I tried...

[CowbellGuy]

Another year, another generous helping of frustration courtesy athletics. With Laura having moved on to other pastures, I was hoping that whatever hatchet she had hanging over her desk with my name festooned upon it would make the trip with her, but I guess it turned out to be university property.

Since everyone and their grandmother seems to hang out at the Zamboni entrance-end of the rink, I made the assumption that it was fair game and started shooting the Harvard game down there. Eventually, Phil asked if I had credentials, and as I did not, I returned to my seat. Okay, so it was established that credentials are needed to be down there. Not for the myriad of uncredentialled folks who hang out down there*, but certainly for me. Guess that makes me special.

Next step: apply for credentials. My first attempt was to apply on behalf of ELynah. This was denied because the NCAA and its member schools "have drawn a line" against issuing credentials to "fan sites." In their eyes, ELynah fits this bill because it "from time-to-time generates original content, but is driven by the message board." But they were quick to add, "If at some point the E-Lynah site changes direction and becomes a primary news site, the request is something we would reconsider." I take great exception to both points.

First, the vast, vast majority of my efforts toward ELynah are on the main site and DB. The message board was added because I felt the previous iteration was being neglected, and that happened years after the main site was established. Furthermore, any public message board will generate more traffic than the parent site. It's the nature of the beast, and I guarantee that's the case for USCHO as well.

Second, ELynah is, first and foremost, a multimedia site: video and photos. Is photography not a legitimate form of media? Last I checked, they award Pulitzers for photography, but athletics maintains that to be credible, you need written news. Photojournalists the word over thank you for your support. Meanwhile, the Ithaca Times gets photo credentials, and about the only coverage from them is on the ice in front of the student sections after the visiting team player introductions.

In all this, I was informed that USCHO is a "different class of web site" from ELynah and since they are far more legitimate in their eyes, they would certainly be issued photo credentials. Well, there's another caveat. They'll issue USCHO photo credentials, as long as it's not for me. Again, a request was made by USCHO, and again, it was turned down (nee, ignored) because it was for me. At the very same time, they issued press credentials to an undergrad with no experience to report for USCHO. Now, this is not meant to be a knock on Avash in any way. I think he's doing an outstanding job and I'm very happy to see the coverage for Cornell, but you can see how this might not sit well with me. Just like when athletics decided no coverage in USACH Magazine was better than coverage in USACH Magazine if I was the one doing it, apparently no photos on USCHO is better than photos on USCHO if I'm the one taking them. It must be nice to get so much publicity that you can turn down coverage on the biggest college hockey resource on the planet. Despite all this, I kept my mouth shut.

As the season rolled on, the webcam product got worse and worse. Despite the way my previous webcam efforts were unceremoniusly dumped in favor of a "more professional" solution, it seemed the "professionals" couldn't tell their ass from their elbow, so I dusted off the old olive branch for one last attempt. I offered to replace i2sports/XMI/Name-of-the-week and retain the current subscription model and 2-camera system, either starting this year or next, and even offered to do a game for free in case they had doubts about the product I could offer. More than a month has passed and they couldn't even be bothered to respond. I have reached the end of my patience with athletics.

The smaller the fish, the bigger the delusions of grandeur. Rather than embracing a free and willing resource, athletics has done everything in their power to squelch it, and I've had enough.


* I couldn't help but notice on Saturday when the only credentialled photographer** who could even be bothered to show up, from the Sun, got chased from standing behind the Zamboni door so, uhh, Phil and Dave (and someone else with a camera who has no credentials but shall remain nameless) could stand there.

** Tim McKinney was there but I don't think he was working.

[Facetimer]

Even with Ari writting editorials, they still didn't find eLynah to be legit?!?!?

[DL]

Might it work if folks donating to the hockey program insert an additional clause that specified you be given the 'proper' credentials?

[CowbellGuy]

I really couldn't tell you what would work. To be fair, I don't think this has involved the hockey office, though I suppose I could be wrong.

[ben03]

well, if the goal is a backw(oods)ards operation, that's exactly what the Cornell Athletics Dept. is marketing to the world. when/if someone realizes they are hurting (not helping) the University and its teams, we might see a change. with the current staff i wouldn't hold my breath and i doubt we'll see this realization or anything like it in our lifetime.
here's to hoping they don't try to tell the coaching staff how to run their teams.::smashfreak:: ::bang:: ::twak::

[DisplacedCornellian]

Do you think petitioning them would help at all?  I think you could find plenty of signatures.

[CowbellGuy]

I'm quite certain it wouldn't.

[CUlater 89]

I feel for Age because of the blatant discrimination against him when USCHO applied for a credential for him to serve as its photog.

On the other points though, I think Athletics is within its rights.  Photogs should be required to have credentials and I think most of us here consider ELynah to be a fan site, not a news site.  Although I don't know for sure, I would guess the non-message board stuff at ELynah gets fewer page views per unique user than at USCHO.

Age needs to get someone to moderate a workable solution with Athletics.  Someone with an existing relationship with Andy Noel or others in the organization.

[CowbellGuy]

[Q]CUlater 89 Wrote:
I think Athletics is within its rights.  Photogs should be required to have credentials[q]
Of course they should, but while they're kicking me out, there are 3 other people down there who shouldn't be and nothing is being done about them.

[q]most of us here consider ELynah to be a fan site, not a news site.[/q]
So another vote for photography not being a valid media outlet?

[q]I would guess the non-message board stuff at ELynah gets fewer page views per unique user than at USCHO.[/q]
And I would guess the ratio is quite similar. At least I know half the story.

[KenP]

Is Adam Wodon going to be calling the Clarkson game for CSTV on Friday?  Can he put you in for CSTV credentials?

[ben03]

[Q]KenP Wrote:

 Is Adam Wodon going to be calling the Clarkson game for CSTV on Friday?  Can he put you in for CSTV credentials?
[/q]
somehow i don't think it's about who puts in for the credentials. they have shown an obvious discrimination towards age and IMO this will not change no matter how "legit" the media outlet. remember, USCHO has recieved credentials on a regular basis, and as soon as they put in for it so age could shoot, he was deined. i think their message is clear loud and clear. well, let me rephrase ... loud but there is definitely nothing clear about their logic and/or reasoning (if one can call this reasoning).

[atb9]

Are they worried about Age using the photos for things other than USCHO?

[Roy 82]

ben03 says:

[Q] they have shown an obvious discrimination towards age and IMO this will not change no matter how "legit" the media outlet.[/Q]


Well I am pretty sure that age discrimination is illegal. On the otherhand, I am not so sure about Age discrimination. Of course, one could consider it a capital offense but I am afraid that you are the guilty party.

:-D

[ben03]

WHoa ... that was really really bad. although you do get bonus points for creativity.:-)

[Rosey]

I can certainly entertain the possibility that you might have engendered bad enough feelings in the athletics office that you have obtained for yourself a permanent place on the CU athletics blacklist.  It would not be the first time you've  reacted very undiplomatically and unprofessionally to a situation you didn't like.  The first step to getting out of a hole is to stop digging.