Sorry, don't have pix ready yet. I will post 'em when I get them.
In the meantime, I'll tell y'all about the second part of my trip to the Cowboys stadium. Brad Fralick, KAMR-TV Sports Director, needed to put together the story packages and get them sent back to the station in time for the evening newscasts. The problem was finding a reliable internet connection.
The solution was about a quarter of a mile away from Cowboys Stadium: Rangers Ballpark. Why not, Brad said, take in the Rangers/Red Sox game while putting the stories together? After the game, we can do player interviews and make a story out of that also?
So, we got our media credentials at the gate (my first media credential--how cool is that!?!?) and headed up to the pressbox.
In a day of a lot of firsts, this is one I will really remember. I've never been in a pressbox before. I didn't really know what to expect. I kinda thought it would be full of cigarette smoke and loud, with the sportswriters chattering with each other.
Brad was the first to burst my bubble. He's an outgoing and friendly guy, but before we got there, he pulled me aside, got really serious, and explained the etiquette of a pressbox. The main message: no cheering or rooting for a team. First and foremost, the pressbox is a workplace, so no "homers" allowed.
When we got up to the pressbox, I saw how right Brad was--the place was as quiet as a tomb! There were broadcast and print journalists from all over the place, both from Dallas and Boston. Nearly everyone was hunched over a laptop, and a lot of them had earpieces to listen to the broadcast. Next door were the TV and radio broadcastt booths. What little conversation existed was in hushed tones, almost a whisper.
The press room itself was very wide, with three levels. The room itself was pretty sterile, almost like a corporate conference room. Each level had long tables like the one you might find in a university lecture room. You pick out a place with a chair, hook up your laptop, and start typing!
Behind the pressroom was a small cafeteria. The choice was grilled chicken, hamburgers, or a salad bar. I had the chicken--it was pretty dry. Sodas were free, but you pay for the food. Oh, one other assumption that was wrong--no smoking, and absolutely no alcohol! If you wanted beer, you have to go outside to the concessions and drink it there.
The pressbox sits above and to the right of home plate, so we had a really good view of the action. Basically, we were right on top of the players! This game, Rangers vs Red Sox, was very important--this was the third of a three game series, and the Rangers had won the first two. ESPN was there to broadcast the game nationally, and as an additional treat, my future wife, Erin Andrews, was there--she just doesn't know we're engaged yet haha! ;) Guys, take my word for it, she's even more gorgeous in person than she is on TV!
Meanwhile, Brad is putting together his stories on his laptop. The really neat thing is that once he was done, he can forward the packages on an in-house website directly to the station back home in time for the newscasts. KAMR uses Avid, which we AC Mass Comm students are familiar with! So, people back home didn't have to wait--we can show them the footage we shot that day. How cool is that?
After the game, Brad and I went down to the basement of the stadium where the Press Conference room is. The Rangers manager, Ron Washington, gave a statement and answered some questions. The neat thing about this was there was only one microphone in the room. Nowadays, a camera is attached to a wireless mic, with the receiver on the camera and the transmitter on the base of the mic. Instead of sticking a whole slew of mics in someone's face, the mic transmitter is plugged into this big box at the back of the room, which is then hooked up to the microphone at the front. So, whatever Washington said was transmitted directly to the receiver attached to Brad's camera. A heck of a lot more efficient than a room full of wired mics!
After the press conference, Brad and I went into the clubhouse for player interviews. Brad operated the camera while I held the mic up to the player. Again, another first--I'd never been in a major league clubhouse before! The process is haphazard--pick a player, walk up to him, shove a camera and mic in his face and ask questions! Sometimes there's a horde of journalists around one player, sometimes only one. Hip Hop music was blasting, and players were in various states of undress, relaxing after the game. Since the Rangers won, the players were in a good mood and willing to talk.
Finally, our day was over! Brad and I packed the camera into the KAMR vehicle and spent the night at his mom's house in McKinney. Next morning, about 8 o'clock (we decided to sleep in, Thank God!), we hit the road and got into town about 1:30. Rest for a few hours, then time to go to work. It was a very long day, but well worth it. I had to skip class Wednesday and Thursday to do this, but as Brad told me, I learned more on this trip than I ever would have sitting in a classroom. It was my first real introduction into sports journalism, and enjoyed every second of it!
In the meantime, I'll tell y'all about the second part of my trip to the Cowboys stadium. Brad Fralick, KAMR-TV Sports Director, needed to put together the story packages and get them sent back to the station in time for the evening newscasts. The problem was finding a reliable internet connection.
The solution was about a quarter of a mile away from Cowboys Stadium: Rangers Ballpark. Why not, Brad said, take in the Rangers/Red Sox game while putting the stories together? After the game, we can do player interviews and make a story out of that also?
So, we got our media credentials at the gate (my first media credential--how cool is that!?!?) and headed up to the pressbox.
In a day of a lot of firsts, this is one I will really remember. I've never been in a pressbox before. I didn't really know what to expect. I kinda thought it would be full of cigarette smoke and loud, with the sportswriters chattering with each other.
Brad was the first to burst my bubble. He's an outgoing and friendly guy, but before we got there, he pulled me aside, got really serious, and explained the etiquette of a pressbox. The main message: no cheering or rooting for a team. First and foremost, the pressbox is a workplace, so no "homers" allowed.
When we got up to the pressbox, I saw how right Brad was--the place was as quiet as a tomb! There were broadcast and print journalists from all over the place, both from Dallas and Boston. Nearly everyone was hunched over a laptop, and a lot of them had earpieces to listen to the broadcast. Next door were the TV and radio broadcastt booths. What little conversation existed was in hushed tones, almost a whisper.
The press room itself was very wide, with three levels. The room itself was pretty sterile, almost like a corporate conference room. Each level had long tables like the one you might find in a university lecture room. You pick out a place with a chair, hook up your laptop, and start typing!
Behind the pressroom was a small cafeteria. The choice was grilled chicken, hamburgers, or a salad bar. I had the chicken--it was pretty dry. Sodas were free, but you pay for the food. Oh, one other assumption that was wrong--no smoking, and absolutely no alcohol! If you wanted beer, you have to go outside to the concessions and drink it there.
The pressbox sits above and to the right of home plate, so we had a really good view of the action. Basically, we were right on top of the players! This game, Rangers vs Red Sox, was very important--this was the third of a three game series, and the Rangers had won the first two. ESPN was there to broadcast the game nationally, and as an additional treat, my future wife, Erin Andrews, was there--she just doesn't know we're engaged yet haha! ;) Guys, take my word for it, she's even more gorgeous in person than she is on TV!
Meanwhile, Brad is putting together his stories on his laptop. The really neat thing is that once he was done, he can forward the packages on an in-house website directly to the station back home in time for the newscasts. KAMR uses Avid, which we AC Mass Comm students are familiar with! So, people back home didn't have to wait--we can show them the footage we shot that day. How cool is that?
After the game, Brad and I went down to the basement of the stadium where the Press Conference room is. The Rangers manager, Ron Washington, gave a statement and answered some questions. The neat thing about this was there was only one microphone in the room. Nowadays, a camera is attached to a wireless mic, with the receiver on the camera and the transmitter on the base of the mic. Instead of sticking a whole slew of mics in someone's face, the mic transmitter is plugged into this big box at the back of the room, which is then hooked up to the microphone at the front. So, whatever Washington said was transmitted directly to the receiver attached to Brad's camera. A heck of a lot more efficient than a room full of wired mics!
After the press conference, Brad and I went into the clubhouse for player interviews. Brad operated the camera while I held the mic up to the player. Again, another first--I'd never been in a major league clubhouse before! The process is haphazard--pick a player, walk up to him, shove a camera and mic in his face and ask questions! Sometimes there's a horde of journalists around one player, sometimes only one. Hip Hop music was blasting, and players were in various states of undress, relaxing after the game. Since the Rangers won, the players were in a good mood and willing to talk.
Finally, our day was over! Brad and I packed the camera into the KAMR vehicle and spent the night at his mom's house in McKinney. Next morning, about 8 o'clock (we decided to sleep in, Thank God!), we hit the road and got into town about 1:30. Rest for a few hours, then time to go to work. It was a very long day, but well worth it. I had to skip class Wednesday and Thursday to do this, but as Brad told me, I learned more on this trip than I ever would have sitting in a classroom. It was my first real introduction into sports journalism, and enjoyed every second of it!
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