**Remember to click on the pictures for below for a closer examination!**
Imagine for a moment, you are sitting in your seat watching your favorite sports team play in a competitive basketball game; your nose suddenly has an itch or you are starving so you’re stuffing your face with food…what happens? You glance up and there on the jumbotron is your face blasted throughout the entire stadium with you picking your nose or pigging out on the massively expensive game food. How embarrassing, right? That has always been one of my absolute worst nightmares; but then again, I just don’t like being shown on the jumbotron period. (There is a reason it’s called a “jumbotron” – it makes you look freakin’ jumbo!!! ) Yet, these moments happen quite frequently, and while they can be quite humorous and embarrassing, they should also be big no-no’s for some people!
During a basketball game, while all eyes are usually on the athletes, at times your eyes also will focus on the coaches, referees and occasionally, the directors of the sports programs. Many times, even the more entertaining photographs come from those taken of the non-athletes and their actions that are made during the game. While I do often find myself scanning the entire arena during a game, it has never been my full-fledged attention to capture embarrassing photographs of the non-athletes in action. (Okay, maybe once or twice, I have glanced a little longer hoping to find something humorous but that’s not my sole purpose when I go to basketball games!) However, while I was perusing my massive collection of photographs that I have taken over the past few years at countless games, I ran across a few pictures that just really made me chuckle. Yet, the pictures also made me realize that there are some big no-no’s that these individuals should be more cautious of because eventually someone, like me, is going to come along and post these non-flattering pictures on a blog or elsewhere for all the world to see. (No harm is meant in posting these pictures; they are merely for humorous purposes and guidelines for what coaches/referees/athletes, etc. should be more aware of.)
First, ABSOLUTELY NO PICKIN’ ALLOWED!!! Quite honestly, probably the biggest no-no by anyone, particularly those in the spotlight, is the picking of or just overall playing with ones nose during a game. No one, whether watching the game on TV or sitting in the stands watching the game live, wants to see anyone with their finger up their nose. Even the occasional rub of the nose can be highly distracting and even taken the wrong way. If you’ve got something to pick, use a Kleenex or a handkerchief and turn away from the cameras to take care of business in private. If possible, wait until a timeout or when you go off the court – no one wants to see boogies hanging from the nostrils either. Bless them, but I caught UNC Women’s Head Coach Sylvia Hatchell in action a few years ago and ran across this picture and just started cackling. I have a lot of respect for Sylvia, even though I despise UNC with a purple passion; but wow, Sylvia, you need to control your urge or grab the handkerchief from one of your assistants’ pockets and honk away, as this is not the first time I have spotted you doing this – but, please, please NO PICKING!!! And one of my favorite referees (Linda & Kim know why!), Bryan Brunette, was caught in the “pick of it”, also while at UNC. (What is it with Chapel Hill and the need to pick your nose?) But really, referees should be on guard at all times – heck, run behind the stanchion during a timeout, when you go grab your drink of water, and take care of your matters there. We don’t need to see it as you’re pacing the sidelines – just gross! And yes, picking of the nose is the worst, but bless his heart, ACC Commissioner John Swofford (an alumni of guess where… UNC!) loves to keep his fingers in his mouth and make just these awkward facial expressions. Really, you’re the Commissioner of the conference, please act like you have a little decency. I guess the next time I go over to Chapel Hill, I better take a box of Kleenex to prepare myself in case the urge hits me to touch my face – they already do teach you how to properly flush the toilet, so maybe we can teach them how to properly clean out their “rooms” (as we Southern people often refer to their nostrils!)
Second, PIGGIN’ NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THE STANDS OR OUT OF PUBLIC VIEW – NOT ON PRESS ROW! There is a time, a purpose and a place for everything, and while we fans are constantly stuffing food into our mouths, we are up in the stands typically out of ESPN’s or the Associated Press’ camera view. There is nothing wrong with eating while at the game – popcorn, hotdogs, candy bars, etc., but when the big meals come out, that not only is distracting but it also make those of us who are hungry for REAL food just have to sit there in torment watching you eat. Many times, during Tournament games, opposing team coaches will come and scout the games that are playing sitting along the sidelines near press row, typically across from the team benches. They are highly visible from when they walk into the arena to while they are sitting there taking notes and observing the game. However, when they walk in with food, it makes the eyes lock on to them even more. You know, it’s one thing when the coach walks in with a bag of chips and a soda and sits back snacking while taking in the game – that almost makes them appear more like one of the fans. Then there is Maryland Women’s Head Coach, Brenda Frese (who, by the way, I absolutely adore!). Coach Frese waltzed into the PNC Arena in Raleigh to watch the Notre Dame and St. Bonaventure tournament game, and not only is Brenda sitting across from the legendary Notre Dame Coach, Muffet McGraw (who is the epitome of all-things-classy), but she is sitting in-between her two assistant coaches. Okay, what’s wrong with that? Nothing! Except for the fact that Brenda walks in with a huge platter of food and begins to literally inhale the food while everyone in the entire arena stares at her, including her two assistants (who, by the way, did not get any food!) Upon first glance, we all thought she was eating Chinese food, and my first thought was “where in the world did she find that at the PNC Arena?”; but upon closer examination, it appears she is eating some type of salad. But still, is the sideline of an ESPN televised tournament game an appropriate place to eat your salad? I would think she could’ve eaten that down in the coaches’ lounge or somewhere in the underground confines of the PNC Arena rather than out on the floor of the court for the entire world to see.
Yes, I am absolutely certain there are worse things that coaches could be caught doing on camera, and I am sure that somewhere someone has caught those, as well. But for now, I thought I would just do a slight rabbit trail from the fashion do’s and don’ts, to examine some just overall etiquette do’s and don’ts that coaches could be more aware of. Believe you me, I am very conscientious of touching anywhere on my face as a fan during the game for fear of having my image frozen in time on the big screen, so you would think the coaches and officials would also give it a second thought. But I guess when you get an itch, you’ve gotta take care of business…
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