Friday night press box

Did that last night.
I pick up a wireless signal from the press box of Stumpjumper High.
I am finishing g up the box, the press box guy tells me there's one breaker up - throw it and shut the door when I leave.
Nice ending to crappy start.
They had no room for me in the press box- despite a forecast for rain - cause the other team's shit-eating AM radio station had set up shop. Fat bastards!
So I work the sidelines, head up the press box at halftime to file our half time story for the web from the coaches box, working on my box, grab two sandwiches on my way back down to the field.

Had that happen on more than one occasion. Also been I.D.'s situation. And I've had coaches and-or AD's stay with me until I was done, including one past midnight when my Tandy was having a fit with the couplers.
It all makes for great stories to share around the bar.

 

The few times I've been told "there's no room" in the box, I've simply asked for a chair and squeezed it in.

Friend of the Radio Guys can snuggle up or get the hell out.

 

I was covering a state championship last year and no lie, 10 minutes after we got back up to the press box from interviews, some dude comes in and says we have to leave. There are at least eight writers/photographers in the press box and everyone's mouth just dropped.

After a few writers were close to beating the guy, a coach with the school district volunteered to stay. The guy who told us to leave was the maintenance guy, and I guess someone forgot to tell him that the press leaves after everyone else.

 

Exactly.

 

If a pissant little AD did that to one of our writers, the writer wouldn't have to call the super, principal, etc.

Our SE would be on the phone with those people Monday morning with one of his "I'm going to do all the talking, and you're going to do all the listening" ass-kickings.

He won't put up with his writers catching that kind of shit, no way.

 

Does anyone really think they think of those things as press boxes? It's like a dugout that isn't actually dug out. If you wanted to be a hardass about it, the PA person shouldn't be allowed in because he isn't "press"

 

No, I don't think anyone thinks of press boxes being for the press. I think that's part of the point of this thread. I could be wrong, but I don't think anyone refers to something that's not a dugout as a dugout. They call them benches.

And of course PA announcers should be allowed in the press box.

Maybe in today's PC age, we should change the name of the thing from press box to "cubby hole for those who are at the game to work as opposed to being fans."

Wait, most PA announcers are fans of the home team. Shit, I give up.

 

Several years back a local school had gotten a local bond passed for athletic facility improvements. They sent us a coupls of releases about the renovations to the stadium, including a couple sections of true stadium seating, artificial turf and a multi-level "state-of the art" press box.

Okay, we decide to cover the opener after the everything is done. I admit, everything looked nice. Cept they overlloked one feature in the multi level press box: press.
They had one spot reserved for the local weekly rag, which was fine. Bottom level though was PA, scoreboard op and that dude plus a private room for VIPS. Top level was two coaching booths and a film area. When we, another paper and visiting radio all showed up, they realized they goofed.
The VIP room no longer exists, put the press now has a nice private room.

 

Ms. Digress,

I think you were treated poorly and I agree with what everyone else on here has said.

The only thing I disagreed with was your telling the editor that you didn't want to cover that school any more because of the incident. I mean it's one thing if you're scared because you felt physically threatened - that's a whole new can of worms - but to shrink away just because of some yelling doesn't seem acceptable to me. It wouldn't be accepted from a male reporter.

All I'm saying is don't back down. Go again if the situation calls for it and stand your ground. Let them know you're not intimidated.

 

I'm in a situation where I have some power over the things I do. So, I'm not going back there, not because I'm scared but because it's not worth the hassle. The funny thing was, that the AD came up as soon as I got back from post game and just said, turn off the lights when you go and shut the door. It'll lock. But, thanks everyone for the comments. Glad it wasn't my imagination that this sucked. I'm not posting here anymore. Time to move on.

 

Ah, being locked in a press box. That brings back memories. The first time, I was finishing up and was about to file -- by phone with my old Tandy 105 -- and the press box guy told me to lock the door and turn off the lights. When I got to the gate to the parking lot, it was locked and I had to slide my computer under the fence and hop the fence. Luckily, there were still a couple of cars leaving and I didn't get locked in the parking lot.

The second time, I wasn't as lucky. I was filing from the baseball coaches office and he told me to lock up when I was done. No problem. But when I got to the parking lot, the gate was locked. I had to find the security guy who lived on campus in a trailer and I was knocking on his door at 11 p.m. asking him to unlock the gate.

Most of the time I've asked in advanced, I didn't have problems. One AD did and was an ass and I simply called his principal the next day who was apologetic. Nowadays, I don't go through the hassle of filing from campus. I don't have a wireless card, but I'll find a restaurant that has wireless internet and file from there or a hotel and file from the parking lot or lobby.

 

Wow, does this bring back memories. I've covered about every level of sport, from t-ball to the pros, and high school ADs, assistant superintendents, stadium managers, etc., can be the worst. Give them some of them a little authority and they love to flaunt it.

I'll never use another school office after an incident a few years ago. I covered a high school basketball game and had made arrangements in advance to set up in an office to write the story and use their phone to file. Everything went smoothly and as I prepared to turn out the lights and lock the door behind me, and the custodian said he'd clean the room and lock up.

Two days later, our ME gets a call from the school security office saying cash from the concession stand that night had been stolen from that office. They didn't necessarily consider me a suspect, but I certainly got a thorough questioning. Luckily, I'm a longtime acquaintance of the AD, who stepped in and told the security folks it couldn't have been me. Turns out it was the custodian who swiped the cash.

In today's wireless world, I find there's little need to write from the school. I would suggest going to a nearby McDonald's or Starbucks, spend a few bucks to get online and file from there.