Eating at high school games

Tell him to inhale your tailpipe.

 

Can't believe someone raised a stink about this. Haven't been a reporter for more than 30 years -- but at my first job, the boss even told us we could list any food or drinks we bought at high school games on our mileage/expense reports (the food was so cheap that we never did). An aside to my fellow former Quad-Citians: Wharton Fieldhouse in Moline had world-class popcorn back in the day.

Then again, there were times I might've welcomed a food ban. Such as the time I covered an Illinois-Northwestern football game in Evanston, and the slob sitting next to me in the pressbox inhaled about a dozen hot dogs and got mustard and relish all over my notebook and stat sheets.

 

Still true in the 2000s. And they also had Whitey's chipwiches for sale!

 

There was one high school in my coverage area that had an older woman who cooked an entire buffet for us in the press box. As single men in our early 20s starved for homecooked meals, we'd fight over who got to cover that team every week.

 

One grocery store in our area just randomly started carrying Whitey's ice cream gallons.

I may have looked like Will Ferrell at the end of Old School the first time I noticed that.

 

When I was in Texas, some of the high school press box hospitality rivaled that of the Rangers...

These days the marketing guy for the radio station that airs the high school games brings enough pizza for the entire press box. A nice gesture. Damn right we partake.

 

Tell your photographer that when he starts buying your pre-game meals, you'll consider his opinion on pressbox food etiquette. But in the meantime, he can cram it up his cramhole.

 

I want to come work for some of you who have high schools that serve food in the high school press boxes. I'm lucky if schools let me inside the press boxes (Not that I use it because I walk the sidelines unless it's raining).

And the photog can piss off. If it isn't some issue about accepting free perks, why should he care? If he's worried about equipment, promise really, really hard that you'll use a napkin.

 

Stop by one of my BCU games. We've cut back on the actual press box food -- just veggies, cookies, etc., but our AD has his own tent for staff and guests...chicken, fish, ribs, meatballs, dirty rice, beans, corn, crab salad on occasion...the post-game food and fellowship is part of the game day experience. Photogs are welcome, even this asshat we seem to not like.

 

When you’re in an area, word gets around quickly who has the best spread and who’s the worst. In North Texas my vote for best goes to Mesquite Memorial when catfish is on the menu. However, at Allen you grab a soda and they look at you like you’re John Dillinger.

 

Concession food is basically the best part about the preps beat. I miss tacos-in-a-bag