Press Box?

There are several ways to witness a sporting event. Participants witness sports where the action is taking place. Fans witness sports from the comfort (or discomfort) of bleacher seats. Fans also view sports via television or the Internet. I have witnessed sports from each of these vantage points, however, there is one point of view that I have found that offers the best view, one that enables me to see things more for what they are: the press box view.

From the press box, it is easier to see things as they truly are, not as they appear to be amdist the emotion and excitement on the field, the court, the sideline or in the stands. I first experienced this point of view while covering high school and junior college sports for the Los Angeles Times. As a rule, the mood in a press box is much different than in the stands and on the fields of competition. The people there are generally trying to be objective. The cheering is minimal (limited usually to the coaches who work from the press box, whose presence shows that even coaches know they can benefit from a press box point of view) and the mood is mellow.
Simply put, the view from the press box is the best way to see sports.

With this in mind, I titled this blog "Press Box Observations" with the intent of using it as a way to see life and its various situations for what they truly are; a looking at life in the bigger picture.

The inspiration behind this mindset came to me in 2001 when I first started writing for Meridian Magazine. Here's the link to that initial article entitled, "Observations From The Press Box."

http://www.ldsmag.com/sports/010716press.html

I would be remiss if I didn't give credit to the late Alan Malamud, a sports writer for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner and Los Angeles Times, whose "Notes On A Scorecard" article greatly influenced me in my early days of sports writing.

So, there you have it. A baby step in the direction of where this blog will eventually end up.

On a personal note, my oldest son, Josh, got his drivers license today. Yes, the State of Utah has deemed him worthy and ready to maneuver the highways and byways of our great state. I have been the main instructor as Josh has learned to drive the family vehicle. This may explain the upcropping of gray hair on my head of late.