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No Cheering in the Press Box: No really, you can’t cheer in here Print E-mail
Tuesday, 06 October 2009
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by ROB JENKINS
Sports Editor

So you might be wondering why I gave my column the name “No Cheering in the Press Box.”

Well, even if you aren’t wondering, I’m going to tell you.

In any press box before football games, an announcement is made that goes something like this:

“The Football Writers Association of America and ‘insert college name here’ Sports Information remind you that this is a working press box and no cheering for either team will be tolerated. Violators will be asked to leave the press area.”

I thought this made a cool catchphrase, and since my column is the only place I can express my opinions, I decided to make it the name (I know, not that exciting, but let’s move on).

I take this announcement pretty seriously, because as both a journalist and a gigantic Appalachian State fan, it is a struggle for me to keep quiet at times.

Like when Armanti Edwards made that ridiculous play against Samford, I almost jumped out of my seat and started screaming.

I had to give Liles Neal, The Appalachian’s Associate Editor for Production, a swift elbow to the ribs when he let out a loud gasp while we were covering the East Carolina game.

I have never really seen a problem with cheering in the various press boxes I have been to. That was until last Saturday, when I was introduced to the media relations staff of The Citadel.

The staffers who were in charge of keeping stats and identifying which players were involved in plays were the most unprofessional group of media relations people I have ever dealt with.

They were blatantly cheering very audibly for the Bulldogs.

Whenever The Citadel scored or made a good play of any kind, the staff made no attempt to contain their excitement.

Or maybe the way they were acting was dialed down, in which case I wonder what they would be like unrestrained. They could probably drown out their Corps of Cadets.

The higher-ups of the media relations staff did nothing to reign in their subordinates.

I want to take this opportunity to make a recommendation to The Citadel’s Director of Athletics Media Relations Noelle Orr Blaney.

In your letter welcoming the media members to the press area, you write, “There is absolutely no cheering of any kind tolerated in the press box.” You should probably put, “unless you work for The Citadel Media Relations” on the end of that sentence.

I guess I just expected better behavior from employees of The Citadel, a school that prides itself on discipline.

But then again, I probably expected too much since The Citadel is not even a real military academy.

The Citadel is the poor man’s West Point: it is the place where people who didn’t have the grades to get into Annapolis or West Point go.

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written by Major Charles Cordite, October 07, 2009
Unreal. Mr Jenkins, you just destroyed a rather average article with your ending comments. I could expect something like this from the Princeton press, but you surpass them with your intellect. Ivey league types can't help it with their perfect SAT scores, but what is your excuse? I'm sending you an application for membership in the Mental Giant Society. MGS would be proud to have you as a member. Push-ups and prayers to you from all The Citadel men from CSA, WWi, WWII, Korea, V.Namn, D.S. I and II and Afgtn, too!

Semper fi...
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written by Evie, October 07, 2009
Mr. Jenkins, you have the right to write and post any opinion you wish. I have the right to express my dislike of your opinion. We can both thank any man or woman who fought and died for our right to freedom of expression for this ability. That would include those men and women who have entered the United States Military as officers from The Citadel, West Point, or through the ROTC at Appalachian State.

It is a shame that you chose to use your freedom of expression to insult the entire Citadel Corp of Cadets because of your displeasure at the behavior of journalists and the Citadel staff in the press box. You reduced what could have been an interesting point of view about press box behavior into a childlike jealous rant in just two short sentences.

You should re-read your commentary. You should then sit down with your student-editor and your paper's academic advisor and prepare a thoughtful and well-written apology. You have not only insulted the Citadel Cadets but your fellow ASU ROTC recruits when you insinuate that only poor and poorly educated students choose to attend other military education venues for their officers training.
Rob, your beard looks funny...
written by Russ Fender, October 07, 2009
Hey, just because its my opinion i can state it as fact... regardless of any truth or how about this word, class. And a big FYI for you Rob, when you go to West Point your tuition is paid by Uncle Sam, unlike The Citadel where we are responsible for our own tuition... so take your poor man's West Point comment and lick it. Hey bro, I'm sorry that the guys showed some enthusiasm in the press box and you got your feelings hurt. They certainly weren't following the rules now were they... tut tut... i guess you always follow every rule right.... right.... Oh and West Point is cold bro... its cold for most of the year... like colder than Boone. Charleston on the other hand is warm bro... got nice pretty beaches, good fishing, watersport opporunities everywhere. Those of us that had the choice and wanted warmth chose Citadel and then went on to serve our country. Please accept my apology for the lack of class that i showed when i said that you looked funny.

Russ
I may be beating a dead horse...
written by Robert Uhl, October 07, 2009
but seriously man? The vast majority of the comments here are critical, and with good reason. The last two sentences of your article should not have been published. Please, for all of us, learn how to write with maturity,
Unprofessional
written by walter, October 07, 2009
Mr. Jenkins,

As far as what happened in the press book, whether or not it is true, why did you not bring this issue up immediately? Yet, instead of bringing up the issue with media relations during the game, you wait till you get back to Boone to write an article. To me that seems as if you were looking for an issue to belittle The Citadel with. A true professional would have no problem addressing the issue as it happened. For whatever reason you waited, whether it be a lack of spine, immaturity, or unprofessionalism on your part, this article shows that you lack the integrity of a journalist.

Furthermore, what truly disgusts me is how you compare The Citadel to a "poor man's West Point." Thousands of Citadel Cadets and Alumni have fought, bleed, and died for your freedom since 1842. Yet you choose to disregard this and in the same breath, essentially say that officers from West Point, Annapolis, and The Air Force Academy are only worthy of you respect. Since it's origins, The Citadel has been producing excellent officers and leaders in our military. Until you spend time here, how dare you question our legitimacy as a Senior Military College. I have knobs that turned down admission to The Naval Academy, I have classmates that turned down admission to West Point to come here. The Citadel is an institution full of rich tradition and for producing quality leaders. The moral courage, discipline, sacrifice, mental toughness, and physical endurance that it takes to last four years at The Citadel is something that the majority of college students do not posses and universities cannot provide.
Hopefully not indicative of ASU
written by Lt Col LaMar, '84, October 07, 2009
As we each have our own opinions, I will share mine from as far away as Afghanistan. After 25+ years in service it's difficult to look past your insulting remarks. One can only blame it on pure immaturity and unprofessionalism. Instead of reporting the positive aspects of sport and sportsmanship you elected to take the path of hurling negatives in the face of Citadel alumni. Congratulations, in doing so you’ve successfully embarrassed App State as well as your own counterparts in the journalism field.
Very disappointing.
written by Erik Page, October 06, 2009
Having a second home in Valle Crucis and many friends and coworkers who attended ASU, I have always been a fan and supporter of the Mountaineers when they are not playing my beloved Alma Mater, The Citadel. Fans of both schools have an affinity for each other, if for no other reason that we enjoy visiting each other's stomping grounds. I have also been continually impressed with ASU's fans when I attend games in Boone. I will not let the uninformed rant of one juvenile junior school reporter sour my affection for ASU and its fans.

However, I do feel compelled to say that I am unsure what Mr. Jenkins was trying to do here other than be insulting and dishonorable.

This is directed at you, Mr. Jenkins: I apologize if you were distracted by noise in the press box. I am sorry that you equated exuberance with dishonor. If you decide to visit The Citadel again, I would encourage you to visit the campus, go up to Summerall Chapel and read the names of the hundreds and hundreds of patriot dead you dishonored with your immature comments.
Rob Jenkins: Woefully Ignorant
written by Matt, October 06, 2009
As a former App student, I am embarrassed by your disgusting and tasteless remarks. My father enlisted in the Marines at 17, even though he had been accepted at Marquette. My grandfather, who was also a Marine and a very smart man, didnt have the money to send him. Twenty years later he retired as an officer, just like my grandfather. Neither attended Annapolis. Both had more honor and smarts than you, judging by your incompetent drivel. I'd trust my life to any soldier, sailor, airmen, marine or poor-men cadet over you.
Poorly Thought Out Peice
written by Daniel, October 06, 2009
As someone who has worked in Sports Information in the SoCon and as an SID in high school I must say that this piece was not only poorly written but reflects the complete ignorance of Mr. Jenkins. Noelle Blaney and the Citadel's sports information staff has been in my experience one of the most professional and kindest staffs in the SoCon. Mr. Jenkins low blows at Citadel as an institution prove that he is not only misinformed but also low on class. I would like to know how one of the newspaper higher ups did not catch this piece before production and rip it to shreds. I hope that in the future all SoCon institutions take Mr. Jenkins complete lack of common sense and hold it against him by refusing to issue him credentials to future games. Dr. Ken Peacock and The Appalachian should issue The Citadel, Ms Blaney and her entire staff a formal apology for this backhand slap of their school.
Rob Jenkins knows "unprofessional"
written by Scott McCain, October 06, 2009
After reading the opinion piece by Rob Jenkins "No Cheering in the Press Box", I can say there is very little that is true in this piece. The truth ends after he said Appalachian State played Citadel last weekend.

I have been sports information director at two institutions and have seen very few press boxes ran as well or better than The Citadel's. It gets a little loud up front, but of necessity--it IS a WORKING press box. There was no cheering. I was front and center and am not an employee of The Citadel, so I have nothing to gain through this rebuttal.

Young Mr. Jenkins should be careful not to use the bathroom where he eats. This opinion piece is certain to make its way around the rest of the places where App plays, and knowing Ms. Blaney's reputation, his will be trashed. In a show of solidarity, I hope the rest of the sports information directors in the Southern Conference revoke the press credentials of a student paper that would elevate such an immature writer to an editor position.

If you want to know what a professional sports writer thinks of The Citadel's press box, read the blog of Charleston Post & Courier's Jeff Hartsell.
Rob's Chucking Rocks from a big ol' Glass House
written by John Brown, October 06, 2009
I agree with Rob that if the Sports Information People issued the directive that there should be no cheering in the press box it should have been followed by The Citadel people. But cut The Citadel folks a little slack. You have a school with an enrollment of 3,000 who is regularly beaten by a school with an enrollment of what? 20,000 and they got a little excited. That's no reason to make derisive comments about the legitimacy of The Citadel as a distinguished military institution or place of higher learning.

It almost temps me to say something about where Miss Teen South Carolina went to college. See:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww&feature=PlayList&p=4D93506FD5F89D0F&index=2&playnext=2&playnext_from=PL
Opinion versus article
written by App grad, Charleston resident, October 06, 2009
Yes, I may have graduated a looonnnnggg time ago, and it's true I haven't written for a paper for quite some time. But I do seem to remember there is a difference between an opinion piece, an editorial, a hard news story, and a lifestyle piece. THIS IS NOT A HARD NEWS STORY, FOLKS. He is entitled to his opinion and write it as such.

And, having spent a lot of time at BOTH institiutions, he is amazingly on the mark. Don't get me wrong, I love The Citadel (enough to know to capitalize the "The"). But there are a lot of people - students, staff, administration - who act as though the rules don't apply to them. A certain sense of entitlement pervades the Charleston campus. And, unfortunately, while it espouses leadership and ethics, they don't always practive what they preach. This is true in ALL types of organizations, but the company I work for doesn't have "ETHICS AND LEADERSHIP" as our tag line, either, so if we were to slip, it wouldn't seem to matter so much. And technically, he is correct. The Citadel is not a real military academy. It is a college with a military slant to the undergraduate program. Just because it is not a member of the US Armed Forces does not diminish the very real training these undergraduates endure. (We just won't get into how the Corps Squad gets treated differently than the Corps - that is a bigger argument saved for another time.)

I might take exception to "the poor man's West Point" as it is a pricey tuition at El Cid. But true, if you can't get into the USMA, you might apply to The Citadel. And if you can't get into The Citadel, you might apply to West Point. But I also take exception to "Lonnie" above who acts as though all cadets go on to military service - and those 33% do bravely serve. But I seem to remember quite a few of my friends that were involved in ROTC at App, too. Those folks went on to bravely serve (and some are still serving) as well.

Yes, Mr. Jenkins should have had the maturity to bring this to the attention of Ms. Orr at the time of the offense. But we must remember he is just a student. I'd like to know what the sports staff of the Charleston paper or news stations thought of the outbursts and why they didn't say anything. If it is hard for seasoned journalists to point out that rules are broken, it may be a bit intimidating for a student to point out to the home institution that they themselves are violating the rules.

...
written by Bill Horner, October 06, 2009
Rob, academic comparisons between ASU and Citadel athletes should be kept to a minimum in future columns. All of the Citadel football players can enter ASU while not all ASU football players are eligible to enter The Citadel.
Wow ...
written by Nancy, October 06, 2009
I'm surprised at your lack of professionalism. I know it's your column, and your opinion, and it does sound like you have a legitimate gripe, but the insults in the last two sentences take away from any serious point you were trying to make. When I received my degree from ASU in Journalism, I can assure you that's not what our professors were teaching us. Shame on you.
Professionalism
written by Citadel Cadet, October 06, 2009
Sir, I cannot speak to our Media Relations staff, or your complaints about their lack of proffessionalism, but I would like to comment that your words ring hollow when you lower yourself to saying we are 'the poor man's West poit', or 'not even a real military academy'. Some of us turned down those service academies to be here. Which senior military college did you attend? Spend a day within the walls of either institution and than we'll listen to your critique, but until then, perhaps it is better if you stick to commenting on sports.
...
written by Lonnie, October 06, 2009
As A graduate of both schools, I find this article highly offensive. Sounds to me as if the author ate a snack of Scuppernong grapes on his trek down from Boone. If the author had a problem with the cheering in the press box, the time to address it was at the time, to the media director to of the Citadel, not in an article after the fact. After reading this, I am wondering if "bravery" is a word that is taught in the Journalism school at ASU. I know from first hand experience that it's taught to all freshmen that enter the gates of the Citadel. I'm sure that all of the brave graduates of the Citadel that have fought and died for our county were glad they attended a "poor man's west point".


Misinformed by Rob Jenkins
written by Travis, October 06, 2009
You may want to have your Sports Editor, Rob Jenkins, formally apologize to the entire Citadel Institution and question his integrity with your staff due to very inaccurate information. With the last 3 sentences of his article, he'd demoralized truly distinguished Americans that work for our freedom. This makes me question the validity of information coming from the Appalachian Institution

http://www.citadelalumni.org/dcal/dcal.php

http://www.citadelalumni.org/dcal/statistics.php

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