Cheering in the Clemson pressbox

What he/she said.

I know an SID who handled a major scandal at his college, and he's talked to my sports PR classes about it. The decsion was made early on -- by him, campus PR and campus administration -- to do whatever they could to assist the media who were covering the story, and there was a bunch of media involved. The school cleared an auditoriom and set it up as a media workroom, had a big whiteboard with all the PR folks' cell numbers and email addresses, and a schedule for press conferences. They provided drinks and snacks throughout the day, and gave the media a place to do its job. Did it help in terms of the school looking just a little better when it came to coverage of the scandal? Maybe, my SID buddy believes. But he was doing what good PR folks do: Helping the media do its job.

 

So is cheering by a school worker on press row OK with you?

 

I guess that would depend on the person who runs the office, just as what's allowed in a press box is determined by the person who runs the press box.

 

If there are no merits for cheering in the press box, why do people do it?

 

Dan is not arguing he wants cheering in the press box. He's not arguing it's a good idea to have cheering in the press box. He's not arguing SIDs shouldn't ban it in the press box. He's asking people why journalists should have the right to demand SIDs ban cheering in the press box. (Dan correct me if I'm wrong on that.)

Instead of responding to that specific argument with logic and reasoning, we've had four pages of people beating up on Dan and, for the most part, answering a different question. They trot out conventional wisdom and anecdotes from the good ol' days. Of course, when he challenges people, he's a "troll".

This tracks conversations about many other more important topics we have on the board. People want to pat themselves on the back by upholding journalist "ethics"-a beat writer can't write a column!!!!!!-without really examining the underlying premises behind them. Not surprisingly, newspapers have by and large failed to adjust with the times.

To be fair, this is not a board-specific problem. Take the perpetual hemming and hawing over plagiarism every time it happens. Obviously, this is horrible and has no place in journalism. But by putting on a big show about how they're doing something about it, newspapers get to pretend as though they're doing something while hiding their heads in the sand about more systemic problems that infect their newspaper everyday.

 

Why do people wear foam cheeseheads or a beer helmet? Some people don't care if they're obnoxious.

 

Because they're children who refuse to follow the rules, the rules which are set by the SID and adhered to for the most part by folks from coast to coast.

You clearly are capable of asking a series of questions, essentially the same ones over and over.

Sorry, but it is your responsibility to provide a lucid argument showing why allowing boosters/fanbois/student workers to cheer in the press box is appropriate, proper and superior to the current system.

You are suggesting the current system makes no sense or should be changed.

Prove it.

You can't.

But until you are at least willing to try, please sit in a luxury box, Section A or in front of your TV and scream as loud as you can. Go for it. That's your right as a fan.

Just not in the space that has been designated as a working press area.

 

You make it seem Dan is making a logical argument. His response is similar to my kids when I tell them why they have to follow a certain rule and keep saying "Why?" despite giving them real reasons why a rule is in place.

If there is cheering in the press box, than why have a press box?

 

I've never advocated the current system should change, only that the attitudes of many reporters toward the system should change.

Reporters don't set the rules of the press box, but many see cheering in the press box as a right/wrong issue.

What happens when a school decides to allow cheering in the press box? Will you be OK with that?

 

Why do you want reporter's attitudes to change? Is it responsible for the industry's problems? Would you get a job at a newspaper if attitudes were changed?

 

I think it's good in any situation if people who aren't entitled to something don't feel entitled to that thing.

No, not by a long shot. But it doesn't help.

Irrelevant.

 

Dan, how often do you work in a college or pro press box?