Non-journalists cheering in press box. Should I say something?

[Batman]

Okay a few thoughts/question on this thread:

2. Really, Ashcroft needs a shirt that has his name on it? I mean even at sporting events, don't all gov./political types always where suits and ties, or at least a nice button down shirt? I ain't buying it. 88 he might have been going for reelection and worn the shirt...but that just means you have problems if no one recognizes you...and beside, who could root for the Cards in 88?

They won the World Series in 1987. I went to college with Stan Musial's grandson and went with him to the 1985 series where we sat in the box next to Ashcroft's. He was wearing a hat that was Cardinals on the front and Royals on the back, which he would turn around depending on which team was batting. We were young, dumb, and full of beer, so at some point in the middle of the game, we started giving him crap for not picking a side. He came over to us, joked around, told us he was a huge Cards fan, but basically said "What are you going to do?"

Just once, I wish a politician would stick to their roots in a situation like that. If two state teams play during the season or playoffs, just pick a side and say "I'm a fan of Team A. fork off, Team B douchebag." I guarantee they won't lose any votes over it.
Ed Rendell is about the only politician I can ever remember doing that.

Tangent over...

 

[Captain_Kirk]

Okay a few thoughts/question on this thread:

2. Really, Ashcroft needs a shirt that has his name on it? I mean even at sporting events, don't all gov./political types always where suits and ties, or at least a nice button down shirt? I ain't buying it. 88 he might have been going for reelection and worn the shirt...but that just means you have problems if no one recognizes you...and beside, who could root for the Cards in 88?

They won the World Series in 1987. I went to college with Stan Musial's grandson and went with him to the 1985 series where we sat in the box next to Ashcroft's. He was wearing a hat that was Cardinals on the front and Royals on the back, which he would turn around depending on which team was batting. We were young, dumb, and full of beer, so at some point in the middle of the game, we started giving him crap for not picking a side. He came over to us, joked around, told us he was a huge Cards fan, but basically said "What are you going to do?"

Just once, I wish a politician would stick to their roots in a situation like that. If two state teams play during the season or playoffs, just pick a side and say "I'm a fan of Team A. fork off, Team B douchebag." I guarantee they won't lose any votes over it.
Ed Rendell is about the only politician I can ever remember doing that.

Tangent over...

You underestimate the fanaticism of sports fans.

And you overestimate how many people make their decisions on voting.

 

[Armchair_QB]

Okay a few thoughts/question on this thread:

2. Really, Ashcroft needs a shirt that has his name on it? I mean even at sporting events, don't all gov./political types always where suits and ties, or at least a nice button down shirt? I ain't buying it. 88 he might have been going for reelection and worn the shirt...but that just means you have problems if no one recognizes you...and beside, who could root for the Cards in 88?

They won the World Series in 1987. I went to college with Stan Musial's grandson and went with him to the 1985 series where we sat in the box next to Ashcroft's. He was wearing a hat that was Cardinals on the front and Royals on the back, which he would turn around depending on which team was batting. We were young, dumb, and full of beer, so at some point in the middle of the game, we started giving him crap for not picking a side. He came over to us, joked around, told us he was a huge Cards fan, but basically said "What are you going to do?"

Just once, I wish a politician would stick to their roots in a situation like that. If two state teams play during the season or playoffs, just pick a side and say "I'm a fan of Team A. fork off, Team B douchebag." I guarantee they won't lose any votes over it.
Ed Rendell is about the only politician I can ever remember doing that.

Tangent over...

Can't recall ever seeing Rudy in a Mets hat. And Daley would rather have a rectal exam than be caught wearing a Cubs lid.

 

[BillyT]

Just once, I wish a politician would stick to their roots in a situation like that. If two state teams play during the season or playoffs, just pick a side and say "I'm a fan of Team A. fork off, Team B douchebag." I guarantee they won't lose any votes over it.
Ed Rendell is about the only politician I can ever remember doing that.

Tangent over...
[/quote]

I find the Rudy stuff so ridiculous.

The Yankees are not forking playing!

He's an American League guy, therefore he supports the Red Sox.

Yeesh.

 

[TwoGloves]

Ran into a fanboy/video guy at a road game last night screaming in my ear the whole third period. PR person sat there and did nothing. Finally, I say to the guy: "There's not supposed to be any cheering in the press box." He gave me a "Yeah, right. fork you" look and continued cheering. Just fired off an email to the league commissioner and PR person. Let's see what they do because next time --- Nov. 11, to be exact --- I won't be so nice if it happens again.

 

[grrlhack]

I think you have to stand up and say something in these kind of situations.
Here are a couple that have come up with me in recent years and how I've handled them:
**Writers for college paper starts cheering on press row at a basketball game. I just pulled the kid aside and told them it wasn't appropriate. They don't know sometimes.

**Home team radio/stats guy for arena football team is going nuts with his comments on the game. I just approached the PR guy and asked to be relocated the next time I covered the team.
There's a difference between an open press box and 80,000 screaming fans (which mostly becomes background noise) and someone sitting 2 feet from you that can't STFU.
**Bobby Hebert makes an ass of himself at LSU-Auburn game. It was VERY distracting -- and I sat one row back and 5-6 seats down. Does this tell you how loud and annoying he was? It IS unprofessional. He was allegedly there in a professional capacity since he has a radio gig. (Not gonna touch that one). I said something very politely to the LSU SID staff after the game. It wasn't something I felt could be given a pass. The LSU staff actually sent out a release to the media apologizing for it following the game, which was classy. I'd have to defer to anyone who covers LSU to let us know if it was actually rectified. Most of them sit on the opposite side of the press box, so they don't see it.

 

[Jeremy Goodwin]

Okay a few thoughts/question on this thread:

2. Really, Ashcroft needs a shirt that has his name on it? I mean even at sporting events, don't all gov./political types always where suits and ties, or at least a nice button down shirt? I ain't buying it. 88 he might have been going for reelection and worn the shirt...but that just means you have problems if no one recognizes you...and beside, who could root for the Cards in 88?

They won the World Series in 1987. I went to college with Stan Musial's grandson and went with him to the 1985 series where we sat in the box next to Ashcroft's. He was wearing a hat that was Cardinals on the front and Royals on the back, which he would turn around depending on which team was batting. We were young, dumb, and full of beer, so at some point in the middle of the game, we started giving him crap for not picking a side. He came over to us, joked around, told us he was a huge Cards fan, but basically said "What are you going to do?"

Just once, I wish a politician would stick to their roots in a situation like that. If two state teams play during the season or playoffs, just pick a side and say "I'm a fan of Team A. fork off, Team B douchebag." I guarantee they won't lose any votes over it.
Ed Rendell is about the only politician I can ever remember doing that.

Tangent over...

Can't recall ever seeing Rudy in a Mets hat. And Daley would rather have a rectal exam than be caught wearing a Cubs lid.

Nurse: Mayor Daley, the doctor is ready to give you your rectal exam.

Mayor Richard M. Daley, arguably the city's most famous White Sox fan, also appeared at the rally to wish his rivals well. Daley bet Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon a bounty of Chicago delicacies in anticipation of the team's upcoming series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Donning a Cubs hat amid wild applause, the mayor stopped short of predicting a second world championship in three seasons.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=49382
photo of him in said hat:
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/image/?id=3130

 

[Clever username]

There are doucheboxes cheering in the pressbox I'm currently in. I want to commit murder.

 

[pseudo]

There are doucheboxes cheering in the pressbox I'm currently in. I want to commit murder.

Justifiable homicide all the way.

 

[In Cold Blood]

Sat next to a guy today who, when he wasn't trying to get me to high-five him every time the home team gained positive yardage, spent the whole afternoon calling the ref every name in the book for not calling holding on the visiting team.

I wanted to pull my hair out (what little I have left after little league season this past summer).

 

[farmerjerome]

I was at a HS game this weekend and had something similar.

Normally, nobody else sits in the huge press box, but this evening would be different.

Right before kickoff, stadium employee comes up to me and asks if they can store some food in the press box. I tell them there's no problem on my end, but what they neglect to tell me is that this is because it's a catered event and people will be eating in there until the middle of the third.

The AD came up to me before people started coming in and told me to grab a plate, I thanked him, but didn't partake. I was appreciative that one of the caterers came up to me and offered to serve me a plate (since there were always about 15-20 people at a time the whole first half and halftime), but she did it in the middle of the second half kickoff, so I hope she didn't think I was rude when I didn't even look up to answer.

But at least the coaching staff of one of the teams I covered the week before was nice enough to acknowledge me and say hi as they were eating and scouting.

Listen newbie, if you're at a high school event that's catered you should probably take advantage of that. Some of us would kill to cover games at a field that has an actual pressbox.

So grab a plate and fetch me a beer. Scratch that. Fetch me a plate of food.

If you cover at a game at stadiums like the one at Virginia -- and I've been to a number of them like it (Syracuse is one if I am not mistaken) -- you have about 65,000 people cheering in the press box. But that's because the "press box" has you basically sitting out in the stands, which is why I never get too upset about "distractions" from a few fan boys cheering in the press box. It shouldn't happen, but it is very low on my list of benches in covering college and pro sports.

I love covering games in Syracuse (except for the fact that it's sub-zero in the Dome most of the time). I think it adds to the atmosphere.

Honestly, that's why I love covering sports. I love getting caught up in the emotion. The trick is to get hyped about the game itself but stay neutral.

As far as the original problem, just let the kids know they need to be quiet while you're writing. Personally, I like forking around with the guys in the pressbox of our minor league team. Of course it's baseball, so there's a lot of dead time.

 

[hanging_curveball]

Shoot 'em, I say. Then stab and strangle them.