UK Football: A Day In The Press Box
By Paul Jordan
This is the view I have always associated with Commonwealth Stadium, Home of the Kentucky Wildcats. But after Saturday, my view is always going to be just a little different. Paul Jordan, our fearless leader, was able to obtain a press box pass for the site for the Charleston Southern game. Being the only guy close who was able to attend, I was the lucky recipient of the assignment at about 6 PM on Friday night. After scrambling around to rearrange my schedule, I informed Paul that I would indeed go and represent the site and try to do my best to not look like a fool with all of the professionals who normally take their place up there for every game.
My family was nuts to attend as well, and since I only had the one pass, I got them tickets to see the game from the stands and away we went. I live approximately 3 hours from the Stadium so I left home Saturday morning at about 7 am. My Press Box pass was to be made available to me at about 10:30-11:00 AM. I travel through Mt. Vernon/Renfro Valley on the way, so we stopped at the Denny’s there for breakfast, and happened upon some more travelers who were headed there as well, and after a conversation, I learned that parking was the key, and that they had a Blue Lot pass for parking. Now I know that the Blue Lot is near the stadium, but what I was not aware of is the closeness to where I needed to be that it would allow. For a modest fee of $25, we had our parking pass and we were once again on our way. We arrived at 9:55 and the festivities were already in full swing in the Blue Lot, but good parking was still available. After a short reconnoitering of the lot, I found a spot which was less than 100 ft from the press box gate, near the TV trailers that are parked outside the stadium. It seemed as though the day was off to a good start indeed. I went to the press credentials box, had a conversation with some of the handicapped assistance folks who operate the golf carts around the lot, and helped a couple of them put temporary “windshields” of plastic wrap on their carts for the cold air that morning. You know how the first really cold day of the fall is, and that was indeed the case. Winds were about 5-10 MPH, and snow flurries fell on us on several occasions on the trip up, so I knew how cold those carts were going to be.
There was a tribute to the military at the game that day, and as several of us lined up to get our credentials, a Army Staff Sergeant was one of the ones in line for hers to shoot photos of a General in attendance for the tribute. Being a Southern Gentleman, and a former Army soldier, I offered to let her in front of me, and she thanked me graciously and we all obtained our passes and went our separate ways. I went back to the car and squared away my family for their day, avoided being run over by Batman and Robin in the parking lot, and offered to help offload a 60″ new flat screen that some tailgaters were assembling on the side of their bus. Nice folks who were expecting some of the game to be on TV, which we learned later was not going to happen. I strolled over to the WLAP pregame radio show and listened as Dick Gabriel and Co, gave their opinions and did their interviews in what was then 35 degrees of cool crisp weather in sunlight. In the shadows, it was a lot colder. After enjoying the surroundings for a few more minutes, I loaded up my laptop, tried my best to look like I knew what I was doing and headed for the press gate. Everything was exactly as I had been told, I walked in, walked straight over to the press box elevator and headed upstairs. There is a seating chart inside the elevator which told me where I was going to be, and when the doors opened, I walked into a whole new world.
Tony Neely met me just shortly after I arrived. He is the guy in charge of getting everyone who wants press box seats their passes, and he greeted me and knew my name right off the bat. That impresses me. I guess I am old school, but someone who remembers your name after only talking to you for a few seconds and is already aware of who you represent, and treats you like you have been there forever is my idea of a professional. He pointed me towards the hot coffee and other refreshments, pointed out where I would be sitting, and told me to make myself comfortable. As soon as I found my seat, fired up my laptop, and got my cell phone connected to it, the texts started rolling in, some to congratulate me, some to ask what it was like, and some to remind me what I was there for. The rest were from my wife and children to remind me that it was miserable cold in those stands, and I was inside. One of the things I was feeling a little guilty about. I guess you have to take the good with the bad.
It was still just under an hour before game time, and I was already blogging live with A Sea Of Blue, while trying to also keep my thoughts organized and make sure I didn’t forget anything. My first cup of coffee was excellent, and I decided to get another. This brought on the first case of being starstruck. From my seat on press row to the walk to the coffee, I passed Oscar Combs, Rob Bromley and DeWayne Peevy. I had a short conversation and introduced myself to Larry Vaught, and also met Aaron from over at Bleed Blue Kentucky who ended up seated next to me.
Greg Gorham from over at Kentucky Sports Network also introduced himself, and checked to make sure I had everything I needed. The entire staff in the press area was awesome from the people taking out the trash all the way up to Mitch Barnhart himself who made his way up there shortly after the game started. I got my second cup of coffee and observed the pre-game meal which was roast beef, salad, loaded potatoes, rolls, and some really great cookies. I decided that it was better now than to wait until the game started, so I fixed myself a plate, and headed back to my seat. On the way back I never felt so ridiculous, because I met C.M. Newton, and Tom Leach as I headed back. Wanting to shake hands and introduce myself, it was impossible holding a plate of food and a drink. Note to self; don’t do that again. Opportunity lost.
When I made it back to my seat, I finished my food and chatted back and forth with everyone online, as well as met with a few folks on press row and introduced myself to them as they introduced themselves to me. I watched the warmups intently, as I saw Derrick Locke on the filed in uniform and moving in a manner I was hoping was his playing time ritual, I watched the QB’s, Kickers, and some assorted others warming up and throwing the ball around. I really thought that our guys looked big until the Charleston Southern guys hit the field and I realized that we were not all that much bigger than they were. That was when the light went on about our defensive woes, but that is another story. I watched the pre-game festivities and tried to keep everyone on the blog up to date as the world found out that the game was not to be televised live, and no one could find an online feed. Sympathizing with my cohorts I tried to get as much information packed into my messages as I could.
When the game started, everyone seemed to get down to business and things moved pretty rapidly from there, but by halftime it was evident that the Cats were not going to have a perfect day. The mood in the press box was not solemn, but definitely had a slightly downward edge. Everyone was noticing that the Cats did not have the edge that everyone was hoping for. My seat was down in front, at about the 40 yd line, so I was a ways away from most of the mainstream activities, but you could tell that most everyone seemed to be a bit miffed, for lack of a better ter
m, with the way things were going. There are some rules in the press box I should mention. Members of the press corps do not wear UK apparel, and there is no cheering for the Teams during the game. But you could definitely hear the sighs from the group every time the Cats failed to capitalize on a opportunity.
Everything was pretty much status quo by the end of the game as the Cats pulled away, and most of the experienced reporters headed for the press room to get ready to interview the players after the game. I had some family issues that kept me from staying after the game, which I really, really hate, but I finished my game recap and headed out of the press box. As I rode the elevator down with several of the other members of the press, I realized that even though I was about as much a professional reporter as my father is a stone mason, I was made even more aware of the fact that even though I was no more than a babe in the woods at what I was doing, I could get it done. It might take a few turns in the washer, but I could learn to go in there, talk to the right people and make the right contacts in time. But it also gave me a new found respect for the dues that have been paid by the members of that group in that room.
This experience has been one for my lifetime that I will never forget, even if I do someday manage to become one of the true professionals in that group. I am an insurance agent by profession though, so as much as I may want to see something like that through, the chances are slim. So I will keep blogging and writing the stories I think need telling, and if the powers that be see fit, I will get another chance at being there again. It was well worth the time spent, and the money spent on the four tickets my family used, as well as anything else we bought. Ad in the end, I am a Kentucky fan. Be it Football, Basketball, or Field Hockey, I will always be a Wildcat. And that trumps anything else I might ever become.
On a side note, I called in to Matt Jones’ radio show on my way home, because I heard what some were saying after the game about what had and what hadn’t happened at Commonwealth that day. There are opinions galore of course. We are Kentucky fans, that’s what we do. But Matt in his own inimitable way asked his questions and I tried my best to answer them. His radio guy asked my name, but not anything about me when I called in, so I didn’t figure he cared who I really was or where I was doing during the game. I told him that I was at Commonwealth for my first live football game, and before I could expound on why, my cell went dead as I lost signal, and I couldn’t tell him anything else. He and the “Turkey Hunter” decided that they would have a little fun at my expense as to my reasons for choosing the Charleston Southern game as my first one to attend live. As much as I wanted to let them know, I could not, so just in case you read this Matt, you now know who I was and why I was there. To everyone I met, my sincere thanks for your help. And to Paul, I really appreciate the opportunity to go. You let a small dream of mine come true. And to all of you who wonder, yes, the view is different from the inside. not better, just different.
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