No water in the press tent

If you want to skimp on food, that's one thing. If you are neglecting to provide water at a summer outdoor event, you are begging for your liability insurance premiums to triple.

 

I know the venue he's talking about. There is an AM/PM and a McDonald's within 100 yards of the facility.

 

A little off topic but I covered the NCAA hoops tourney in Worcester, Mass a few years back, and they had an amazing spread of food for press -- a guy who did made-to-order cheese steak sandwiches, a chocolate fountain for your fresh fruit, etc. I felt like I was at a wedding reception or something.

My team advances to the Sweet 16, and I'm thinking, 'It can only get better, right?' Well, the Sweet 16 was in Syracuse, and they had plain, rubber hot dogs and not much else. We didn't even have good restrooms, having to pee in a little trailer which sat next to the press area. At least I got to have a meal with Woody Durham and hear all sorts of stories from Tar Heel basketball past (unfortunately, wasn't covering the Heels that year, because they went all the way, where I'm sure the food was better in St. Louis)...

 

I've covered the NCAAs where there is nothing but popcorn and soda for four games.

I covered a college game where they gave everyone a gas station sandwich and an apple.

If it's free, we shouldn't complain...

 

I cover plenty of summer events and always bring my own water regardless. It's common sense.
If you don't bring any and have to pay for it, well, that's your own fault.

 

When it comes to NCAAs, the food is usually better in the smaller cities, the places where they actually care what the media thinks of the place.

I remember great spreads in Boise, Albuquerque, Greenville, Winston-Salem and crap in New Orleans, Tampa, San Antonio, Chicago, Denver and Indianapolis...

But when it's free, we can't complain...

 

Come on, folks. Read the original post. If the rules are stated, fine. After 30 years, in the biz, I've both been treated like "royalty" at all kinds of events in about 20 countries. And I've bought a lot of my own food along the way. It's just letting the media know what's up, you know? My point: the folks from Puget Sound University knew what was going on -- a cool event, with nice kids involved and why not share? It's serendipity, you know? In fact, I brought my own lunch the final day. But just to have some water available, isn't too much to ask when the officials, like 50 yards away, are drinking ice cold bottle water.

 

You're definitely right, it's not unreasonable, especially as hot as it gets there.