It took only a couple of recent examples to remind me why I enjoy covering high school sports over college and professional sports.
The first came while watching an NFL pregame show, where the host and guests gave their predictions on how long Tim Tebow would remain with the New York Jets before he is traded or released. This was before Tebow had even played a game and reminded me of Rush Limbaugh, when he said “I hope he fails” on the day Barack Obama was elected president four years ago.
Doesn’t Tebow at least deserve a chance before he’s deemed a failure by those who sit around and criticize?
The second example came while watching a replay where Southern California Lane Kiffin cut off reporters’ questions and stormed away after only 29 seconds. Kiffin said reporters violated rules placed by the university in asking about injured players, but many suspect there was another reason.
Mainly, the 21-14 defeat Southern Cal suffered to Stanford the previous week that dropped the Trojans from No. 2 to No. 13 in the Associated Press poll. Was that it, coach? Is that why you threw a hissy-fit and walked away?
Hey, Lane-O, wait a second. You dropped your pacifier.
I walked into the football office at Springdale Har-Ber after the team lost and coach Chris Wood and his staff couldn’t have been more accommodating with information and interview requests. My colleagues at this newspaper who cover other schools in the area mostly receive the same type of treatment.
Contrast that to the college level, especially in football, where reporters are sometimes treated with disdain and herded away like cattle after only a few minutes of practice. Southern Cal has instituted a rule that says reporters can’t reveal an injury even if they see it happen.
That means if a receiver trips over a pylon and twists his ankle in front of reporters and photographers, they can’t say anything about it.
Ridiculous.
I got a taste of that controlling attitude on occasion while covering Arkansas baseball for 15 years. I was confronted by a former employee with the Arkansas baseball program once because I had the audacity to open the door to the clubhouse and peek inside.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” the former employee asked.
Looking for the player I’m supposed to be interviewing today.
“Well, he’s not here and you’re not supposed to be here, either.”
Why not?
“It’s the rule.”
How come it wasn’t a rule the first 12 years I’ve been covering the Razorbacks?
“Just because.”
Because why?
“Just leave and shut the door.”
Silly, huh?
Granted, social media like Twitter and Facebook has prompted changes in the way information is gathered, and colleges and pro teams have to protect themselves and their players against reports that are inaccurate or totally false. The pressure to win is also considerably less on the high school level, where young people play for their school and community instead of scholarships or big, fat professional contracts.
Still, it is refreshing to walk into a coaches’ office or cover a game and not be treated like someone carrying the West Nile virus.
On the high school level at least, it’s still all about the kids and not about boosters, agents, or coaches with gigantic egos.
RICK FIRES IS A SPORTS REPORTER FOR NWA MEDIA