High school football press boxes

Learning where certain conversations are appropriate and where they are not is a big part of growing up. It's tricky to teach that to kids.

 

1. If the parent's cheering is bothering you and making it hard to concentrate, then ask him to tone it down.
2. Saying the teams are playing for the right to get their asses kicked was a dumb move.
3. Your reaction when the parent called you out on that seems unprofessional.

 

When the game being played there is a high school game, it is a high school field. That is how it is going to be run.

Obviously, you are only interested in hearing from people who are going to back up your complaining. That leaves me out. The comment in front of the parent was unprofessional. It is the kind of thing that is oinly going to cause you trouble and it just wasn't worth it. Everyone here who has tried to tell you this is trying to help, to offer useful advice. Unfortunately, you are only interested in listening to people who agree with you. I wish you the best of luck with that approach. You may very well need it.

 

How exactly is that a lack of objectivity? What is biased about saying that neither of the teams playing this game have a chance against their next opponent? It's not like I said I'm rooting one way or the other. I don't see how that's a lack of objectivity at all.

 

I usually do the sideline thing, but at one playoff game a few years ago I almost lost my cool when a high-ranking member of the state association and his wife told me they were in their seats at a big state semifinal game.
There were plenty of seats in the stands, mind you, but this asshole stamped his feet and threw a shit fit. The media coordinator eventually found me a seat, but it was in a section of the press box which was about only 3 feet deep with no heat. I would've left, but it was 20-something degrees out and snowing. Plus, I went out of my way to make sure I had a space reserved in the box a few days before. So much for planning ahead. When I questioned the coordinator about their lack of preparation for such an event she just shrugged her shoulders and said "Well, we don't have the fancy facilities you do in your part of the state."

:

 

On the contrary, I think it was very much worth it. I hate the public perception that journalists root for the teams they cover, and I take every opportunity to squash that. I wanted to make it clear that I wasn't rooting for his team and I didn't care who won the game. All I owe these people is to be honest. If someone doesn't like me for my honesty, then the heck with them.

That's a pretty accurate statement that I'm not willing to debate this. I'm not going to let the presence of someone else stop me from talking honestly with a colleague. I'd do the exact same thing again.

 

So you are going to do what you want to do regardless of how it makes you or the paper you represent look.

I don't know how anybody could mistake that for an immature attitude...

 

Buck and Rick are right.

 

It's not a lack of objectivity ..
It's discretion, knowing what not to say and when not to say it ...
Obviously, you still have a lot to learn.

 

Bingo.

 

I don't think there's anything wrong with the conversation. If you don't want to hear the press talk about your kid's team, get out of the press box. Problem solved. There is discretion...like not singling out kids or calling them names because their parents might be listening. But essentially ranking teams...we do that in print, I'm not seeing the issue.

What bugs me most is when 20-something assistant coaches that think they're Josh McDaniels and Steve Sarkisian rolled into one take over the press area because the windows in the coaches room are too foggy or the lights no good, then they either try to get you thrown out or glare at you all night as if you're signaling their plays to the other team.

 

Are you sure you weren't trying to irritate the parent because he had been irritating you? I don't care if you answer that question here, but you might want to answer it for yourself.

Here's the thing. You wanted to make sure this parent realized that you are objective. You failed in your pursuit of that goal. Now he thinks you are against his team. I'm not saying he is being logical when he sees it that way, but I guarantee that it is exactly how he feels.

That's the fun part of this board. Most of us have been in that exact siutation with that same type of parent. I know I have. And I know you ticked off a potential reader who is going to talk about what you did with other potential readers. Not the best idea.