tweeterhawk
Well-Known Member
The Loudest Olympics Fans? The Hardbitten Folks in the Press Box
The press box at Kinnick used to be a pretty quiet place during games and I assume it still is; no cheering or yelling allowed, really not even applause beyond a clap or two. The SID or someone serves as an official spotter and calls out who carried/caught the ball, how many yards were gained, who made the tackle, etc., and that is pretty much it for noise.
That at least applies to the writers; the radio booths are another matter entirely and I'm not addressing that. There clearly was, or is, a point of view being expressed and perhaps wanted by the listening audiences. The TV guys usually play it straight, or try to, although at times that certainly is up for debate.
The WSJ story linked above is really more about cultural/ethical differences between U.S. sports writers and their colleagues abroad and needs to be clearer on that point, IMHO. Would be interesting to know whether there have been arguments or disagreements in the Olympics press areas over cheerleading by some. I know the peer pressure in Kinnick to remain mum has been pretty intense, or at least used to be.
The press box at Kinnick used to be a pretty quiet place during games and I assume it still is; no cheering or yelling allowed, really not even applause beyond a clap or two. The SID or someone serves as an official spotter and calls out who carried/caught the ball, how many yards were gained, who made the tackle, etc., and that is pretty much it for noise.
That at least applies to the writers; the radio booths are another matter entirely and I'm not addressing that. There clearly was, or is, a point of view being expressed and perhaps wanted by the listening audiences. The TV guys usually play it straight, or try to, although at times that certainly is up for debate.
The WSJ story linked above is really more about cultural/ethical differences between U.S. sports writers and their colleagues abroad and needs to be clearer on that point, IMHO. Would be interesting to know whether there have been arguments or disagreements in the Olympics press areas over cheerleading by some. I know the peer pressure in Kinnick to remain mum has been pretty intense, or at least used to be.
Last edited:
