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No cheering in the press box: changing roles from fan to reporter


By Kieran Intemann
            Being a sports fan is something that I have not experienced since I was in high school. I’ve gone from being a cheerleader in the stands to being an editor, reporter and media relations official. All of these roles are completely different from the others, and my original role as a sports fan has now been completely changed in to a reporter and media relations role.
            As a fan, one would sit in the stands at various sporting events and serve as a de facto cheerleader. The idea of doing that went out the door for me one October night in 2015, when I heard the words, “The Football Writers Association of America would like to remind you that this is a working press box and cheering for either team is prohibited. Failure to comply may result in removal from the press box and the loss of current and future media credential access.” Even after that moment, I knew with a role in sports information that being a fan was possible, but not allowed to interfere with any work.
            Being a sports reporter completely changes the above notion that being a fan is allowed as long as it doesn’t interfere with any work. Reporting requires objectivity, no bias and to seek the facts. Being a fan results in a clear bias and can at times end up distorting the facts. Fans also have no obligation to cover a team and, in most cases, follow the team, its coaching staff and players around as a form of enjoyment. Reporters cover a team because it’s a job and an obligation to get information out to the fans, and failure to do so can result in a trip to the unemployment line.
            As a reporter, the top priority is to seek the truth, find the facts and report them to viewers, listeners and readers. That’s a stark contrast from the top priority of a sports fan, whose primary job is to cheer on and support a team or teams. A reporter is much more closely associated with a team. Reporters have access to players and coaches leading up to games and after games. In some cases, depending on the medium, reporters have access to coaches at the ends of quarters and halves. Fans, on the other hand, have limited access to coaches, which is usually restricted to sponsored events that take place during the offseason.
            After taking a backseat to being a fan for so long, I now realize that being a reporter and a sports information assistant requires a completely different mindset from that of a fan. Being a reporter requires much more focus on games, practices and the events that occur during the action, whereas being a fan just requires showing up to games, being loud and creating an energetic atmosphere for players and coaches. That atmosphere and noise level is something I’ll always remember every time I hear the words, “this is a working press box and cheering for either team is prohibited.”

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