Overheard in the press box

I have never purchased a program. I make it a habit of checking with the announcer for extra rosters, and if there are none, I take a picture of them with my phone or a small digital camera I keep in my laptop bag. If you can't find a physical copy, it's nice to at least have a picture of one in front of you.

 

Good for you. I'm a big believer in the power of (deserved) compliments. I figure I tee enough people off in my life that maybe it mitigates things a little bit if I make sure to say or send a good word in similar situations.

 

More and more, "programs" are now team yearbooks. Team pictures, mugs of the varsity, maybe color mugs of the seniors, and of course the cheerleaders. Opponent rosters? Not in my America, unfortunately. Maxpreps is only as good as the information that's input, though. There's been a couple of times this season where I've gone there and a team either hasn't posted a roster, or there's a roster without numbers. If I can't get a roster from a school or its website in advance, I always check the roster against the announcers' copy, or I'll grab his roster after the game. This is especially important this time of year when there's lots of JV callups for the playoffs.

 

+1

 

As far as rosters go, hell, I usually stand on the visitors sidelines and the kids will tell you who ran the ball or made the tackle. It's simple. Don't waste time with copying every name in the book when you'll only use 5 names total.

 

On that note Moddy, CY, you have to be joking.

If someone is paying you for that work then you are stealing money.

 

One of the many reasons I left newspapering, and our mutual former company in particular.

 

This is why I love the KHSAA. Rosters -- with numbers -- are available online for just about every school across the state in, I believe, every sport in which scores are kept online (no tennis, wrestling, track/cross country, etc.).

 

And speaking of e-mailing in advance: I covered a game in Lexington last week and e-mailed the AD letting him know I'd be there. They had a seat saved -- in a heated press box, no less -- for me next to Mike Fields from the Herald Leader.

They were some of the nicest folks, too.

 

Read CYow's above post about asking kids for info.