Remember back in October and again in May when a bunch of high-school football referees were suspended for using pink whistles during a game to show their support for breast-cancer research?Well, turns out that the Washington Officials Association doesn’t have a problem with refs supporting cancer research during games with colorful accessories–as long as it’s the right kind of cancer research. This week high-school football coaches all over the state will show their support for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month by using blue penalty flags instead of yellow.The Issaquah Press

quotes WOA Commissioner Todd Stordahl (the same guy who suspended the pink-whistle-using refs) as saying:”In most situations, officials want to avoid attention during games, but for three days we are hoping to attract a little attention with every penalty that is called. By switching to blue flags, it will at least make the fans notice that something is different. This is a great way for the officials to participate in an activity that will help bring awareness to something that has had an impact on many lives including some of those who are out on the field as officialThe prostate-centric “Coaches Against Cancer” campaign is sponsored by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and has been going on for four years now. It’s truly a great event and more than a worthy cause.The issue, of course, is the seeming double standard on the part of the WOA.When the refs used the pink whistles, Stordahl played a different tune, saying:”They chose not to ask for permission, not to go the right route. It sends the wrong message to kids that are playing the game. ‘If they broke the rules why can’t I do the same.'”The whole beef that the WOA said it had with the pink whistles was that the refs didn’t get the OK from the bosses before they wore them. Never mind that it was Breast Cancer Awareness Month when the refs first wore the whistles, the game itself was a fund-raiser for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and the refs had pledged to donate their game checks to charity.Never mind also that at the time the entire NFL was decked out in pink to support breast-cancer research, and the high school where the game was played had cheerleaders, band members, and seemingly everyone in the stands donning pink as well.Seattle Weekly reached out to Stordahl for a comment on the seeming double standard. We’ll update when/if we hear back.In the meantime, feel free to wear blue in concert with the refs. Just make sure you get permission to wear pink next month.Follow The Daily Weekly on Facebook and Twitter.