Will work for paint...

Am I missing something, here?? I've been to a few paintball fields over the last few months where I have seen signs that read "Referees Work For Tips"! Silly me. I shelled out over $40,000 last year in referee salaries and bonuses!

Mean and grumpy???

Actually, I'll do it again this year, and do it with pride and pleasure and great personal satisfaction.

Referees work their tails off. At the ripe, old, median age of fifteen they are safety experts, customer service reps, babysitters, diplomatic aids, construction workers, marathon runners, politicians (ugghhh), technical consultants, janitors, public speakers, rule enforcers, teachers, and in many cases, human shields for 180 mph projectiles!

No one can claim they will get rich working at T-Square. For the majority of the teenagers that work here it's their first taste of employment. At $5.50 an hour it probably just covers gas (yeah, right!), new sneakers and a night out on the town (burgers and a movie) with a friend! But when they get lured away from T-Square by the big dollar employers like Burger Queen or Wallyworld they leave better people.

Damn right I pay my refs**. And teach them and feed them and entertain them and tip them with bonuses myself. Besides, I'm getting to old to be dragging my tired butt out into the woods!

Oh, and did I mention that along with the 40,000 plus dollars paid in salaries I paid nearly $10,000 dollars in various state and federal employment and unemployment taxes?

Now THAT makes me mean and grumpy!

**And, YES, T-Square refs can and will GLADLY accept any and all tips.