Press box horror stories

I had that happen with somebody else once. He answered, after I introduced myself and asked if he could talk for a second I got the "Who gave you my number? This is a private number!"

"Sir, it's in the Football Writers Association membership directory."

"Oh."

<Click>

 

Sheesh, what an admirable profession.

 

Sad. But I learned the hard way years ago not to leave anything of value unattended in a press box. You would figure people would respect that, but such is not always the case. Better safe than sorry.

 

Anyone kill another in a press box? Either that or sex during a game has to be the thread-killer?

 

I was in Columbus for the Michigan-Ohio State game when the teams were ranked 1-2. Schembechler died that Friday. I had come in early to get a story on the Ohio State freshman hoops class and stopped at local grocery store. There I found a double bobblehead doll of Woody and Bo. Bought one. Made the mistake of taking it to he press box; sat it in front me during the game, a couple of writers commented on it.
Yep, you see where this is going ...
Got back to the box after doing interviews, it's long gone. I think one of the press box "ushers" made quick work of the heist as soon as I left my post.

 

Few things more sadly amusing than a sports jockey who can't handle themselves, especially on deadline, whether it's in the newsroom or the press box.

Go cover intramurals, brother.

 

Three things come quickly to mind here:
1. At West Virginia, 2003, for Va. Tech and WVU on a Wednesday night. WVU is ahead 14-0 in the second quarter and sacks the QB on a 3rd down play. Some toolbag in the press box yells out, "YEAH!" My beat-mate, Nate Crossman from Lynchburg, said (complete with Bah-stun accent to boot), "If you want to cheer, buy yoahself a ticket." Press box ushers got the hint and asked this foof to leave.
2. My last trip to Morgantown, 2 years later. Sat next to a guy who was the sports editor of the Parkersburg paper -- and was wearing a WVU baseball cap. As the game progresses into a Va. Tech beatdown, he's encouraging WVU defenders to "Strip it, strip it!"
3. This just happened Friday in Indianapolis. I'm covering the WNBA Finals for Sports Xchange and my seat is about 25 rows up, in the corner behind one of the benches. Locker rooms and the interview room are on the other side of the arena. Game ends, I shuffle downstairs, get quotes, come back upstairs to my seat to tap out my 2nd write-thru and there's no laptop or laptop bag. Just a security guy chilling out before everyone leaves.
I walk up to him and ask him if he noticed anything. He said, "You're Bucky?" I said I was and he said someone with the arena collected it and put it away in his office. So I go to find this guy and find out it's locked up, and that he got it because he has a habit of "cleaning everything up."
Bear in mind that I would love to get in someone's face, except I am very sick and don't have the energy for it. So I wait for this assbag to show up and finally, he makes his way towards me and the first thing he says is, "You're the guy who lost the laptop?"
At which point I'd had enough and say, "I didn't lose it, it was TAKEN from me." I added other niceties about how inexcusable and unprofessional it was as he opens his door. I see it in the corner and he again says it was lost. I again say it was taken.
I walk away, the words unprofessional and ridiculous floating through the arena. I told him I knew who to thank for missing deadline if I did and rushed through 2nd write-thru.
That's what I have for now, folks.

 

Lost? What a fucking dickbag.

 

Was there nobody else on press row at that point who "lost" their laptops? Or were you the only one?

And by only one, I mean only writer who attended the game. ;D

 

Then there's this one.

"Also, there was a smalltown reporter who pushed 400 pounds and always smelled of old pastrami and urine."

 

I would have too. Talk about a douchebag move.