Friday night press box

So, I'm wrapping up my story tonight at the high school. I was on the road and cleared it with the AD in question. Could I stay? 15 to 20 minutes after I talk to the coaches. I'm just typing the last graph and getting ready to send, box already gone, when someone comes to close up. I'm like, last quote and then I'm done. And i'm finishing and trying to send and this guy starts laying into me. I screw up my email and it vanishes, so I have to start over, because frankly, I'm having a hard time with someone haranguing me about leaving. So I send and I'm leaving. I tell him I'm leaving. He calls AD, who comes storming up, as I'm on my feet, packing my stuff and on the phone saying I sent. I apologize profusely, because maybe I did take longer than I said, but not much. AD is all over me and I say to him, 'next time a reporter asks to stay, do everyone a favor and just say no.' I apologize again...and he starts yelling at me. Telling me I'm not sorry and he's going to call the police and have them get me out of here. Mind you, he can see me zipping stuff up and, I'm moving. I'm done. Which I said, and he made some weird comment about how I was tying him up or bringing him down.
Good god, 5 more minutes? I'm not sure why they were so confrontational. I did not raise my voice and was polite. But I can't help but mull this. Should I have just gone, risked deadline and found somewhere to send? It took me a good 20 minutes on the road to find a place to park so I could recheck everything because its a city with some really bad areas and I wasn't going to pull off into one of them.
Yelling. Surreal.

 

find the a.d.'s teenage daughter and deflower her. immediately.

 

Pretty much an exaggerated version of every time I've tried to file from on-site after a prep game. Those people don't realize that just because the game has ended, your work hasn't.

In the future, you might want to try and work out of the home team coaches' offices, depending on what their set-up is. Those guys are usually there pretty late doing laundry, etc., anyway and don't generally mind if you call ahead and set it up ahead of time.

 

I've been doing this since 1984 and have never had anything so out of proportion happen like that. Good tip about the coaches. Did I mentioned I'm not capable of deflowering anyone? Well, with a foreign object, I guess? And that I'm wearing a boot on because my foot is fucked up. Just like this night.

 

Pat?

I'm surprised you didn't lose it. With my temper I would have told the AD to shut the fuck up. I've cussed many a press box attendant in the past. I also have no problem pointing out that maybe this will be the last time we visit your school based on how we are treated.

 

Not Pat.. just a girl who doesn't swing that way. I sent my editor an email telling him under no circumstances would I ever cover another sporting event at that school.

 

that's bull.

write to the super, cc the school board and your boss and explain the situation. heaven forbid you decided to do your damn job after you were given clearance by the a.d. previously.

 

Ditto this.

I've never heard of anyone in our area getting that kind of treatment, but then most Friday nights, I'm back in the office.

Reminds me of a funny story, though. A couple of years ago, a buddy of mine at another paper was covering a playoff game from the county high school here. It's not quite the middle of nowhere, but you can see it from the campus. He was using wireless and he couldn't get a wireless connection anywhere in the home coach's office. So he ends up finding a connection outside, and he's banging out and sending his story from the tailgate of the coach's pickup truck. Coach earned some brownie points that night, because he stuck around and helped the guy out, even though his team had just suffered a gut-wrenching loss that ended a previously-undefeated season.

 

My suspicion is that he wouldn't have treated a guy that way.

 

And every time someone calls to complain about why the school isn't getting covered, make sure to explain it's because the AD won't allow you to finish your story by deadline, and there's just no way you can cover a game there, get back to the office and finish the story by deadline. Make sure to point out it's the AD who won't allow it. It's funny how often things change after taking this strategy. Also, send the letter to everyone whatwould suggested.

 

If it weren't for your pointing out that it was a playoff game, I'd swear I was the colleague. Been in that exact situation, minus, thankfully, the barbed wire.

 

Agree, HH.

One issue about the coaches office -- if it's in/too close to the locker room, they'll often have MAJOR issues letting a reporter use it.

Oh, that's right....that's just female reporters. ID, good luck if you try to go this route, but -- unless the school is really awesome -- the odds are slim they'll let you in, at least in time for you to hit deadline (i.e. you might have to wait until all the kids/coaches are gone). (FWIW, that's from personal experience. It sucks but it happens.)