Press Box ejections

Feels like a long shot but ... pics?

 

One of our photographers got flagged -- well, the home team did -- because she stepped out onto the field for a shot after being warned a couple times about being too close.

 

Wish I did, but alas I was down there with nothing but myself. It was the 2002 Florida-Ole Miss game in Oxford. Maybe there's video somewhere in the bowels of the internet.
Also, it was mostly two male cheerleaders slapping each other which made it even funnier.

 

In my short career I never came close to being ejected, although there was that one time at Kentucky when I probably should have been. It was a cool night and maybe, just maybe, I'd had a couple of beers and some greasy food earlier in the day (it was a night game). The heater vent beneath my seat did yeoman's service in redirecting my ... emissions ... to the upper levels of the press box, where there followed much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Had I been discovered I'm sure they'd have bounced my ass down the stairwell.

 

Kentucky? Probably just thought it was the football team.

 

Not exactly the same thing, but ...

Many years ago, doing reporter/photographer duty at a JC baseball game. Out on the field, in foul ground, shooting. (Umpires were generally cool with this as long as you approached them beforehand for an OK.) Visiting Team is getting roughed up, and Visiting Team head coach decides that I'm stealing signs or some such nonsense, demands I be removed from the field. I, of course, get a bit ticked at being charged with being a homer, but before I can say anything I would later regret, Home Team head coach (a terrific guy, one of the best I ever dealt with) comes out to join discussion of Visiting Coach, umpires and me — and ends up going nose-to-nose in argument with Visiting Coach, standing up for me and my right to be on the field.

Bottom line: I stayed. Postgame interview with Visiting Coach was interesting, to say the least.

 

Few years ago at a state girls soccer final, guy from this rag weekly who's a notorious booze hound comes into the press box halfway through the game, looks drunk as hell and reeks of some funny plants if you catch my drift, wearing just a t-shirt in 40 degree weather. Notebook he was carrying had empty pages keep falling out, thing looked like it was gonna fall apart. He asks if the game started yet and then sat by himself in the corner half nodding off. 10 minutes into the second half, guy freaking vomits everywhere, including his own shirt, is asked to leave press box immediately. Ambulance ended up getting called and game was delayed cuz he stumbled and fell down bleacher stairs and had to get rushed to the nearby hospital. By the way, this game had a 5pm start.

All things considered ended up being a good soccer game.

 

How was his recap and sidebar?

 

If I recall, the recap was about what you'd expect from a guy who may or may not have been comatose for the 10 minutes he showed up.

 

Never during a game, but numerous times after when I stayed to write cause I was right on deadline and the WiFi was good. Of course, that's always when the janitor walks in and says he's turning the lights out and locking up, and the WiFi all goes down with it. Been fucked over way too much to have that happen again.

Apparently, they think gamers are finished when the game ends.

 

We could probably start another thread with these war stories.

 

Oh I did have a situation like Old Time Hockey's. Shooting a playoff softball game and they told me where I could and couldn't stand. Fine. Wasn't on the field was right up against the fence past the dugout. Couple innings go by, no problem. Then the home plate umpire gets upset and throws me off the field. At that point I had enough to pics but he made sure to pull in every umpire and make sure I didn't sneak around to the other side, like he wouldn't have noticed.