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My worst day yet as a journalist

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by Football_Bat, Aug 28, 2009.

  1. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member

    Because if he was not 30 minutes early to a game (which everyone should be) and was held up at the gate or bartering for a program, he might have missed the first plays of the game. The one-hour delay might have saved him in that regard.
     
  2. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    An easy way not to be held up at the gate or by program hawkers if you are running late, is to pay and get reimbursed.
     
  3. JackReacher

    JackReacher Well-Known Member

    Pay for the damn thing. Christ.

    Or tell them you came from the press box and were asked to bring a few copies back up. :)
     
  4. golfnut8924

    golfnut8924 Guest

    Two problems with paying for them. One, in these times of debit and credit cards, I don't always have $5 in my wallet. Also, I don't trust the higher-ups to pay me back.

    I'm at the game to work and I don't feel like I should be forced to pay money to do my job. I'm there to earn money, not spend it.

    Although the trick about the press box "sending me down to bring one up" is a hell of an idea. I might have to try that one tonight.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 1, 2015
  5. Buck

    Buck Well-Known Member

    You have high schools with SIDs?
     
  6. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    "These times of debit and credit cards?" Cash is always in style -- and there's no way I'm doing my job without it in my pocket, say $15-20. I'm not letting the schlubs who want to pinch me for parking, programs, etc., ruin my day-- plus, well, I'm a sucker for some halftime concession-stand chow :) And you just never know if you'll get stuck somewhere. Carry cash.

    And if you're that paranoid about getting reimbursed a buck for a program, just pad your mileage. I had bosses tell me to do that, they didn't want to screw with program receipts from prep games.
     
  7. golfnut8924

    golfnut8924 Guest

    I hear you. I know I should carry cash.

    Right now I'm just stringing and not getting anything for mileage. I guess my real gripe is that I just don't see what's so hard about printing off a few copies and putting them in the press box for everyone. It would take 5 minutes and make everyone's life easier. College is one thing because you can always get those online. But high school rosters aren't always easy to track down.

    I love when the press box guys don't have an extra so they offer to let you copy all the names down. Hey no problem, I'll just jot down like 60 names and numbers on a football roster. Fuck me running.

    But as much as I bitch, I'll still take a high school game over a small college game any day of the week.
     
  8. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    It's different as a freelancers. Some papers may not be able to reimburse you for mileage or expenses. But if you did get stopped and needed to pay or buy a program, I would let the SE know and ask if he could add it to whatever meager pittance he is paying you.
     
  9. Mystery Meat II

    Mystery Meat II Well-Known Member

    I'd fucking kill for a day like that :-\
     
  10. EStreetJoe

    EStreetJoe Well-Known Member

    My rule of thumb when covering high school football was to get to the game 30 minutes early, get the printed roster, then go to each sideline and make sure there were no changes to the roster. Here in NJ (or at least my part of NJ) every week you could count on some kids having a different uniform number than is on the roster or a JV kid getting some playing time with the varsity at a skill position and not being on the roster so you need to get his name and number. Sometimes the press box announcer has this information, but more often than not, he doesn't.
     
  11. EStreetJoe

    EStreetJoe Well-Known Member

    If your worst day as a journalist doesn't involve:
    A) Getting fired
    B) Having a coach/athlete/parent threaten to sue you for libel over something you wrote
    C) Missing deadline
    or
    D) Having to write about a high school athlete dying in his/her sleep (or in a car accident)

    Then you've had a good day.
     
  12. I'm with golfnut...
    Walking into a press box and not having anything even close to a roster - muchless having to pay for one (a program) - pisses me off to no end.
    It should not be that much trouble to leave a few copies in the press box. Our paper has been staffing the same god damn games at the same god damn fields for more than 50 years.
    Every game, almost w/o fail, there are no rosters in the press box.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 1, 2015
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