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What time do you show up?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Pete Incaviglia, Jul 24, 2007.

  1. Pete Incaviglia

    Pete Incaviglia Active Member

    Just wondering what the general "start time" is for some of us.

    I know we don't all cover MLB, NFL or NCAA, so I'm curious about what time you arrive for a game.

    My two beats are primarily baseball in the summer and college football in the fall. It's semi-pro baseball and lower level college football.

    I'd like to get there earlier than I usually do, but I often have other stories to finish or calls to make and answer. I'm usually on hand about 45 minutes or half hour early and I don't file on site. I come back to the office to write.

    How about everyone else? How early are you for games? And, what are you looking and listening for?
     
  2. For MLB, you gotta get there 3 1/2 hours early or so. NBA, 1 1/2 to 2. I've never done NFL so I have no idea.
     
  3. Angola!

    Angola! Guest

    For our minor league baseball I show up 1 1/2 hours early, for my high school and small-college games I show up 10-30 minutes early depending on the sport.
     
  4. txscoop

    txscoop Member

    Show up as early as possible. That's when you get all the good stuff. Talk to all the trainers, ect...
     
  5. I cover primarily preps, so I show up whenever the hell I feel like it.
     
  6. Chi City 81

    Chi City 81 Guest

    Ditto.
     
  7. imjustagirl2

    imjustagirl2 New Member

    For NASCAR, it's 6-7 hours before the race starts just to beat traffic. So I'm in the media center by 7 a.m. for a 1 p.m. start. Figure it ends at 5, I write until 8:30 or 9, I'm out of the parking lot by 9:45 at the hotel by 10:30. Good 15 1/2 hour day for 8 hours pay. Wheee.

    For college basketball, 60-90 minutes.

    For preps, 30 minutes.

    That's pretty much my experience.
     
  8. Dan Rydell

    Dan Rydell Guest

    Don't sweat it, Pete. Get there as early as you can, and bust ass a little bit if you think you're running behind.

    But don't feel guilty about it. There are enough hassles in the job anyway, and screw the douchetards in the office who might question your commitment.

    Ask 'em when -- or if -- they've ever done what you're doing. And if they say yes, say: "Oh yeah? How long ago was that?"

    Some of these suits don't realize how much the workload has changed, or how much it takes to do it all these days.
     
  9. Hoopsfan23

    Hoopsfan23 New Member

    haha exactly. With preps I can show up a good 10 minutes before the game starts and I'm good.
     
  10. Babs

    Babs Member

    I actually find it helpful to vary my arrival time. You run into different people that way and have some interesting conversations.
     
  11. Eagleboy

    Eagleboy Guest

    College sports usually about one and a half hours, perhaps two if I'm ambitious, before it starts. Minor league is about the same, although more often around two. Preps? Last time I showed up to an event a minute before, although usually about 10 minutes.
     
  12. Cosmo

    Cosmo Well-Known Member

    College football: 1 1/2-2 hours before the game.
    Minor-league baseball: 1 hour before the game.
    Golf: Usually between 9-10 a.m. on Thursday/Friday, later on the weekend, depending on when the leaders tee off.
    College basketball: 45 minutes early, not really much to do beforehand.
    When I covered the NFL, I usually showed up about an hour early, except for that time I showed up halfway through the first quarter after getting stuck in the mother of all traffic jams. Good times.
    MLB: Usually 3 p.m. for a 7 p.m. first pitch, the exception being Sunday afternoon games when most teams didn't hold batting practice, leaving the clubhouse mostly empty pre-game.
    Prep football: At least 45 minutes early to make sure I have rosters and a good spot on the sideline/press box.
     
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