"Where does it say I can't cheer at the press table?"

The worse thing here are "parents with camera" aka PWCs running up and down the sidelines trying to shoot with little kit lenses and cheering on every play. It has gotten better in the past year or so, but still annoys me.

The best though is a veteran reporter from a nearby town who directs comments to refs, openly cheers while doing stats on the sidelines and this; during a football playoff game the coach for the football team he covers asked him several times during the game where the ball was spotted after a play or if he thought the team got their first down. The funny part was the coach was on the 45 and the reporter on the 20. So much for unbiased objectivity.

 

I was covering a game at a small Division I school we rarely do much with earlier this year, but since I had nothing on the schedule and we hadn't been there in a while, I went to mine for a good feature.

Some guy who I thought was affiliated with the visiting team's radio group continued to jump up and down and clap and "Oh boy..." and "Yes!" every play. When he moved his bag, I saw that it his name tag said "[School] Guest."

I then saw that my name tag said at the bottom, something along the lines of "REMINDER: This is a working press area and cheering is not acceptable and will not be tolerated."

At one of the breaks, when one of the visiting team's players made what I will admit was a fairly spectacular pass for an alley-oop, the guy leaps from his seat.

I slid my nametag in front of him, pointed at the fine print and looked him dead in the eye.

That was that.

I was proud of myself for ending those shenanigans. And also, I could work in peace.

 

My favorite was a photographer from a rival paper arguing with the ref and threatened with the boot. Worst part, his SE, sitting next to, didn't seem to care.

 

I'll bet this guy was the one who hacked your facebook account.

Call him out again and see what happens!

 

I've only ever done it once.
When Cael Sanderson of Iowa State won his fourth NCAA title and finished his college career 159-0, the entire arena, including all of press row gave him a standing ovation.

 

Apparently the "no cheering in the press box" is an entirely American phenomenon. Up in Vancouver at the Olympics, foreign journalists _ save for the Canuckistans _ had no issue with it, to the extent I saw them hugging athletes from their country as the athlete made his/her way through the mix zone.

 

It says it here

 

Damn you IJAG. Now I'm even more pissed at that guy!

And in response to the person who was there when Sanderson finished undefeated - what is it with wrestling? The only time I ever applauded while on the job was at state wrestling about 8-9 years ago. A kid - from far out of the area I covered - won his second straight state title and went undefeated. He had one leg. The place went crazy when they presented him with his medal.

 

You think that was something? You should have seen it when they awarded him his medal after winning states in boys ass-kicking.

 

They figure kids deserve a trophy after spending the last few months throwing up.

 

To be honest, you'd have to be mighty wound up cheering in the press box or on press row for me to get bothered. It see it as just another example of someone who doesn't know what the job should be.

And, lordy, have I seen some horribly blatant homers in my day.

 

In addition to my previous post about the standing ovation for Cael Sanderson, I will admit to rooting for a couple of other things when I've been at games.


No overtime or game-halting injuries