A toast to the stuff you guys put up with...

Know where you're coming from, IllMil.

Most schools recognized the staff writers, gave us no static and would even wave us in if there was a long paying line.

One school had the same crusty security guy. Always insisted on seeing my badge and checking everything as if I had spent all day forging and laminating a fake. He knew who I was (yes, that usually sounds really arrogant but point is he was busting chops because he could).

Not surprisingly, that school had major issues with my publication. Not surprisingly, things never really improved. Told one of my best friends about it, who was on staff at the school and was a varsity head coach and assistant for some lower-profile sports. He understood, but I knew he couldn't rattle but so many cages.

 

Update:

The SE sent a long, stern but professional email to the AD, supporting me and voicing his concern over why I was not let in.

The AD responded with a similar email in Dan Gilbert font as to why he didn't let me in. He said it was hectic and they were turning away hundreds of people. But also said a few things that were craptastic. He said me handing him the phone wasn't an option because he has no way to know who is actually on the other end. He also said "now that he's had time to think it over," he remembered my name being cleared, but in the moment just couldn't deal with it. He said a "young gentleman claiming to be media was very questionable," but if I had a credential I would have been admitted. The biggest load of crap he said was that if I had waited until 7:10 I might have been let in, even though it was after that time when he refused the phone call.

I'm not going to discredit him completely, I guess if he's going by the letter of the law he can probably justify what he did. But he is also the only AD I've ever encountered who took it to this level, and it's obvious he enjoys being master of his tiny universe.

 

Should run a story or column explaining to readers what happened and why the school in question will no longer be a regular part of sports coverage.

 

How about the ADs who, despite state athletic association rules that have clearly permitted flash photography for years, make a huge stink about it in their gyms? Why do these guys even get to host postseason tournaments?

We deal with a couple of these guys every year. Some probably aren't aware of the rules, but one in particular responded to our photographer telling him the state permits flash photography by saying, "I don't give a damn what the state says. I'm not allowing it in my gym."

 

That sucks IllMil, I've been lucky enough in my 10 years to have never been refused access to a sports event that I've had to cover.

I have had a few issues like the one Calvin Hobbes mentioned above, most recently shooting a junior A hockey game this season. I had security tell me that I could not use flash to shoot the game (your standard horse shit lit rink) because the coach was complaining that my flash was distracting the goalie, who had been lit up (no pun intended) for five goals in the first period. I asked the coach about it the next day and he said no such complaint was ever issued from the bench and that the league bans flash photography. By my closest guess it was either the team's marketing director or a board member that complained. Talked to the league the next day and was told that there is no such ban.
This same junior hockey team has not sent me a single press release since January, despite me giving them daily coverage. In short their marketing director has no idea how to market the team.

In the end you get people on a power trip at some level everywhere.

 

We've had the same problem with the same asshat, Calvin. Always the same place, too.