Non-journalists cheering in press box. Should I say something?

Just once, I wish a politician would stick to their roots in a situation like that. If two state teams play during the season or playoffs, just pick a side and say "I'm a fan of Team A. Fuck off, Team B douchebag." I guarantee they won't lose any votes over it.
Ed Rendell is about the only politician I can ever remember doing that.

Tangent over...

 

You underestimate the fanaticism of sports fans.

And you overestimate how many people make their decisions on voting.

 

Can't recall ever seeing Rudy in a Mets hat. And Daley would rather have a rectal exam than be caught wearing a Cubs lid.

 

Just once, I wish a politician would stick to their roots in a situation like that. If two state teams play during the season or playoffs, just pick a side and say "I'm a fan of Team A. Fuck off, Team B douchebag." I guarantee they won't lose any votes over it.
Ed Rendell is about the only politician I can ever remember doing that.

Tangent over...
[/quote]

I find the Rudy stuff so ridiculous.

The Yankees are not fucking playing!

He's an American League guy, therefore he supports the Red Sox.

Yeesh.

 

Ran into a fanboy/video guy at a road game last night screaming in my ear the whole third period. PR person sat there and did nothing. Finally, I say to the guy: "There's not supposed to be any cheering in the press box." He gave me a "Yeah, right. Fuck you" look and continued cheering. Just fired off an email to the league commissioner and PR person. Let's see what they do because next time --- Nov. 11, to be exact --- I won't be so nice if it happens again.

 

I think you have to stand up and say something in these kind of situations.
Here are a couple that have come up with me in recent years and how I've handled them:
**Writers for college paper starts cheering on press row at a basketball game. I just pulled the kid aside and told them it wasn't appropriate. They don't know sometimes.

**Home team radio/stats guy for arena football team is going nuts with his comments on the game. I just approached the PR guy and asked to be relocated the next time I covered the team.
There's a difference between an open press box and 80,000 screaming fans (which mostly becomes background noise) and someone sitting 2 feet from you that can't STFU.
**Bobby Hebert makes an ass of himself at LSU-Auburn game. It was VERY distracting -- and I sat one row back and 5-6 seats down. Does this tell you how loud and annoying he was? It IS unprofessional. He was allegedly there in a professional capacity since he has a radio gig. (Not gonna touch that one). I said something very politely to the LSU SID staff after the game. It wasn't something I felt could be given a pass. The LSU staff actually sent out a release to the media apologizing for it following the game, which was classy. I'd have to defer to anyone who covers LSU to let us know if it was actually rectified. Most of them sit on the opposite side of the press box, so they don't see it.

 

Nurse: Mayor Daley, the doctor is ready to give you your rectal exam.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=49382
photo of him in said hat:
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/image/?id=3130

 

There are doucheboxes cheering in the pressbox I'm currently in. I want to commit murder.

 

Justifiable homicide all the way.

 

Sat next to a guy today who, when he wasn't trying to get me to high-five him every time the home team gained positive yardage, spent the whole afternoon calling the ref every name in the book for not calling holding on the visiting team.

I wanted to pull my hair out (what little I have left after little league season this past summer).

 

Listen newbie, if you're at a high school event that's catered you should probably take advantage of that. Some of us would kill to cover games at a field that has an actual pressbox.

So grab a plate and fetch me a beer. Scratch that. Fetch me a plate of food.

I love covering games in Syracuse (except for the fact that it's sub-zero in the Dome most of the time). I think it adds to the atmosphere.

Honestly, that's why I love covering sports. I love getting caught up in the emotion. The trick is to get hyped about the game itself but stay neutral.

As far as the original problem, just let the kids know they need to be quiet while you're writing. Personally, I like fucking around with the guys in the pressbox of our minor league team. Of course it's baseball, so there's a lot of dead time.

 

Shoot 'em, I say. Then stab and strangle them.