaving like a murder of crows? Or are they just a gaggle of geese honking away?

Here in Ontario, Canada, there is an umpire crisis, because agresssive parents have made the job too hard, even dangerous.

Even back in the late 70’s and early 80’s the parents put so much pressure on the young players. I often thought they should ban parents from the games. With technology what it is today they need to have a special room or area for parents to watch the game remotely. Then the kids could play without being yelled at in a discouraging way.

Yeah, in some kid’s leagues, the parents are banned.

The Tank McNamara strips back in the ‘70s included one of Tank temporarily coaching Little League and being utterly shocked by the foulmouthed parents. He overheard two of the kids discussing who had just spoken a particular obscenity, with one of them saying that his father usually said a different bad word immediately before that one. The boy quoted his dad’s typical vile language, although of course the comic strip showed it only as a string of symbols.

Well, at least, he doesn’t have to worry about ’Skylar’s’ parents since he doesn’t have any—just Uncle Cosmo and I haven’t heard (or seen to be truthful) Cosmo say anything to which the coach was referring which is surprising after working for Shoe ! ! !

I always thought birds speak in fowl language.

It is sad when a kid’s game turns into a donnybrook with the parents, coaches, umpires, etc involved. The kids are the ones who, as a general rule, seem to have more sportsmanship.

Parents are getting out of hand at team games.

TOO TRUE!

Deptford Township in New Jersey has instituted a rule that should be helpful: a parent (or anyone else) who argues with an umpire must volunteer to umpire three subsequent games him/herself.

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Living/town-forces-argumentative-parents-umpires-league-games/story?id=98810329

Giving “the child is father to the man” a new meaning.

Baseball tends to ruffle the mothers’ and fathers’ feathers.

Getting to the point where parents are going to be banned from on field attendance. Set them up in an auditorium under lock and key.

A sad statement on reality

Gary & Susie know their little leaguers family, funny…

I was ref’ing an adult flag football game. The runner knocked his own flag off and it fell 3 inches from the goal. Last play of the game and the team goes for a pass that is intercepted. Game over. After the game the loosing team decides to block my car and “have words” with me. I get out of my car and the QB comes up, mad as heck. I ask him “Where was the ball?” He said at the goal line. I said “Why not take a direct snap and hold the ball over the goal line?” One of his players says “He’s Right.” They all turn and walk away. I breath a sigh of relief.

Unfortunately, this is too common to be funny.

Way back, I was the commissioner for a t-ball league in a fairly large city. When I took the job, I was given one really neat piece of advice. Only got to use it once:

Had a dad in the stands that would not stop ragging on the poor old umpire. I walked onto the field and told the ump to stop the game. Of course, this made me the center of attention. Walked up into the stands and addressed the “dad”. I explained that we always had a need for coaches, umps, etc… and since it was obvious that he was very well versed in the game, I would appreciate him coming out next year to help in some fashion. I left the stands and yelled “play ball” to the ump. “Dad” never said another word. I am guessing that his wife used lots of words on the way home in the car.

Little League and school sports go smoother when the parents are banned.

Why is second panel in gray tones?

money ruins everything… parents are a close second

I coached LL Baseball, Football, and girls Softball in the ’80s, I had zero problems with parents. Great time.