Travel time, game time

For high schools, I do 15 minutes for every "A". That is, 30 minutes for a 2A, 45 minutes for a 3A, etc.

 

With high schools I like to do an hour early, but with an extra 15 minutes per A on a downward sliding scale. That means the top classification I'm good at an hour early, but anything below that I tack on 15 minutes with each smaller classification. Those lower class (in many ways) press boxes fill up quick and I'm not covering from the field. I rarely cause a scene, but when Goober and Gomer are just taking up space in the BugTussle press box, I get pissed. In an effort to prevent that, I've been known to show up hours before kickoff. I got to a 2A playoff game once about four hours before kickoff. Maintenance guys hadn't even unlocked the box yet. Obsessive? Yeah, but it kept me blood pressure at a manageable level.


Colleges I like being there at least 2:30 early if not more. I just like being able to "relax" before kickoff, talk with others in the box, watch a little football on TV and, of course, grab that first spot in line for the lukewarm BBQ. :

 

I've always liked getting to an event about an hour early -- especially for football. I haven't done any major I-A college gamers, but I'd imagine I would want to get there about two hours early. It is a neat time, and I enjoy watching the steady creschendo leading to kickoff. For basketball, I also like getting to the arena about 45 mintues to an hour early. It's a smaller creschendo, but it is neat to hear silence turn into about 10 bouncing balls only to be silenced by the crowd.

 

For preps, I'm there at least a half-hour early -- more if I know space is tight and I need to carve some out.

 

the best part about covering golf...you can actually get there after the contest starts!

 

For college football, usually 2 hours before kickoff to get notes done, unless it's an early game. Then arriving 90 minutes early will do. For basketball, two hours early at the latest. Sometimes three. With early notebooks to do, I like to get there and talk to the assistant coaches and other sources to dig some stuff up. It obviously also helps in establishing good relationships. Plus, my college hoops beat is ridiculously competitive and if you don't get there two hours before you're definitely missing something.

Often my columnist likes to ride with me to home basketball games. It pisses him off that I leave so early. He was a beat guy in a previous life. He ought to know better.

 

I shoot for 30 to 45 minutes for prep games. Sometimes, I cut it close. When you're shooting for 30 and you hit a little traffic or have to stop for gas, your heart starts to beat a little faster as you try to rush past the Gestapo-like ticket booth folks.

Tonight, I was on another story near the stadium and arrived an hour early. I climbed the pressbox steps to discover that the door was still locked.

I find that you really need to be more than an hour early for most college and pro games. If you try to arrive an hour before the game and you're delayed even a little, you have to bust your butt, especially if you haven't done your homework.