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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
So... those who shot the BCS Title Game
Dean Legge, Photographer
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Aiken | SC | USA | Posted: 10:58 AM on 01.13.11 |
->> Not shot one before, but I've shot other BCS games... was wondering
It didn't appear that you were restricted to any one area of the field during the game... could you move around freely?
It didn't appear that you were restricted after the game at all - is that true as well?
Any other complaints/issues? |
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Bruce Ely, Photographer
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Portland | OR | USA | Posted: 11:37 AM on 01.13.11 |
->> I've never shot a title game before this one. I don't know how it's been in the past, but everything ran extremely well.
It really felt like any televised regular season game to me.
Richard Mackson was the photo marshal of the event. I think he did a wonderful job communicating and looking out for all the photographers at the game.
I had a last minute request to shoot a panoramic image and he was kind enough to track down an empty spot in one of the press box rooms for me to do my work. Would have been easy (and reasonable) for him to just say no.
We were given a list of rules to follow. All were very reasonable. There were 2 lines on the field. You had to kneel on the front line and could stand on the second line. The larger organizations has assigned spots if they wanted to use them. Most positions were first come / first served. There were no restrictions about going on the field after the game ended. There was limited access to the area right next to the stage for the trophy presentation, but no limits right outside the roped off area.
Richard said that he made a deal with the BCS that if we followed all the rules and played nice that they would place the security guards behind the photographer. I understand that was not the case in the past and it caused problems.
Something really good will probably come from how smoothly the event went. Each conference had a sports information representative there observing/working the event. If things ran smooth at the BCS game, there is a movement to standardize the procedures at all NCAA games. |
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Robert Hanashiro, Photographer
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Los Angeles | CA | | Posted: 12:03 PM on 01.13.11 |
| ->> It was very civil. |
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Thomas Boyd, Photographer
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Portland | OR | USA | Posted: 2:13 AM on 01.14.11 |
->> I had the same impressions and experiences as Bruce. I shot from both ends of the field and moved about freely just as I would have at any other game. Of course, I had assigned spots as well so that helped.
The corner sidelines were pretty crowded but everyone was cooperative and let me in when I asked. Post game was crowded but I managed to shoot the coach and other key players even though they made a hasty retreat to the locker room.
Having an experienced photographer coordinate the photographers was a huge benefit to us all.
I didn't see any photographers break the rules. |
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George Bridges, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Washington | DC | USA | Posted: 10:36 AM on 01.14.11 |
->> Last winter I talked to the great guy in charge of the BCS and he was looking at ways of cleaning up the sidelines and making life easier for everyone. Especially after the complaints several years ago at the Rose Bowl with the Texas-USC matchup.
Sounds like they have made some steps in the right direction. |
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Robert Hanashiro, Photographer
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Los Angeles | CA | | Posted: 2:30 PM on 01.14.11 |
| ->> And pre-assigned spots in the end zones for the larger organizations and local papers. |
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Chris Pietsch, Photographer
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Eugene | OR | USA | Posted: 7:15 PM on 01.14.11 |
->> There were all the usual restrictions, but they were clearly explained and enforcement was consistent and professionally handled. I think appointing Richard Mackson as a marshal was a great idea and a key reason everything ran so smoothly.
A couple other things probably contributed. The lateness of the game seemed to helped clear out the sidelines at different points. I was practically alone in the Auburn end-zone during a portion of the 2nd quarter for instance. I assume a lot of photographers left to file. It got crowded again at the end of the game, but officials allowed photographers to stand with their backs against the wall as a second row in the end-zones, so there was always some place to go.
The close ending to the game probably helped too. Everybody was still photographing action until the last second and I didn't see anybody try to infiltrate the players areas until the game was over.
All in all, I thought the event was well managed. |
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Eileen Blass, Photographer
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xxxxx | xx | USA | Posted: 8:15 PM on 01.14.11 |
| ->> Agreed, very well managed. Made it easier to concentrate on shooting the game ...a lot easier. |
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Chris Collins, Photographer
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Fayetteville/ATL | GA | US | Posted: 10:39 PM on 01.14.11 |
| ->> Dean call Kevin Cox, he was there. |
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Smiley Pool, Photographer
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Houston | TX | USA | Posted: 1:40 AM on 01.15.11 |
->> I think George is talking about Bill Hancock who is director of the BCS. Bill is a great guy - hands down one of the best people in all of sports - and so is Richard Mackson.
They have a tremendously difficult job, take it seriously, and work really hard to make the title game run smoothly (and make pictures). Both really care about getting it done right, so I'm very pleased with the positive reports from this year.
Last year in Pasadena there were some problems with security standing in front of the photographers in certain areas - I don't think I've ever seen anyone as mad as Bob Rosato was when one of the yellow coats completely blocked he and I on the key Garrett Gilbert fumble in the fourth quarter.
A few of us brought it up later when Bill sought us out to get feedback on how things went. Yes, that's right, the executive director of the BCS came down to the photo workroom after the game to seek out photographers and ask us for our feedback.
It sounds like this year Mr. Mackson made sure that didn't happen again, which is a testimony to what talented and dedicated people like he and Bill can accomplish. They can't control everything, and nothing is ever perfect, but those guys are a class act. |
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George Bridges, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Washington | DC | USA | Posted: 1:16 PM on 01.15.11 |
->> Smiley,
Yup, Bill and I talked about sidelines management and how it is handled at other events several times at the Olympics.
He really is a great guy to deal with. |
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Jayne Oncea, Photographer
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Saugus | CA | USA | Posted: 5:28 PM on 01.15.11 |
->> The Rose Bowl went just as smoothly as BCS..during trophy presentation some Pasadena PD officers were standing in front of some photogs and the security asked them to move and not block them...what a concept!
A few times I had a foot over the yellow line and the security actually waited until the play was over to very nicely ask me to move back. |
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Tim Casey, Photographer
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Gainesville | FL | USA | Posted: 7:51 PM on 01.15.11 |
->> I was at the 2007 (Florida-Ohio State, 2006 season) game in Arizona and the 2009 (Florida-Oklahoma, 2008 season) game in Miami.
The Arizona game had hundreds of photo/video sideline credentials, so the field divided up into quadrants, with most photogs assigned a colored vest that limited us to one specific 1/4 of the field.
We could theoretically go anywhere in that area between the bench and goalpost, but it was so crowded that most people camped in one spot the entire game.
I found someone covering Ohio State and we agreed to trade vests each quarter so we could have the team we covered coming at us for the entire game. I was very fortunate at that game because 95% of the big/memorable plays happened where I got a good angle on there. The other photog from the paper I was with had very few opportunities because of where he was camped for the game.
At the Miami game, there weren't anywhere near as many people on the sidelines. I was able to roam freely around the field and it wasn't ever crowded in any spot. It was less-crowded that almost every regular-season game from that year. |
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Eileen Blass, Photographer
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xxxxx | xx | USA | Posted: 10:14 PM on 01.17.11 |
| ->> Oh, and one other thing about this year's BCS. I lost my 70-200 lens hood during the end of the game scrum.....and lo and behold, someone found it on the field and turned it in. Also, I learned that a colleague who misplaced a camera with a wide lens at the end of the game was reunited with his gear. Someone found it and put up on a ladder or support of some kind for safe keeping. And while we were all working on deadline transmitting pictures, there was an announcement that if anyone was missing a camera, one had been found. Don't know if the last two were related but it's just plain great that stuff was turned in. How many times do you hear that? Not enough. |
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Richard Mackson, Photographer
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Pittsford | NY | US | Posted: 10:42 AM on 01.19.11 |
->> Everyone,
Thanks for the compliments.
The results from the BCS game came after almost 3 years of conversations with the Bowl Games and BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock.
Gina Chappin from the Rose Bowl originally got me involved at the suggestion of one of the past Rose Bowl presidents. This year Tony Alba at the Fiesta Bowl continued and strengthened our working together.
What was accomplished was done via a series of tweeks to the the existing policies, adding a few new twists and creating a forum to explain the rules and get everyone on the same page. Everyone being; photographers, videographers, messengers, field marshals, security, etc.
At the Rose Bowl this year, because of the incident Smiley Pool highlighted above from last years game. I asked the head of field security to come to the photographers briefing. He made it clear that that type of incident would not happen again, and that particular guard is not working the sidelines. His guys went as far as asking police officers who came down near the end of the game to move because they were blocking the sight lines.
At the BCS game the field marshals and security did a great job of clearing out the photo areas of people were were not actually working. The kneeling and standing line worked as hoped. I got the feeling from the field marshals and Conference SID's who helped patrol the sidelines that they took a sense of ownership regarding the photographers/videographers and were not going to let anything within their control get in our way.
In some cases this was the first time the SID's had worked directly with photographers, and several of them commented on how hard we work. And have a new level of respect for what we do.
From the onset I was opposed to quadrants and they were eliminated.
So that was the public side of things. Because of my IT background (almost 13 years in research at Kodak) I have also been involved in specking the connectivity needs for the Digital Media Room and Press Box. That was actually a much more complicated set of discussions.
I need to hand it to the Rose and Fiesta Bowl's for setting up almost 600 Wired Ethernet connections. That is not easy or cheap!
Was it perfect? No there are always going to be some glitches with events like this, and yes I did call a few audibles. And as Bruce said in his comments above, when a question comes in like he had the first answer should not be NO!
For those of you who are reading this and don't know me I shot my first Rose Bowl game in 1972 so the Rose Bowl was my 39th New Years Bowl game including some 25 for Sports Illustrated
So again thanks to Bill Hancock, Tony Alba (Fiesta Bowl)Gina Chappin (Rose Bowl), and on forward with John Sudsbury (Sugar Bowl) and Larry Wahl (Orange Bowl).
Most of all thanks to all of you shooting the game, for following the rules and most importantly making great pictures
Cheers
RM |
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Gary Cosby, Jr, Photographer
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Decatur | AL | USA | Posted: 11:20 AM on 01.19.11 |
->> Richard,
I want to add my compliments to all the others. I have shot the last two BCS games, which are the only two I have shot, but my experiences at these games could not have been better. Even working for a comparatively small newspaper I had all the access anyone could ask for. The sidelines were extremely well managed and I had absolutely no trouble at all. In fact, this game was easier to cover than the Iron Bowl or the SEC Championship which I have a great deal more experience with. All I can say is you and the bowl committees did a wonderful job and I hope the system continues.
Gary |
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Mark Loundy, Photo Editor
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San Jose | CA | USA | Posted: 3:09 PM on 01.19.11 |
->> Richard,
Are you, by any chance, related to new SS member Lauren Mackson?
--Mark |
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Butch Miller, Photographer
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Lock Haven | PA | USA | Posted: 5:05 PM on 01.19.11 |
| ->> Great job Richard ... now if this level of consideration and cooperation can filter to all leagues, schools and venues ... everyone involved will benefit ... thanks for all the hard work ... |
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Chris Pietsch, Photographer
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Tony Leon, Photographer
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Whittier | CA | United States | Posted: 11:09 PM on 01.20.11 |
->> For those who want to see what sidelines looked like, meaning the kneeling line and the standing line, and the amount of photographers. They should take a look at Bruce Ely's panoramic from the title game.
http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=37587 |
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