State Track Day 2, Sweet Irony!!

Sometimes it feels like I spend almost as much time arguing with/getting yelled at by officials as I do actually doing my job. It never fails, every year at the state track meet there is at least one bitter old man who wants to feel important so he makes it a point to yell at the media every chance he can get. Now, let me say I think the Texas state track meet may be one of the best run track meets in the country and it's an event I look forward to shooting every year, however, these bitter old officials can be done without!

This year's state track meet was no different. Despite the UIL officials telling all these guys every year NOT to harass the media, there is at least one guy who feels the need to "enforce the rules" the way he sees fit. So, when I was shooting the Class 3A triple jump, the little bit of sweet irony of a kid running down the runway to the pit and seeing a buffoon walking across the runway at just that time first made me do a double-take, then I had to check my camera to make sure that what I thought just happened really did! Then, just to triple check, I checked with the photog next to me to see if he saw it too. After all that we kind of got a laugh at the irony of the situation. The kid looked confused, the coach was a little more pissed, and rightfully so! If any member of the media did something so stupid we would get thrown out of the meet, no questions asked! Of course since this is an official it's just swept under the rug and the kid gets a redo. I'd like to know what would have happened had he screwed up a whole race!