NCAA Tourney coverage and the economy

Anyone else run into the wall of finding out the team you cover is on the other side of the country today and the office brass says no to travel?

Anyone want to split hotel/gas with me?

 

To reduce the cost to the company, not yourself, right?

 

Yeah, I'm trying to come up with a plan so that I can tell the boss it wouldn't be that much...hell, I ain't driving cross country to trying to track down a flight for fun! If I'm going...it's on their dime, not mine!

 

OK, just checking.

 

Content sharing, anyone?

Seriously, I think this is yet another fallout of the fact there is so much media (TV, radio, internet,SIDs) that having a print reporter at the site is no longer a huge priority for a lot of places.

That, and OF COURSE, the fact everyone has run out of money... and it's only mid-March.

 

A couple years back, Winthrop got sent to Spokane (I think) and two guys from the Rock Hill Herald DROVE in a rented car to watch Winthrop advance to the second round (maybe further?). Apparently, employer would pay for a rental car and hotel but not mileage or a flight.

Which is wise because no one really reads about college basketball in March, so why throw money at it?

 

Serve, you are correct. They also drove to Denver a year later to watch the Eagles get thumped by Wazzu.

 

So I take it the four who work for your local paper are NOT homophobic.....

 

I'm just glad I didn't have to have this debate at my place this year.

 

That's just messed up. If they left on selection Sunday, split turns driving, I'm still not sure how they reached Spokane by Thursday. That is one hell of a long trip.

It was stuff like this that the "pod" system was supposed to eliminate. Oh, well, UCLA playing in Philadelphia, Florida State playing Boise, Maryland meeting Cal in Kansas City (hey, at least it's halfway).

 

We've gone to the NCAAs every year with the local women's team since as long as I can remember. We won't this year, even if we can do it for $600. Pathetic.