1. Welcome to SportsJournalists.com, a friendly forum for discussing all things sports and journalism.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register for a free account to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Access to private conversations with other members.
    • Fewer ads.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Non-journalists cheering in press box. Should I say something?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by didntdoit19, Oct 20, 2007.

  1. didntdoit19

    didntdoit19 Member

    Last night I'm covering a minor league hockey game and sit between the visiting team's beat writer (no problems, he's a cool guy) and a couple of the home team's interns. The other beat writer, though, brought a "friend" of his who likes hockey.

    Whenever the visiting team scored, the "friend", who was not a journalist but a hockey fan, would cheer. When the home team scored, the interns would cheer.

    Keep in mind this is a fairly small press box, unlike one in college football, and it distracted me. I also had a verrry tight deadline last night and these interns celebrated their team's win like they had just won the league title, just as I was completing the shell of my story.

    So, should I say something? Or should I expect this the rest of the season and just deal with it?
     
  2. hockeybeat

    hockeybeat Guest

    Just ignore it.
     
  3. BillyT

    BillyT Active Member

    Here's a vote the other way.

    Talk to the team's PR guy before the next game.

    Be polite but firm, about both issues.

    If I bring a friend to a game I am covering, he/she sits in the stands.

    But I don't know that I would do that.
     
  4. Johnny Dangerously

    Johnny Dangerously Well-Known Member

    McNeese State at Stephen F. Austin, 1993, Homer Bryce Stadium in Nacogdoches, Texas. Working media seats are in the same room in the press box as SFA boosters, some of whom are cheering.

    McNeese SID complains aloud. Old man in SFA colors says, "If you don't like it, you can leave."

    McNeese SID says, "Who the hell are you?"

    Man says, "I'm Homer Bryce."
     
  5. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    Say something politely. They may not know.
    If it happens again, raise hell.
     
  6. Holy shit.
     
  7. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    Indeed. I wonder if Mr. Bryce then said, "So you can shut the fuck up, punk. Cheer this."
     
  8. "Go get me some coffee."
     
  9. Ben_Hecht

    Ben_Hecht Active Member

    Or a beer.
     
  10. hankschu

    hankschu Member

    Busch Stadium press box in St. Louis, 1988 or 1989.

    I'm a visiting writer. Guy sitting in the row right behind our section starts cheering the Cardinals at every turn. Giants PR director turns around and says, "No cheering in the press box."

    Guy continues to cheer. Giants PR guy turns around and says, "Get the hell out of here." Man responds, "I have a right to cheer if I want." PR guy gets Cardinals PR guy, who gingerly tells the man he really has to leave if he wants to cheer.

    As he walks away, we can read the back of the guy's T-shirt. It read, "Gov. Ashcroft."

    It was John Ashcroft, then the governor of Missouri, destined to be the civil-rights-hating attorney general of the U.S.
     
  11. And the same candidate who lost to a dead guy ...
     
  12. mike311gd

    mike311gd Active Member

    That's what I'd do. It's not your job to police the press box, it's the media-relations director's/SID's.
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page