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Show 12 - Chronicle Sports Special Issue Mesial March 14,1994 ROB ROBERTS Media pass means free food and drinks it was my longer, n1 aybe it was the way uncombed hair. Or maybe indiscriminately helped myself to the complimentary food and beverages all the time askmMU I ing, "This stuff is free?" Maybe it was because I couldn't make witty statistical observations while wait- ing for the line to the bathroom. It was one of these reasons or a combination of all and others I didn't even realize that made me feel illegitimate in my debut as sports writer at Friday's semifinals of the WAC Tournament at the Delta Center. The sports staff was feeling a little down after Utah's early exit, so, lured by the promise of all the free chili dogs I could eat, I quickly agreed to tag along beside legitimate sportswriters Matt Ott and Patrick Sheltra. I came to watch sportswriters in action and to infiltrate s the world of college athletics. From the moment I walked right past smiling Delta Center security personnel into a VIP room filled with free food and beverages, I knew that all the journalistic perks I enjoy as a feature writer were about to be eclipsed. The food consisted of ham, turkey, and roast beef sandwiches, chili (although no dogs in sight), cream of broccoli soup, vegetable plates, and an inexhaustible supply of soft drinks. As we walked through the tunnels past the cheerleaders' changing room, the players' dressing rooms, a fast-pace- d, high-stake- media work room filled with more free food, and straight through a tunnel leading to the court and up to the press tables, I realized that the 3x5 piece of laminated paper hanging around my neck gave me essentially free reign free reign to wander aimlessly through the tunnels of the Delta Center, to gorge myself on free food, and to shout, "What do you mean there's no Chardonnay? I can see Friday in the interview room, when asked about the play of teammate Russell Larson, BYU's Shane Knight answered, "Well, Russell is just Russell." The interview room is a great place for potential mischief. I debated whether to ask BYU coach Roger "We're all 'brothers' in the gospel" Reid. "Did sons Robbie and Randy used to take baths together as children?," but figured that such a question would probably lead to my quick.expulsion. (A little known sportswriter secret besides being provided with a ton of game statistics, each sportswriter receives a sheet of transcribed quotes from the press conference.) e After both games and the obligatory press we Hotel Doubletree to over the walked conferences, for yet more journalistic perks. In an upstairs suite doubling as a press hospitality room, journalists and WAC staffers enjoyed free beer, wine, and even more food, exchanged sports anecdotes and engaged in spirited statistical debates until hotel security broke up the party at 2 a.m. Although I enjoyed my foray into the world of sports journalism, you probably won't find me covering the the bottle from here!" I probably could have walked nude onto the court and danced alongside the Hawaii Rainbow dancers as long as I had my trusty media pass dangling from some part of my body. At the end of the half and after the game, a page of statistics is handed to every reporter about a minute after the buzzer rings. After the game, the press files into an interview where the coach and a couple players from each team occasionally interrupt awkward moments of silence by reluctantly answering a ques- - 7X The 3x5 piece of laminated post-gam- paper hanging around my neck gave me essentially free reign. ..to shout, "What do you mean there's no Chardonnay? I can see the bottle from here!' Chronicle Sports Writer at Large tion. I have a friend from Belgium named Hugues (pronounced "oog") who was famous for making obvious observations, such as "Big is big, but too big is just too big." To make a statement of the obvious is known as an Hugues-asm- . Hugues-asm- at WAC tourney women's golf team's next chronicle. Professional sportswriters are a rather depressing breed. Remember the 12th man on your high school basketball team the slightly overweight kid who, although the most knowledgeable and spirited, never could seem to master basic coordination? The kid who dreamed of scoring the winin the state championship but ended ning three-pointairball from the foul line in a meaningan up throwing less blowout? Well, that kid grew up to be a sportswriter not really doing anything, but only reporting on the' athletic exploits of others, and helping himself to the free food and beer. er s dominate conversations of sports. Sportscasters make statements like "If Hawaii can stay close I think we might have a good ballgame." Coaches will say, "In order to win this game, we're going to have to put points on the board and play good defense." WAC Young (96-65- Men's Basketball Tournament ) Young (87-7- Slate State (88-6- "J (72-5- Force ir . (73-6- 1 -- New Mexico 1994 1 Presents: Mnion Building Extended Hours!!! 6) New Mexico Diego Slate (54-5- 1) Diego State - -- I 1) DO YOU NEED SOME EXTRA TIME TO GET READY FOR THOSE FINALS? ASUU, Union Programs, and Union Food Servies US WEST 14-- (22-- 6, (61-4- NCAA Automatic Qualifier m (61-5- OM5.6-I2- ) (58-4- State (4) Wyoming TtEUEEfiT WAC Women's (S) (61-5- Basketball Tournament Fresno State (5) Fresno State (73-53- ) (1) San Diego State (1) San Diego State (1) San Diego State (5)5-6- (8) New Mexico The Union Building will be open all night March 13 through March 15. The Sweet Shop will also remain open UNTIL 2 A.M. to provide those important "Study Supplies" The Union Building is the perfect place to get your study group together for those late night review sessions before asuu your finals. (51-4- NCAA Tournament Automatic Qualifier (2) Brlgham Young (82-fin- ) (1) San Diego State 1994 IB WIST (2) Brlgham Young (7) UTEP (67-57- ) (3) Utah (69-57- ) (6) Colorado State (6) Colorado State (6) Colorado State HI! TuiEMEJiT T |