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Covering college football

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by WaylonJennings, Mar 28, 2008.

  1. College football is exhausting, no question.
     
  2. Appgrad05

    Appgrad05 Active Member

    College football can be a drain. But I definitley feel more exhausted from the end of college basketball.

    I can stand football access. I have weekly pressers, availability after practices and can get a guy one-on-one.

    Basketball, it's here's the coach for 20 minutes the day before the game. Any player questions have to be asked at the end of the previous game, and one-on-ones are much harder to come by.

    But I totally think my experience is because of my location.
     
  3. Every school is different.

    I'm sure at Kentucky and North Carolina, it's like you say.

    I'm sure at, say, Alabama and Notre Dame, it's the other way around.

    Just guessing, but I'm assuming that the more popular the sport at the school, the worse the media access. Part of it is pure survival mode with tons of media descending every day to be managed.
     
  4. Norman Stansfield

    Norman Stansfield Active Member

    Yes, stone, I was on an NFL beat for a couple years.

    Guess it depends a lot on which team you're covering...
     
  5. zebracoy

    zebracoy Guest

    I enjoy college football. As has been mentioned, the bond between coaches makes it much of a good-ole-boys' club. If you can crack into that network and gain trust, I've found that you can get absolutely anything you want from the program.

    Now, that's not to say it's not difficult to do. It is - took me a couple years on the same beat to be trusted and understood by the coaches (of course, no turnover helps). I also think it's great given that there's always a couple kids on the team of 105 that have a very intriguing story to tell, as opposed to the pool of 12, 25, 33 you get elsewhere.

    It can be frustrating covering the top 10 teams in the country. Anything else can be exciting. Regimented? Oh boy, yes. But it's doable.
     
  6. HejiraHenry

    HejiraHenry Well-Known Member

    Well, it's a damned sight better in this corner of the world now that the walls of Fortress Orgeron have been torn down.

    Nutt is going out of his way to keep things open, and Croom has always been pretty good.
     
  7. sportsnut

    sportsnut Member

    I have had no problems covering college football. I actually enjoy it for the same reason as Henry. When you become part of the club, its like a lifetime membership.
     
  8. Some Guy

    Some Guy Active Member

    Shit. I'm a newbie NBA writer. I have to cover 82 games a year, plus playoffs. College football was a damn breeze.

    Although, it reminds me of something a veteran NBA player told me regarding his job, even on its worst day: "Half the world is up to its ass in water picking rice. We get to do this for a living."
     
  9. sportsnut

    sportsnut Member

    Amen, I think you hit it right on the mark. We will always find something to bitch about but just remember others have it worse.
     
  10. Sawker

    Sawker New Member

    Same here.

    I was thoroughly spoiled covering Major League Soccer, with its open lockers (10 minutes after game ends), enthusiastic players and refreshingly non-paranoid coaches.
     
  11. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    I covered a lot of college soccer when the DI championships were played here. Players and coaches were always a breeze, much different than any other sport I'd covered. I've always said it would be the greatest gig going if you didn't have to actually watch soccer games.
     
  12. I guess I've never liked that logic - and I've heard it a thousand times, in different phrasing, from people of all walks of life, including every editor I've ever talked to about possibly getting out of the business - maily because it implies that I'm somehow (and anyone else working in sports) lucky to have this job instead of one of those rice-harvesting jobs.

    I set my sights on this early, went to college for it, worked hard to get better, read constantly to see what other people do, research my beat(s) incessantly.

    I'm never going to think, "The head football coach is a paranoid jerkoff who makes it almost impossible to do my job. Fuck it. I cover games for a living!!!"
     
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