Overheard in the press box

I love how sanctimonious some in our industry have become. News reporters are laughing at the idea of a press box.

 

I'm not laughing at the idea. I'm laughing at the idea that some would pull a tantrum. If you don't get a seat, don't cover the school.

 

I don't need a press box to do my job.

As long as I can see what's happening and I have access to the information I need, I'm good to go.

That said, if I ever do decide to go into the press box and work from there and somebody tries to tell me I can't, they'd better have a damned good reason why. And TV taking up all the available space will not qualify as a damned good reason.

 

While we are talking about TV, in not one of my finer moments...

I am talking some football kid who had a good game on the field after a game. I'm on deadline, so this usually does not take more than 2-3 minutes. The local cable HS football show cuts me off mid question to grab the kid away for their taping (which would air on like 3 p.m. Monday afternoon or something like that), and I told him that I really would not want to let their 200 viewers down, so they could have him. I was done.

Man, I was pissed when that guy cut in. That was a cheap shot I tossed at him, though.

 

Depressing? Really? You people need to have more spine than this. Seriously, the building in most cases belongs to the school system. They can do anything they want with the press box, regardless of the semantics. You're not entitled to a seat up there, and if they want to use it to create a revenue stream like colleges have in their luxury suites, that's their prerogative.

That said, make your arrangements days in advance, if not before the season starts. Do not show up 30 minutes before the game and assume you'll get prime treatment. It simply doesn't work that way. I've yet to encounter a situation where I called in advance and didn't get what I needed to do the job.

I love this thread and the concept behind it, but this industry is seriously drowning in a sea of its own bullshit. [/rant]

 

Taking your ball and going home is better than a tantrum?

 

Yes. At least you can let readers know the school doesn't think newspaper coverage is important. Guess, what, the school will back off.

Getting into an argument in public is never the answer.

 

You shouldn't have let him cut in.

We had municipal elections in Ontario last Monday and the local cable station was determined to grab my hometown's new mayor for a live TV spot as soon as she arrived at City Hall. They didn't want to scrum with those of us in radio and newspapers, but we were all on deadline and couldn't wait for her to do TV first, live or not. So we simply wouldn't let the new mayor go until we were finished with her.

Afterward, the cable station's producer started in on one of the radio guys. He told her to fuck off, as he should have.

 

One of my favorite "Overheard in the press box" stories goe s way back to when Georgia Tech and Georgia had an annual Thanksgiving Day game between the two school's junior varsity teams (remember those?), and before that, the freshmen teams (back when freshmen were ineligible) at Grant Field (as it was known back then).

One year, a particular punt returner for Georgia had a rough day fielding punts — fumbled at least three of them that I can remember. Later in the game, he was sent back there for another punt and the spotter says over the press box mike, "(So and so) calls for the fair catch." The kid then grabs the ball without incident, and the spotter excitedly yells out "AND HE MAKES IT!!!!!"

 

I'm not advocating a public argument, but I would think a newspaper covering what is important to its readers would trump any hurt feelings over not having a seat in a press box.

 

You think quite a lot of yourself, don't you?

That is such baloney. It's not "yours." It's the school's.

 

Stitch: How you you legitimize that if you can cover it another way?

If there's a robbery, and the police won't give you a release, you still report the story.