To commemorate the magazine’s 50th anniversary, each month I will use this space in reflection. I will select one of my columns from previous years and share it with you with some minor updating.
It all began back in the 1940s. Basketball and sports in general were a way of life in our home. We went to games, carrying Dad’s bag, and acted as official “ball boys.” In the 1946 photo shown here, my father, Rudy, is flanked by my older brother, Mark (on his left), and me.
After my father stopped playing, he picked up officiating as a sideline. We still went to the games together, but now carried his officiating bag. We weren’t quite sure why all the folks were yelling at Dad, but it sure was exciting! My mother and younger brother, Greg, stayed at home in peace and quiet.
Over the years, Dad worked basketball, football and some baseball. For him, it was a love affair. His enjoyment and positive outlook rubbed off on us. Brother Mark went on to work as an official in the NBA for five years. As for me, my Dad planted the seed, which years later led to the founding of Referee magazine in January 1976.
One of the most heartening experiences I had during the launch of the magazine and the company was being able to ask my Dad to become part of Referee’s early staff. His background and willingness to work with people made him a natural to be our main point of contact for subscriber relations. And boy, did he excel at helping any official, subscriber or not, who contacted us in need of an assist or some information.
On June 1, 1979, almost four years into our venture, my Dad will retire from the company. The hundreds upon hundreds of communications I have personally received from officials bear witness to how much his service has been appreciated. He often told me that the surest way to fail in this business would be to not keep customers, and officials in general, satisfied. With that in mind, he never hesitated helping any official in need. If you got him on our help line, he would take care of you. He would send you what you needed and always a bit more.
Rudy is going to be very tough to replace. I am not looking forward to the task. We are all going to miss him, and I will especially. The time we have shared together officiating and working at Referee has been something special. He always offered his support, his ideas and his criticisms with understanding. When I wouldn’t listen to him, and he was right, he didn’t retort, “I told you so.” He was there to listen and, at the same time, made it easy to talk. I know he will be here in spirit, but I will miss him just the same.
Referee Magazine Publisher, Barry Mano’s latest Publisher’s Memo. Found in the January, 2026 issue of Referee. For more information or to subscribe to Referee magazine, visit www.referee.com.
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