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

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?

 

Just ignore it.

 

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.

 

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."

 

Holy shit.

 

"Go get me some coffee."

 

Or a beer.

 

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.

 

And the same candidate who lost to a dead guy ...

 

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.