Press box officials blow it on championshp night

Prep reporters from the Orange County Register should have been treated better at Saturday’s Mid-Valley Division championship between Monrovia and Whittier Christian. According to our very own eyewitnesses working the game, which includes Miguel, officials working the Arcadia High press box demanded that all reporters be out of the press box less than 30 minutes following the game, or roughly 10:30 p.m., which is asking a lot of reporters when it’s a championship that ends at 10:05 with a ceremony on the field that follows. The O.C. reporters were trying to finish their stories when they were asked to pack up and leave. The O.C. reporters asked for a few more minutes but apparently were escorted out, which turned into an ugly scene that required police to be summoned to the press box. Police took statements and no arrests were made, but you will probably hear more about this in the days to come.

Fred’s comment: Something needs to be done for working members of the media who cover championship games that aren’t at big venues like Anaheim. At those events, CIF officials are there and are very kind allowing reporters to finish their stories. That same courtesy needs to be extended to all venues hosting championship games. These are by far the toughest to cover because of late starts, celebration and ceremonies that follow championship events. And when you have out-of-area reporters like the O.C. Register, you need to be gracious hosts, there is nowhere else for them to file their stories but the press area. To rush reporters out less than 30 minutes following a game is absolutely ridiculous. In fact, we should be allowed at least 45 minutes to finish since CIF requires a short “cooling off” period before we start interviews on the field. We’re trying to provide memories in the newspaper that last a lifetime, but apparently those working the games don’t want to allow for few a extra minutes so we can do our job. Totally unacceptable.

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