I Got You, Coach

My fare enters the call and chats, and I've got him for a 25-minute ride from Trenton to Princeton. It turns out that he's an experienced basketball referee, with lots of work at the college and women's professional level. I have past sportswriting experience and I've never interviewed a ref before, and the conversation comes easily because it's not as if it's on the record. I ask my guy if he hears the crowd (more when there are fewer people, which makes sense), and if he's able to tune out problematic coaches. He sizes me up and then says something amazing.

Calling the game is an exercise in neutrality, but if my man has a past history or knowledge that the coaches in question are prone to a lot of berating... he'd make a point of eating the most smelly thing he could before the game. Everything bagel, anchovies, beef jerky, etc. Then, if the coach wanted to get in his face... he'd be sure to breathe on them. As heavily as possible, with as long of an explanation as possible.

This information was passed down to him by an older ref, so it's not as if it's a unique move. I suspect that wise refs have been doing this for decades. But if you are watching a game and see a coach get disgusted after a conversation with a ref, it might not be entirely the explanation.