I need you thoughts and opinions?

[setem]

I have been approached by The Sports Page out of Dallas to be a blogger covering the Sooners this year. The guy I spoke with wants me to produce some text and video blogs over the next year that all have Sooner sports and game day experience themes. Right now football but I told him I can cover baseball and some basketball if needs be. Football is the main topic for the next few months though.

My 1st release(if I do this) will be on the 15th of this month and I have some ideas on what I will write about but I wanted to ask the opinions of my fellow Sooner brothers and sisters before I dive head long into this. I am sure there will be issues with the university and the content of my video blogs but I was told that I would pretty much be a legit member of the press and I can use my own video and whatever the university wants to release to me.

The Good:

I have been offered no pay but I was told that they have access to press passes.

My parents want to buy me a camera so I can record TG footage and fan footage.

I will have a better outlet for my videos and more exposer. He did say I would have to fine tune my videos and make them cleaner. Not in clarity but in content.

My concerns:

Is this Sports Page a legit news source?

I am about as bias as they come when it comes to the Sooners. I have a problem of seeing things through crimson colored glasses.

Should I buy into what I have been offered? I have not be asked for money or any kind of donations. So far this seems like a ok deal or no?

Can I record parts of the TG and ask you guys questions about the Sooners? I am sure I would have to bring waivers and all but is would the higher ups of this board mind if I did this?

Lastly, I like to relax on game day and get pretty ****ty. I do most of my drinking during and after the game though. Do you think this could be a problem?

What do you think?:pop:

If this needs to be moved to the SO that is fine but I was asking because right now I am going to be covering Sooner Football.

[badger]

I had a press pass for one OU season. Let me tell you that press passes are not all they may or may not be cracked up to be.

The press box is church (no cheering, no yelling, no nothing) during games and the sidelines are not accessible to anyone except photographers during games (few exceptions). Thus, you are likely camping yourself in a quiet press box (and probably not even close to the 50-yard-line) and did I mention the elevators? Coaches get all-access to them at moments when you most want to use them - halftime and after the game. You will be searching for escape stairs and jockeying ramp out-routes with common fans like you didn't even have a pass to begin with!

So, those are the negatives to press passes. The pluses are that you have pretty good access to anywhere in the stadium, aside from the field itself during the game. Thus, if you want to talk to the Soonerman, the cheerleaders, the rich donors in the new club seats, the guys being honored at halftime, etc, you will be able to. You will also be able to sit in on press conferences following the game (get ready for Dean to take control of the room and ask questions at any time he feels like it, even if it means interrupting or cutting off someone else). Players are very good following games, but I should warn you that some will escape quickly if they are not stopped by media members right away. The good news is that if you miss someone, they have PR people staged at all the players to get quotes for you, made available almost immediately after the general Q&A time in paper form.

If you are to be expected to be taken seriously by your new press box colleagues, get ready to dress professionally, or at least non-Sooner like. Like I said, no cheering in the press box. You will also need to act non-Sooner like, as Kenny is a professional too and from what I understand, Joe C. does not really like all the blog infestation into the news lately. Thus, if you ask some player/coach for their autograph while on duty, expect to get your pass revoked, heh. We can blame Darth Husker or whatever his name was for the new mistrust in the Internet media, but even before then, I heard Joe C. complaining about all the bloggers requesting sideline passes just to get a close view of the game.

You mentioned that you like drinking... well, if you meant drinking COKE AND COKE ALONE PRODUCTS then they are free to media. I have never seen any working media member drink alcohol during games, so no dice there.

If you are just doing this for the experience, then by all means I say go for it. Covering the Sooners for one season was memorable experience, but not want to return to immediately. After all, it's a working environment, not a fandom one. If you like getting drunk and cheering and yelling BOOMER back at SOONER, then this is not the route for that.

It doesn't really matter if this is a legit blog or not if you are not looking to becoming a professional sports beat writer. If this is just a fan's point of view and a fan's chance to cover the Sooners, then by all means do it :) The opportunity to cover the Sooners is not afforded to everyone on a professional basis.

[setem]

Thanks for the advice. I hope it is not that formal. I don't think I will be getting many chances with the players or coaches. If I do get a chance with the players it would be casual Q&A on the topic I am writing about. Nothing really formal I guess. I think a lot of what I will be doing comes from me I mean that is what makes it a blog right? I am not going to make stuff up you know.

[Dan Thompson]

How much does it pay and why doesn't he do it.

[SbOrOiNaEnR]

Q:
How much does it pay...

A:
I have been offered no pay but I was told that they have access to press passes.

Q:
...and why doesn't he do it.

A:
My concerns:

Is this Sports Page a legit news source?

I am about as bias as they come when it comes to the Sooners. I have a problem of seeing things through crimson colored glasses.

Should I buy into what I have been offered? I have not be asked for money or any kind of donations. So far this seems like a ok deal or no?

Can I record parts of the TG and ask you guys questions about the Sooners? I am sure I would have to bring waivers and all but is would the higher ups of this board mind if I did this?

Lastly, I like to relax on game day and get pretty ****ty. I do most of my drinking during and after the game though. Do you think this could be a problem?

What do you think?:pop:

Everything you need, Clarice, is right here in these pages. ;)

[Rogue]

Heres my $0.02...

If there's no pay involved, then there's nothing to keep you doing it if it doesn't suit you. You can try it out for a game or two and, if it sucks, what have you lost?

[olevetonahill]

Heres my $0.02...

If there's no pay involved, then there's nothing to keep you doing it if it doesn't suit you. You can try it out for a game or two and, if it sucks, what have you lost?

His Status Here as a Poster ? :D

[r5TPsooner]

How much does it pay and why doesn't he do it.

reading comprehension is a gift man.

[badger]

How much does it pay and why doesn't he do it.

I...gave... many... reasons... why ... he... shouldn't... do... it... don't you read what I write here? Are my words not very important? Wow do I feel ignored and unappreciated :(:(:(:(:(:(

;)

[sooner n houston]

I would say cause you're a woman, but I'd be affraid to! :D

[badger]

I would say cause you're a woman, but I'd be affraid to! :D

:mad: You know, I bet you and everyone else here never would have figured that out if I didn't just come out and say it. :mad:

:D Something that I definitely get a kick out of. :D