Teen in a CFB/NFL Press Box

I'm with the majority here. I don't particularly care who's in the press box, as long as they're not in my seat and follow the rules of decorum.
You'll encounter as many annoying jackasses with a laptop in front of them as adults and kids who are over the top, cheering fanbois that don't belong there.

 

No issue with this as long as the kid isn't wearing a Justin Bieber t-shirt.

 

I was covering USFL games at 18.

My daughter needed volunteer hours her senior year in HS. She worked football gamedays with me. Ran stats, helped out post-game, even let her do some in-game tweeting as the season progressed. Liked it so much, she helped with basketball even after she completed her volunteer hour requirement.

Assistant AD "Is she a senior in HS or college? Hard to believe someone that professional is YOUR kid."

 

Honestly, why do you care? None of your damn business who gets credentialed for what, unless you're the SID.

 

The OP is the teen in question.

 

That's my suspicion as well.

In which case, my advice is, if he does get credentialed:

1) Assuming you are there legitimately, show up early enough for a quick 'hello' to the SID, PR director or one of the top assistants (preferably the person who granted your credential). Don't take up any significant amount of time, just a quick name-check. Find out (although you should know already) what is the deal for internet access or setting up your laptop.

2) DO NOT wear team logo gear, especially not from either of the teams competing. Neutral colors are best.

3) Dress 'dressy casual.' Docker-style pants and some kind of collared sports shirt. Leave your Slayer t-shirt and open-toed sandals at home.

4) Never ever ever cheer for (or against) either team. Quick ticket to ejection.

5) Bring a notebook (legal pad is best) and several pens. During the game, take SOME notes (key plays, momentum swings, etc), but don't make a production of keeping play-by-play stats. Experienced reporters know you get PBP and stat roundups at the end of each quarter/half, and those are the official stats and yours aren't, so there's really no point to keeping play-by-play totals. Plus most pressbox seats now have computer screens which display running stats.

6) Resist the temptation to begin delivering your own PBP commentary on the action. Generally the best advice is to be quiet. If the person next to you seems reasonably friendly and offers one-liner reactions to plays, add in your own, "uh-huh" or "hmmm, I dunno" as you see fit, but don't go into monologues/diatribes.

7) If food is free (becoming quite rare these days), load up good when you go through the line, but do not keep going back for seconds or thirds. If food is not free, when others bitch about the high prices, shake your head and say, "yeah, it's crazy."

8 ) Go through the pregame notes and be sure you are set on what happens after the game --- do you go to interview areas, locker rooms, how long the press box is open after the game.

9) If anybody does give you any guff about being in the press box, assuming you haven't violated any of these guidelines, search out your "SID contact guy" you talked to before the game, who should know you are in there legitimately and give you the stamp of approval.

But if you've been acting like a horse's ass, you're on your own.

 

Very true. Some of the most arrogant, obnoxious people I've ever met were reporters in press boxes. Seemed like they felt they had some entitlement and expected the world to wait on them, as if they were somehow more important than anyone else. And no, they weren't any smarter (about sports or anything else) than people I'd met in bar.

 

Perfect set of guidelines. Probably should be posted in some J-school classrooms too.

 

Only one I might disagree on, Starman, is No. 5. Assuming we're talking football here, I still keep my own PBP for several reasons.
One, it keeps me in the flow of the game and keeps everything in front of me. If I'm keeping the PBP, I'm more likely to instantly remember a key play instead of having to leaf through a dozen sheets of loose paper that have been handed out since kickoff to find it.
Two, depending on where you are, the timeliness of the quarter and halftime PBP can be hit or miss. I've been places where they get it to you before the next quarter starts. Other places, you might never get it, or you might miss it if you try to take a bathroom break and they don't see anyone sitting there.
Three, all of that matters when you're trying to bang out part of your game story in the third or fourth quarter. Having to hunt for stuff, whether it's in tiny type or on one of a dozen sheets of paper, is ridiculously frustrating.

Now, all of that said, of course you use the official stats in your story and double check all of your work. I just don't think it makes you look like a rube if you're keeping your own stats. It definitely shouldn't be considered bad etiquette, unless you're constantly asking "how far was that?" after every 3-yard run.

 

I've been in press boxes with writers who brings their kids because they've been around for so long they can get away with it. The kids are fine it's the horrendously immature writers that I've encountered over the years that make life miserable.

Another good rule to Starman's list: always shower before a game. It sounds unimaginably simple but if I had a dollar for all the times my nose was violated by body odor in a press box you'd be amazed how full my wallet would be.