Principal bans reporter from press box, apologizes

Here's link to story on our Web site:

http://www.winchestersun.com/public_html/?module=displaystory&story_id=8282&format=html

 

i was at a game a few years ago and this asshole cleaning person shut off the lights on me while i was working on my story 50 miles oaway in another city that teams from our area played many times. he did so after arguing with me for five minutes - the same time it would have taken me to finish if he just shut up.

Needless to say, being young as I was, I was quite angry and wrote a column about it. I thought it was a good column, and the coaches thought it was hilarious.

anyway, two weeks later I got a phoen call from the mayor of the town, apologizing for the inconvience and asking if I knew who it was so they could be reprimanded. I told him that was not necessary, and that it was probably one guy having a bad night and taking it out on me. he said sorry again and that was the end of it.

also made for another column.

 

True. At that point, it's time to get the paper's legal involved. That's a precedent that the school shouldn't be allowed to set.

 

I don't think it's even worth that.

You're probably gonna lose anyway.

And you can still cover the game.

 

Yeah, I'll be sure to balance my computer in my right arm, and my notebook, statsheets, pens, highlighters, taperecorder, water, etc. in my left. Oh wait, I need a hand to write with?

I write from the pressbox so I can get a better field angle. Not because I like to sit on my ass and twirl my hair.

I would walk. It's only one team and one game during the season.

A lot of the parents around here know who I am. If they see me leaving early they're going to wonder why. And when they call and find out, I'd bet that one or two angry phone calls to the principal will take care of that problem.

It usually only takes incident like this to get the principal to back off.

 

Actually, it's two teams, not one, farmerj.

 

yeah, you really "seem" like a dick, that's for sure.

 

Even better. Knocks out two birds with one stone.

 

You're so sweet, Tomas!

And he's still a dick.

 

I'm not even going to read on past this. You're a moron.

Some of us, you know, have to file immediately after games, which means writing during the game. And with score updates and blogs becoming the norm, many writers write more during the game than they ever have.

But we're all fucking lazy up there in the press box.

And I've done plenty of games from that vaulted spot on the field too. There are very few things in our business that are more overrated, in my opinion, than doing a game from the field.

Oh, but there's so much insight to be gleaned down there! Nineteen times of out of 19, you're not gleaning insight, you're running your ass down the sideline to make sure you get the ball spot right in your stats.

To each their own and all, but to call someone lazy for doing their job is moronic.

 

Before I started working at my current place of employment, there was a guy who wrote a column ripping a coach's play-calling.
The school's AD took offense to the column and banned everyone from out company from the school. A month or two later, we had a photographer who was asked to leave a basketball game at the school.

 

You should clarify what you think are ridiculous deadlines, because the "covering from the press box is lazy" assertion is pure poppycock. This is a time management issue and has nothing to do with laziness. If you have to file 30 minutes or less after the game is over, you'd better have your ass in the press box during the game and get some of your story written while the game is going on. If you can't get a handle on what's going on from up there, then you'd better find another line of work.