Overheard in the press box

"Nuts and bolts, we got screwed."
http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Massachusetts-announcers-lose-it-over-blown-back?urn=highschool-280644

 

At a minor league basketball game, the P.A. announcer said, "Despite what you saw, that was an offensive foul."
The home team received a technical.

 

The news director of a station that did games at a previous stop of mine told me that's exactly why they chose an out-of-town game some weeks, since not only could people back home that couldn't get away listen, but their signal was strong enough to be heard in the stands at the game.

 

One of the writers from the C-J got to his game last night and walked up to the press box, only to be told by the home team's principal that the three remaining seats in the press box were "reserved" for fans.

 

That is depressing.

 

We had that happen. Monday morning I called the superintendent and we discussed the concept of "press" box vs. "fans" box. We also discussed the concept of the school's really good football team getting front-page coverage by our reporters vs. getting buried inside because we can't do our job. The next game we had a seat.

 

Did you actually threaten to lessen coverage?

I know what they're doing is bush, but to me it should have no relationship to the coverage.

You put on the front what should be on the front.

And not to re-start the sidelines-press box argument, you can cover a game without a seat in the press box.

 

I think its more of a principle thing. Its called a press box, not a fan box. And you are right you can cover a game from more places than a press box. But don't call it a press box if you aren't going to allow the press in.

 

Really depends on the deadline situation.

I worked at a shop where there were 7:30 starts for high school games that went 3+ hours (freaking spread teams and media time outs because of radio contracts and the always fun 30 minute homecoming halftime). If you've got an 11 or 11:30 copy deadline, you need to do a running gamer just in case. That could necessitate things like, say, power and a phone line if you still file that way, and it definitely necessitates cover if the weather is less than spectacular so you can work on your computer without hurting it or you.

I can completely understand why the lack of a press box, in some situations, would make doing the job much more difficult and force a move in how the story is played.

 

I don't wait for Monday morning. I call the superintendent on my cell or if in luck find him or her in the stands and make it crystal clear this won't be tolerated, then I go straight back to MY seat in the press box, and take my rightful place. If that principal lays one finger on me, I get the nearest cop, give my side of the story and then let the principal explain to the cop what is going on.

 

And then you get laughed out of the building.

 

For better or worse, high school sports have become big business. The next major frontier is schools charging rights fees for webcasts. Hey, if someone is going to make a buck, they want their share of the pie, too.