Sports in Seconds: A humbling experience at the JLC
The perks of my job have made me realize that I'm still a kid at heart.
I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to cover the National Hockey League (NHL) exhibition contest between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins held at the John Labatt Centre (JLC) on Sunday September 24.
After my experience last season covering the exhibition game between the Flyers and the Atlanta Thrashers, I thought I would be given the same treatment this season — access to the standing-room-only sections of the JLC and that's it.
Luckily, I was wrong.
Upon entrance into the arena, I was given my media pass and shown the direction to my front-row seat in the JLC Press Box. Surrounding me were beat-writers from the Flyers, Penguins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, journalists and photographers from the Globe and Mail and Canadian Press and an assortment of other reporters from very reputable media organizations.
Thank goodness I was at least wearing a dress shirt and khaki's because everyone else was done up all pretty in suits and ties. So, feeling a bit intimidated, I sat back, enjoyed the game, took notes, and observed how all of the professional media personnel handled themselves while they worked.
The game was a bit of a drag, lacking many of the stars from both the Penguins and Flyers, but there was still a sweet scrap between the Penguins Matt Carkner and Philadelphia's Martin Grenier, and the Penguins John LeClair put home a nice goal off a slick pass from rookie Jordan Staal, giving Pittsburgh a 2-1 victory. Then came the disappearing act.
Literally one minute after the final whistle, all of the occupants of the Press Box flowed out and took off through the departing JLC crowd. I thought to myself either everyone had hot dates after the game, or they were all heading toward the locker rooms of the respected NHL teams in hopes of getting a quote for their articles.
I thought the latter was more viable, so I went on a search mission for the dressing rooms of both the Penguins and Flyers.
Not sure exactly where to go, I asked around and got pointed in the direction of two bulky, and somewhat scary looking security guards situated outside a corridor. When I asked them if reporters were allowed in the dressing rooms, not recognizing me whatsoever, they glared at me and asked me who the hell I was and whom I was with. When I flashed my media pass and said I was a reporter with Fanshawe College, they gave me a nod and said, “First two doors on your left.”
Almost running into him, I watched, Penguins forward and 2005 Stanley Cup Champion with the Carolina Hurricanes, Mark Rhecci walk right past me in his jock and sweats, then across the room I noticed notorious NHL-pest Jarkko Ruutu being interviewed by a Finnish reporter, and goalie Jocelyn Thibault loosening the laces on his skates.
Not prepared at all to do any sort of interview and basically thinking to myself, “Holy crap I'm in the Pittsburgh Penguins locker room,” I regrouped. I thought, OK, take a deep breath, and come up with some questions to ask these guys so I don't look like a complete idiot. But then I got thrown into a complete loop.
Walking towards me in a designer suit, and amongst a posse of similar looking young men, came Sydney Crosby.
I never thought that being in the company of a 19-year-old kid, and several balding men in their underwear would make me stand like a deer caught in headlights, but it definitely did.
Not only did I just stand there in amazement, lost amongst the whole situation, I felt like I was a 12-year-old kid again with the only thing missing from my appearance being a puddle of urine forming beside my feet.
I never managed to ask any questions, nor did I even try and shake Crosby's hand, but I can say it was one of the most memorable moments in my life, in both the sporting and journalistic realms.
So I will chalk this up as experience, and I will undoubtedly be more prepared the next time I am put into a similar situation.
I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to cover the National Hockey League (NHL) exhibition contest between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins held at the John Labatt Centre (JLC) on Sunday September 24.
After my experience last season covering the exhibition game between the Flyers and the Atlanta Thrashers, I thought I would be given the same treatment this season — access to the standing-room-only sections of the JLC and that's it.
Luckily, I was wrong.
Upon entrance into the arena, I was given my media pass and shown the direction to my front-row seat in the JLC Press Box. Surrounding me were beat-writers from the Flyers, Penguins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, journalists and photographers from the Globe and Mail and Canadian Press and an assortment of other reporters from very reputable media organizations.
Thank goodness I was at least wearing a dress shirt and khaki's because everyone else was done up all pretty in suits and ties. So, feeling a bit intimidated, I sat back, enjoyed the game, took notes, and observed how all of the professional media personnel handled themselves while they worked.
The game was a bit of a drag, lacking many of the stars from both the Penguins and Flyers, but there was still a sweet scrap between the Penguins Matt Carkner and Philadelphia's Martin Grenier, and the Penguins John LeClair put home a nice goal off a slick pass from rookie Jordan Staal, giving Pittsburgh a 2-1 victory. Then came the disappearing act.
Literally one minute after the final whistle, all of the occupants of the Press Box flowed out and took off through the departing JLC crowd. I thought to myself either everyone had hot dates after the game, or they were all heading toward the locker rooms of the respected NHL teams in hopes of getting a quote for their articles.
I thought the latter was more viable, so I went on a search mission for the dressing rooms of both the Penguins and Flyers.
Not sure exactly where to go, I asked around and got pointed in the direction of two bulky, and somewhat scary looking security guards situated outside a corridor. When I asked them if reporters were allowed in the dressing rooms, not recognizing me whatsoever, they glared at me and asked me who the hell I was and whom I was with. When I flashed my media pass and said I was a reporter with Fanshawe College, they gave me a nod and said, “First two doors on your left.”
Almost running into him, I watched, Penguins forward and 2005 Stanley Cup Champion with the Carolina Hurricanes, Mark Rhecci walk right past me in his jock and sweats, then across the room I noticed notorious NHL-pest Jarkko Ruutu being interviewed by a Finnish reporter, and goalie Jocelyn Thibault loosening the laces on his skates.
Not prepared at all to do any sort of interview and basically thinking to myself, “Holy crap I'm in the Pittsburgh Penguins locker room,” I regrouped. I thought, OK, take a deep breath, and come up with some questions to ask these guys so I don't look like a complete idiot. But then I got thrown into a complete loop.
Walking towards me in a designer suit, and amongst a posse of similar looking young men, came Sydney Crosby.
I never thought that being in the company of a 19-year-old kid, and several balding men in their underwear would make me stand like a deer caught in headlights, but it definitely did.
Not only did I just stand there in amazement, lost amongst the whole situation, I felt like I was a 12-year-old kid again with the only thing missing from my appearance being a puddle of urine forming beside my feet.
I never managed to ask any questions, nor did I even try and shake Crosby's hand, but I can say it was one of the most memorable moments in my life, in both the sporting and journalistic realms.
So I will chalk this up as experience, and I will undoubtedly be more prepared the next time I am put into a similar situation.
