Preps Football Questions and Venting

There are Web sites where you can search for places with wi-fi connections. You can type in the address of the the school and get a list of free and pay wi-fi sites. That takes a little stress out of Friday nights. I upgraded to a Blackberry over the summer, which has helped immensely with filing on deadline.

 

Not that your anger is unjust, and not that I don't understand your frustration, but, and maybe it's just my own personal karma, but every time I've ever allowed myself to think thoughts like that, I pretty much immediately had a huge fuckup of my own. It's infuriating.

 

Such as: http://www.wififreespot.com/

 

That all makes sense. Except for the oh-so-regular times when the multiple rosters in the office are incorrect because the school provided a roster with names spelled incorrectly. Not saying that's the case in your situation, but I'll bet I'm not the only person who's seen a kid have his name spelled incorrectly throughout high school, only to see it spelled differently once he gets a scholarship somewhere. It's amazing. Some schools don't care; some parents don't care.

 

I've seen rosters where players were listed with the wrong number, I've seen rosters where two different players had the same number and I've seen rosters where a player was listed with two different numbers.

 

I covered an American Legion game this summer, and I mentioned a player who singled in a run. No big deal, didn't talk to him, he didn't come up in the conversation with the coach, but the roster the coach provided had his number flipped with someone else so I had the wrong name. The coach actually emailed my SE (I was stringing at the time) to let him know that it was wrong in the story, but also that it was his fault. I still wasn't happy about it, though.

 

Denny's, too. File your story while you wait for your Grand Slam Breakfast.

 

A stringer just called and informed me he was sent from the press box by the athletic director because "we don't cover their team all season," but the local radio station does so they get the extra space. Even though I called the same AD 4 hours before game time to ask how long they leave their press box open, as we would have someone there covering the game and he said there would be no problem with him there, but they close up shop quickly (there's a hotel in town he can file from, so no problem).

Now he's in the camera nest above the press box. In wind chills south of 30 degrees. Not good. I plan to write the AD and principal a nice letter once the steam finishes coming off my head.

 

Just to play devil's advocate, why are you waiting till after the game to find wireless. If you are planning to go that route, why not at least stake out a wireless spot close by first?

 

The press box is usually filled with local hangers-on who want nothing more in life than to be associated with the high school team. It's a bit sad and pathetic, but I'd rather freeze than listen to a couple of idiots badmouth either the other team or the coach of the home team because their good-for-nothing kid doesn't get enough playing time.

 

Maybe this has been covered already, but ...

You need to figure out the filing situation BEFORE the game. You shouldn't have to wonder if you should dial 9 to get out. You should have already sent a test file an hour before the game or something.

As far as the game ending after deadline, well, that sucks. I can't believe they told you to try and get a quote. No time for that, if they really want you to make deadline.

 

Perhaps my editor is just a solid and upfront guy, but he was pretty upfront about the expectations surrounding my work as a stringer during high school football season. When to file, how to file, how much time I should allow, which press boxes are going to kick you out and which ones are going to offer up a pillow and blanket.

That said, you've got to do the research. I can't believe that you were just finding out that it was homecoming when you arrived at the stadium. Those things are usually well publicized, at least in Western PA.