Proper attire for the press box

This is definitely situational.

High Schools: Khakis/polo are appropriate 99 percent of the time. Sneakers or loafers. Just make sure they're not your grass-cutting shoes. As for color, when I cover games I try to wear a shirt that's not in either team's color scheme. In the south from June to September, a pair of nice shorts should be fine for outside venues.

Colleges: Depends on where and what time of year, but khakis/polo work most of the time. It's not unusual to see lots of button-down shirts in the press box/press row at college football and basketball games. My theory is you'd rather be overdressed than underdressed.

Pro: A little dressier, though this also depends on where and when. In general I'd stick with slacks and a button-down shirt at minimum and work up from there.

Virtually everything else for me falls in the "when in Rome" category. X-Games sports? Vans, cargoes and t-shirts would offend nobody. Golf is obviously more conservative.

 

I wear dark jean/khaki and button down to pretty much everything when I was writing. If it gets cold, I'll throw on a blazer. Have a camel hair number that I'm pretty fond of.

However, I have never gotten the theory (and I'm not bashing, just saying) that if I cover a sport where the athletes are getting paid to play said sport, I should swank up my threads. Because they'll be more impressed and we don't give a flip what the 17-year-old QB thinks of us? Because it's more important so I should dress more important?

I used to work with a guy who would wear workout shorts to cover a high school game but a tie to a college event. I always thought, the only damn reason you're doing this is b/c your peers are here and they weren't there last night.

Networking, I guess.

I don't know, I try my best to treat everybody the same. And I guess karma does me, too, because I've gotten big-timed by millionaires and big-timed by snot-nosed 17-year-old All-Americans who it turns out couldn't hack it in the SEC.

 

If you're doing a fan reaction story, keep your fanboi side to yourself. (Unless crossing the line is OK on TV?)

http://screamer.deadspin.com/local-reporter-captures-usmnt-game-winner-live-has-pri-1591777097/+Sean-Newell

 

That's a cycling jersey he's wearing. Did he bike to work?

 

He may have. He's the local reporter who plays wheelchair basketball with the team if he's doing a story on the team; works in the bakery if he's doing a story on a local bakery; walks in the charity walk/run if he's doing a story on that, etc. And if it's PDX, he very well could have biked to work.

 

No. Because you represent your publication. And your profession. Look the part.

 

I'll admit, I dress nicer at bigger events in part because if I'm sitting next to reporters from The Washington Post and ESPN.com I want them to have a favorable impression of me and I don't care as much if I impress the guy from the local weekly at a high school field hockey game.

But part of it is also the conditions. If you are working high school sports and roaming the sidelines or finding a place to squeeze into the bleachers before booking it somewhere to find a decent wifi signal or heading back to the office to help take calls or layout pages before leaving at 1 a.m., by all means, be presentable, but dress for comfort.

If you are in the fancy, air conditioned press box at State U with a catered meal and assistants in business casual delivering stats, you ought to look a little more professional.

 

But that's my point. Your publication is the same no matter what you cover. When on assignment, I always present myself with pride.

 

The courthouse I use to cover had a specific policy that people must dress like slobs it seemed. It amazed me. The people who dressed the best, or looked like they tried and didn't wear tall white-ts with stains on them, and a pair of decent fitting pants got off easier. I guess the lawyers were no better.

Favorite dress code work for a press box: want more access/need more access? Dress better. Dress the part you want. If I am doing a quick gamer then I dress in casual khakis and a nice dress shirt with a sweater. Need a big interview or working on a feature and need a team president to talk to you after or during a game, or want to wonder the halls a bit, then dress like you own the place.

 

Schotty pretty much gave the main advice I would have given: The first time, overdress. Or at least go business casual. You can always modify from there, but business casual hardly ever makes you look odd, unless you're covering rodeo, or beach volleyball.
But most of the time, the event is easy enough to figure out.
Even though I've only worn shorts to one event my entire career, it's perfectly acceptable attire in Texas for most events and reporters.
I never wear any shirt or other article of clothing that advertises, or has some logo or picture on it for anything other than the company I work for (the few ball caps I wear are either company logo, or plain colored), especially any sports/team related items, even if it's a completely different sport than what you are covering.
And I too own a good pair of dress shoes that are the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned.
But anyway, remember, as a rule of thumb, you dress for success.

And as for free gear, most of the shirts and caps I get I give away. the lone item I've kept was a team warm up jacket given to me by the coach of a college basketball team.