What is a journalist to do when the team he must cover has changed from just an average squad to his alma mater's program? The simple answer is to leave everything to the action on the court.
As a sports journalist, I cover teams I have some prior investment in. I cover the Washington Capitals every week and I have a red Alexander Semin Caps jersey hanging in the closet. Having to report on AU's NCAA game Thursday, however, was the most challenging event I have ever had to cover.
Since AU is my alma mater, I of course wanted them to win. None of that is supposed to matter, however, when I sit at that courtside table. Just getting to Philadelphia was hard enough, but having to sit there and not cheer on the team that I have watched play for the last two years seemed impossible.
It was easy enough to check in and everything before the game; even while I watched the pregame workouts, I was able to remain unbiased for both teams. At 7:20 p.m. - the time of the tip - all of what I had learned went out the window.
Senior Brian Gilmore, AU's forward, went up for the ball and I was already rooting for the Eagles. I didn't even attempt to be unbiased inside during the game. While I was not standing and cheering, I can guarantee you a little piece of me inside was. The only time I openly showed some kind of support was when Brian Gilmore threw the ball down the court for a huge Derrick Mercer layup. It wasn't a lot of emotion, but just enough to satisfy myself.
As a journalist, whether in sports or politics, you have to ignore your personal feelings when in a professional setting. Over time I have learned to do that, but Thursday was probably the first time I had ever wanted to ignore the professional setting. It was the red, white and blue of the Eagles and there was little stopping me from just taking off my tie and credentials and joining my fellow students.
The game came down to the last four minutes and AU lost. It was the one way I didn't want to see the game end, as it is always easier to handle and blowout than it is a nail-biter. I left the court in a mood totally encompassing how the entirety of AU must have felt: defeated. I made my way to the post-game press conferences and at that point I had to return back to my journalist routes. I had to become the sports reporter that I was sent to be.
Pushing away your feelings sounds like a difficult challenge, but when there is a job to be done, it is a lot easier than you think. The Eagle was the first priority for me at that point and what I thought no longer mattered. I sat in both the Villanova and AU press conferences with only one thought on my mind: what was I going to write about?
The game as a whole was an emotional roller coaster. Up until the end of the game, I was concerned with my team and whether they were winning. It was a nice vacation from what I was paid and sent to do. When it was finally over, I sat down in the car with my laptop open. My feelings weren't with me. I had left them on the court and my only concern was what had happened on the hardwood.
You can reach this columnist at atomlinson@theeagleonline.com.
