The Fifth Down FWAA President's column: Fight for access goes on
Tim Griffin, new President of the Football Writers Association of America, writes in his monthly column about how the fight for media access is a priority of reporters, the BCS policy of post-game open locker rooms, and how the FWAA will award their first "Super 11" to the top sports information departments in the country who go the extra mile in assistance and service to the media. These awards will be presented later this spring.
I saw first-hand a few weeks ago when Texas lost to Alabama in the Bowl Championship Series title game why the fight for our access is so important.
The BCS games, thankfully, are different than most all of college football. Some media members would call them trips to Fantasyland.
Normally, after a Texas or Alabama game during the regular season, we would have been held out of either locker room. Closed locker rooms are the rule during the regular season and have been for many years.
But BCS rules state that post-game locker rooms, after short cooling off periods, are supposed to be open for 30 minutes. When the gathered press corps at the Texas locker room was told interviews would be outside in the hall, several veteran reporters familiar with the BCS rules wouldn't budge. It led to all of us having the opportunity to do our jobs and some fine reporting after the game.
Access is by far the biggest issue that faces our profession today. With the proliferation of media sources helping to make college football more popular than ever before, it's tougher to get the basic access to players and coaches that we need to do our jobs.
During the 25 years I've been in the business, things have gradually gotten away from us. Open locker rooms used to be the rule across college football – as they are in most professional sports. It used to be on Friday nights or after the games, many head coaches were even accessible at informal social hours and hospitality rooms. Now, we're lucky to get 10 minutes in a group interview with the men who are working in their jobs today. How times have changed.
And with it getting tougher and tougher to do our jobs, I think it's vastly important that we recognize the sports information departments that go the extra mile to help us.
With that in mind, we'll be awarding our first "Super 11" to the top sports information departments in the country. We hope this award becomes coveted and is a measure that sets apart the very best in the business for the work they do. A blue-ribbon panel of selectors from across the country will convene to determine those who will earn our first awards, which will be presented later this spring.
Another plan will be to honor the memory of former Tallahassee Democrat reporter Steve Ellis, who passed away last November. Ellis was a tenacious but fair beat reporter covering Florida State for nearly 30 years, including 19 at the Democrat.
We want to remember Steve by honoring the nation's very best beat writer. It's something that our organization should do.
Heading into 2010, the FWAA has never been in better shape. More people than ever are covering college football. And thankfully, many of them see the benefits of joining our organization that extend past a Marriott discount card or free access to recruiting websites.
When we work together, we're able to fight for the common good of the profession. It has resulted in open locker rooms at BCS games.
Hopefully, that will only be the start.
Before we start with 2010, we need to look back at the job that Gina Chappin did at the BCS title game with her staff from the Rose Bowl. From the daily e-mails of post practice and arrival quotes from each team to the police-escorted shuttles to the stadium, she should be congratulated. Personal thanks for her holding that last bus as Chris Low and I hammered out our final stories well past even West Coast deadlines for a certain large national website. My gratitude is immense.
I'd like to congratulate my predecessor George Schroeder for all that he has done as he served as FWAA's president. He has set a high standard for me to follow.
I'm excited and honored to have been selected for this position. When I look at some of the names of the legends of our profession who have preceded me, I'm humbled by the opportunity to follow in what they have done.
The 2010 season will mark my 25th season covering college football. I've seen it gradually evolve over the years from the days when clunky couplers were needed to send a story to today where wireless access is a necessity. It has been fun seeing most aspects change.
I just hope that the crusty old-timers from this era won't be sitting back a few years from now talking about how the access got away from us over the years.
You may contact me at timgriffin@satx.rr.com.