Access guidelines and asshole SIDs

Question: at what point do you decide to circumvent a school’s “access guidelines”? It pisses me off that the SID holds this hammer. On the other hand I’d rather stay on the beat than do desk for two or three weeks.

http://www.sportsmediaguide.com/10232006-DaveHooker.html

 

I cover a school that has a guideline like this in place.

Here's the deal. I have the cell phones for the football players from my area. If something really important happens to them, I'm going to call them. I have done this before, though I first call the SID, he's a very cool guy, and I explain the situation to him. I'll give him the option of calling the kid and setting it up himself. The SID has done this before and it's been fine.

I explain to him that I will talk to the kid one way or the other. That generally clears up any possible misunderstandings and/or slow-downs.

 

Just as a blanket statement, I really like the idea of calling the SID and telling him you are going to have to call someone on a cell if he/she doesn't help out. And if you have to break the rules, letting them know first, in my experience, really helps. SIDs aren't dumb. They know some stories are different than others.

A backup spraining his ankle isn't worth a cell phone call. A starter getting busted for DUI is. SIDs know everyone is trying to break a story. So at least giving them a heads up instead of letting them be surprised by a story is the way to go. Maybe that didn't happen at UT.

As for this case with Hooker, I'd only say this: If you are going to break the rules -- and he did -- for a story, it better be worth it. It wasn't this time, in my opinion. If Inky says he's quitting football, that's worth it. If he said fans tell him to get better, then it isn't.