And so it starts...free food cut from Mizzou pressbox

Heck, the media buffet at most Texas HS football games was better than the Mavericks ....

 

When am I going to need to make Tiramisu? Seriously.

 

Some of the best high school press box food is at a high school baseball field. You sit down in the huge press box built with the donations from two first round draft picks from the school.

You sit down and almost immediately a mom will come up and ask if you'd like anything to eat from the concession stand. This place has what they call the "Warrior Dog" and Earl Campbell sausage wrapped in a warm flour tortilla. Amazing with just a little mustard.

So I say I'll have a Warrior Dog. Just one the mom asks? What the heck I'll have two. The other writer only orders three to start.

Even better after early season tournament games there, if you are covering the last game, they hand out Warrior Dogs to anyone who wants them as they are leaving - for free. They are great at breakfast.

Another favorite press box is at a school I use to cover. They had a local Italian place bring in Cesar Salad, grilled chicken, lasagna, sauce, garlic bread and chocolate cream pie and cream puffs. Plus, they also have the regular pizza and Chick-fil-A.

One last thought - one year I had to cover every boys basketball tournament game on Dec. 29, 30 and 31. The tournament is sponsored by Whataburger. So for the first game you had breakfast fare then at lunch and beyond me and the trainer on duty would go get a whataburger at halftime of each game and slam that baby down with fries before the game resumed. Repeat next game.

Covering high school sports in Texas can be fun sometimes.

 

the outback bowl spread is legendary.

Three years ago, Penn State defeated tennessee, and the outback bowl representatives asked paterno in the postgame presser how the accommodations were for his team.

Paterno: "Everything was fine, except I can't find a decent steak in this town."

The press broke up laughing. The bowl reps turned beet red

 

Thank goodness that's a joke. I'd have been screwed when I covered the Sun Bowl in 2006 if that were true. For the record, I'd be quite pleased to never see El Paso again. That trip bit.

As someone who's covered Missouri, I can't say I'm surprised, nor can I say this is that big a loss. Missouri never hesitates to screw over the media, but quite frankly, their spread wasn't anywhere near the quality of the rest of the conference. Now, if it was Nebraska, Iowa State or Baylor, I'd be pretty ticked. Those schools provide quality spreads.

The main reason this is BS at the college and pro level is the outside food rule at some places. No high school is going to stop you from bringing in your own food, so that's fine that they don't give you food. If a college or pro team will let you bring in whatever you want, that's okay too.

Where I get ticked is if certain things can't come in, or if you can't bring in food at all. You are not in that stadium completely by your own choice. You are there because your job requires it. It is complete BS to have to pay at all to DO YOUR JOB. As far as I'm concerned, anyone who does this needs to drop its opposition to any food brought in by media members. Also, I don't buy the argument of people taking advantage of this. Last I checked, the school/team granted credentials. That's their problem. If you don't want to be taken advantage of, make sure you're only granting credentials to legit publications.

Finally, sometimes a spread is all that makes a game tolerable. The Big 12 Championship game this year, for example, nobody really wanted to be there because we all knew it would be an epic slaughter. What made it worthwhile?

Four kinds of cheesecake in the press box. Thank you, Big 12.

 

Had that happen to me once at Colorado. Coors, naturally.

 

Coastal Carolina. Really. Also, when I covered the Michelob Ultra LPGA stop, they had -- you guessed it -- coolers full of Mich Ultra in the press room. Coyotes and Suns used to have beer in the press room postgame, but I haven't covered either team in five-plus years, so I don't know if that's still the case.

 

To be perfectly honest, I would give up some of the booze and food and maybe the hookers for better access to players before and especially after games.

At some bowl games, they give you the coaches and two players after the game and then spirit everyone away. Makes it tough if you are trying to produce an 8-page section on the game.

 

Beer use to be readily available at NASCAR and NHRA events. It still is if you know what you're doing.

 

Back when Winston still sponsored NASCAR, I vividly remember a table in the hospitality room piled with cartons of cigarettes. We had one chain-smoker back on the sports desk for whom Christmas came early when the race was in town.

 

Thank you John Martin.

 

I only ever got offered beer after a little local golf tournament (local like one of the course tourneys, not like a Hooters tour or anything). I'm envious.