Media Pass...

As you know, last week/weekend, I went to Omaha and covered State Wrestling. This was my first experience with a "big" event. I received a page of typed out rules before I went. I got a press parking pass so I could park behind the Link Center and enter through a back door event door. This door leads you into a small room with a security office, etc. From there, you went through another set of doors and down a hallway, which led straight to a desk. At the desk you are handed a lime green "media" vest, you are to wear the best at all times while in the Link Center. The vest has a number on the tag, you write down the number on a paper attached to the desk, followed by your name, who you work for, and you circle, print, broadcast, etc. At the end of each day you turn your vest back in, and it gets marked off the list. You start each day with the same process. Next to this desk is another door which leads to a room full of tables and outlets. This is the Media room. They provide coffee, water, pop, and in the morning, pastries. There is also a tv in the corner of the room which scrolls the list of wrestlers currently wrestling, the ones, on deck, and the ones in the hole. You also have access to wifi. There is a wide variety of media, everything from a mom with a camera to the "big" stations, such as tv news crews. From the media room is another hallway that curves around the arena, with branches here and there leading to different areas in the arena. Once you get to the big open are, there are floor managers. They are there to make sure you have your press credentials, and keep the aisles open. The mats are obviously on the middle of the floor, but on one side below the public seating, there is a row of long skinny tables and chairs, once again for media. Those are full all the time. For the most part, the floor managers were nice and friendly. They caught me yawning a couple times and had to tease me about it. there were also a couple that took their job very seriously and were all business. In between the matches you cover, you just try and stay out of the way. It's crowded down there. Once it's your turn you go sit on little mat next to the wrestling mats and get ready. There were a few times I had to jump up and move so the wrestlers would not land on me. The noise level on the floor is crazy, it's even louder than in the stands. It all travels down to the floor and intensifies, that's all you can hear and you have to shout to talk to someone. For the most part, everyone was pretty nice. You meet tons of new people and chat with them here and there. I spent a little extra chat time with a gal from Franklin, she was very nice and we helped each other out here and there. I was nervous at first, but it was not overwhelming at all, it was fun. It's events such as these I love, it's constant motion, new people, new experiences. That being said, I arrived every morning around 8 a.m. Night one, I left a little after 8 p.m. (I did get a break from 2-4). Friday, I left the arena a little after 9 p.m., I got about an hour break outside of the arena. Saturday, I arrived at 8:45 a.m., and left around 7 p.m. Once again with a little break from the arena. By the second half of the day Saturday, you are tired. My legs needed stretched out from the constant up and down. Three nights in a hotel with paper thin walls and windows left me quite tired. I got a 4 a.m. wake up every morning by people talking in the parking lot. The majority of media personnel are yawning, and finding places to sit for a while. This also means you get a very up close and personal look at the coaches and wrestlers. It is very interesting how they all react. Some are very quiet and reserved with a win or a lose. Other's got little out of control with their celebrations, and of course, there were a few coaches that just made me shake my head. In my opinion, it never hurts to have a little compassion, especially when you just lost.