Credentials for people who don't deserve them

Yeah, and a photograph to identify skin color.

 

when I was a young pup, a guy from our area qualified for a major golf tournament played in Augusta, Ga.in April
I wrote a letter requestiing credentials. I received a response from tournament officials saying that our newspaper had been credentialed for x number of years, and that we had never, as requested, sent in copies of our coverage. I said, that's impossible because I'm the sports editor and I've never requested credentials before. They said, we've been sending the credentials to (insert pub's name here), and we have asked repeatedly for the stories that have been written. Because you have failed to do this, we can't issue you a credential. I had a severe meltdown. one of the bigger stories for us was about to go uncovered. Nobody among the higherups seemed to care that a publisher had acquired credentials under false pretenses. Had it been a writer pulling that stunt, they would have been fired on the spot for newspaper ethics violations. After explaining the situation to the folks at Augusta, I got a credential that basically allowed me on the grounds and nowhere else -- no press room, etc. Nothing was done to the publisher, who has since retired. I still get pissed when I think about it.

 

That too.

 

Just to add my two cents... had an advertising director ask me last year for a press pass for her son to go watch the local D-IA football team I cover. I said no and asked her why she didn't give him one of the shitload of free tickets our paper gets as part of the huge ad contract the school has with the paper (and her ad department is in charge of dispersing to employees). She said, I'm not kidding, something to the effect "Oh yeah, I didn't think of that."

 

I actually once did this for an NFL game in the Land of 10,000 lakes a few years back early in college. My buddy at the small daily we were working for actually took photos and submitted them. Our paper published them. I sat in the press box with a notebook and computer and pretended to be covering the game. Took notes and all. Even went to the press conference.

At the time, I thought it was great and it was a lot of fun. But I've since learned the error of my ways. Besides, the game was at the Metrodome (worst stadium ever) and I had to sit in the baseball press box, which is located in the back corner of the one of the end zones. It felt like I had shitty seats more than a press pass. Only thing different was the shitty food was free, not $4 a hot dog.

I did get to see Michael Vick tear ass for a 47-yard TD run in overtime though. That was pretty cool.

 

It's how I got into the 1981 All-Star Game in Cleveland...
Looking back, I'd have been really pissed at me in 2006 if I tried the shit I did 25 years ago..

 

I think I know this story. If I remember this was at a SEC school and I believe I was there when it happened. If not, something like this happened at school I was at during the conference tournament.