This has been an issue for sometime now, I have addressed it on other platforms. Most teams, need a 48 hour in advance request for credentials, that seems fair, the federations more, higher demand, etc., makes sense as well. However when it comes to their media opportunities, well under 24 hours seems to be the new normal. Teams not showing their media maximum reached but the site to register closed ahead of the deadline with no notice as to why. Yes some approve well in advance, and even remind, we are maxed out, should you not be able to take your spot, please let us know so we may reassign your spot, great move, NYCFC. Yes, I do believe it best to criticize and praise alike in private, but it seems to fall on deaf ears no matter how it is done. One team in another market regularly takes days to reply, another oh no your request is from a .edu email we do not allow students, most times it is 18 or over, so this is bad, fixed with their president. Late in the business day an email went out on media availability with the two at the top of the USSF following their meetings, well under 24 hours in advance as it was early this afternoon, the meting was set well in advance, why not the time for press, are selected media told in advance then see who else shows up, unlikely. Here I am setting a media time for next Thursday, yes 6 days not hours in advance, easily enough to plan and attend. The constant complaint is that there is not enough press, we do have other lives, little notice does not work so well. Are you able to count the number of full time media members who are soccer specific on 2 hands or would that leave too many digits unused? Not all parties are guilty of this on a regular basis, some get times out a week at a time, I do of course understand a player is signed at 12, media time at 2, but these are far and few in between, injuries may happen in training and they may seek to address ASAP, these are the exception. Due to Covid, access is poor, highly limited, why are these times being made further difficult with so short of notice.
I tend to set mine well in advance, so if the need be to adjust ones schedule exists, one has he time to so, however even in doing things with past team members, I go well past the date without reply from the ex-team. The New England Revolution were great in getting HC Bruce Arena for us and an event for Kevin Payne, ditto the US Soccer Foundation and Austin with one for Wayne Derosario and having their coach Josh Wolff join us. We have now invited the Head of the USSF to a pair of events, one explained as an interview of a past teammate on the USWNT, the reply, is it a round table discussion, with the word interview used, I would think not, no follow up, the first invite in the recent past as well was never replied to. An interview with a player who played with many in the ownership of a team, had them get back to me after the date of the event with a no, no kidding. This is not unique to me, others have the same lament. This from upper management of a team in Serie A, I was asked why the teams there do not need to advertise, I was told it is that the press covers them so well they do not need to, great. Here they fail to advertise enough and fail miserably with the press. During the now virtual media events, it is often the team itself and their press who take up more than a third of the spaces used, why are their media asking questions in a general opportunity, join in listen sure, literally show your face, take up time from others, not right. Upon seeing a player interviewed on a cell phone, I approach with a camera operator, handheld mic, only to be told no 1-0n-1's, even after informing of what was just done, no go. I would like to have my Brazilian wife speak with a player from Brazil, my Portugese is worse than my Spanish, yes who knew that was possible. The reply, this is not a time for your family to chat with our players, silly me thinking of making it easier and having him speak with a native speaker of the same language, or was she looking to compare native recipes? Seeking to interview a player, as was another, I deferred to the other to go first, the teams PR person wanted us to interview at the same time. No, I do not want his other interview, the team rep stated he did not want his player to be asked the same question again, this as I stood next to them to avert such a happening? I will not even start on wanting to give players in their 20's action photos of themselves and being told not to ask for autographs, a big no-no, yes of course not. Then the team who I gave some photos to, a few duplicates for the player to keep and the name of the young man that the United Nations thought it be important to have a seminar on him and his recovery from a terrible accident. His favorite player was in NY, I explained that and gave his name to the team, was it 4 years ago, still nothing back from them. But at an away game, very local was told not to give the photos out then but at a training session, at that pint I had not been to one and each one I have attended has been fouled up in one way or another, do at a home game otherwise, ok. Home game check with one outside the locker room , yes sure go ahead. As I await a player o finish with another's interview to give him a photo, I am told I cant do this, I cleared it with another, still a no. So at a training session I try to give the photos, I am asked to give to the staff to be sure they get, them, I related the story of the fellow from the UN, no apology, no offer to get the photos to the player now, but those I was able to give them to, they offered to sign for me? I would like these players to in the 30 or so years later when my age for them to have some photos of themselves at their peak, what am I thinking. Another teams, after training I would have a line of players awaiting their images, a different team when I asked, I got a funny look as if why am I asking, then told yes of course go on. One player is with another team, I still have phots for him, asked as they were a first year team, to interview, a dozen emails later no answer but more questions as to what I want to to in interview? no answer on getting player his photos, I gave up on that team.
Will this cause me to be blackballed, does it matter for the lack of cooperation, it is getting worse, not better, or maybe I am too new to this, having begun in the industry in 1982, before many holding such positions were born. Please help yourselves and your teams, allow access, let the press do their job, get you even just a tiny bitt more of exposure, it helps. Thank you for reading my rant, yes it was cut to the bone leaving out smaller issues.