Trevor Bayne/Daytona 500: Cheering in the Press Box

Well, Nate, to be fair...they're not really wrong on the binge drinking.

 

I also would like to add that some of the best writers / reporters I've read and know cover auto racing and NASCAR. The list includes Dave Kallmann, Chris Jenkins, Ed Hinton, Bob Zeller, Monte Dutton, Curt Cavin, Steve Ballard ... I could go on and on.

 

Wow. I've never thought of that before. My first job, at age 18, was at The Pantagraph in Bloomington, Illinois. Besides 4 local high schools and two universities, we covered another 60 or 70 in the circ area. I did that for 6 years. You simply did not play favorites, even by voice at a game. So even before I heard (and adopted) all the high-concept explanations for no-cheering, I'd been practicing it.

 

Can't speak for anyone after hours. However, in a sure-to-be-stunning development, I can verify there is no open bar in the deadline room nor are there flasks next to every laptop.

 

Jenkins did outstanding work when he was at USA Today. Hinton is the best in the business.

I never said they all suck. I was saying that I've seen more unprofessionalism at races than I've seen anywhere else during my career.

 

Nate,

It may be true that NASCAR events are no worse than other sporting events these days in regard to how media members conduct themselves.

But to act like you've never seen a reporter cheer, stuff a cookie in his pocket, hug a driver or whatever is hard to believe.

We see that from our bretheren in sisteren all over the place. A guy just lost his job for unabashed cheering at the first Sprint Cup race of the season.

So open your eyes, brother, and take that chip off your shoulder.

 

Hey! The cookies are free!

 

Among other things...

 

Go back and read the post. That's not what I said.

And I think we have discussed this already.

 

Aren't we all missing the point here? The guy got fired for cheering and defending it. He's not a citizen journalist, he's a freelancer working for Sports Fucking Illustrated. This isn't "new media" vs. "old media." This is a guy who went to Syracuse for God's sake, not the University of Phoenix and says he's been around the sport for 21 years.
Do you think Lars Anderson started whooping it up at the end of the race? I'm thinking no.
And while Hinton may be among the best in the business, I take exception to him lumping in national media and the true beat guys (Charlotte, etc.) with the fanboys of the world. Maybe it's the flop sweat in his ears that has him confused.

 

I keep a running total of stories and photos for the big schools in our area. When a parent from one school complains, I give them the numbers to prove rival high isn't getting more ink.

 

Legend has it that in Warner Robins, Ga., home of rival high schools Warner Robins and Northside, fans used to not only count stories but would actually measure the column inches devoted to stories about each school and bitch to the paper when the other school got more.