PR Departments...Ugh.

Justin Adams will be in Philadelphia next week at a conference. Since the Eagles are playing their first exhibition game on Thursday, August 11th, he wanted to take in the game.
Since it will be the first exhibition game, which is as exciting as mowing the lawn, I thought it wouldn't be a problem to get a credential to the game for Justin. After all, he is a member of the media, he covers the Broncos for our radio show and he's a professional.
Well, my request for Justin was denied. Why? I don't know. They didn't tell me. I didn't think that simply writing his name on a pass and leaving it at the media will call window would be a problem. Just another reason for me to hate the Philadelphia Eagles. I hope for nothing but bad things to happen to them.
A similar thing happened earlier this year when my friend Bob Behler came to Denver for a visit. Bob, a former minor league baseball announcer, currently is the radio voice of Boise State University football and basketball. He was also named the Idaho sportscaster of the year. I figured I would be able to get a pass for Bob from the Rockies. You know, as a professional courtesy. That request was denied with no explanation. I went to the game with Bob and sat with him in the stands. I did go into the press box right before the game to say a word to Ed Henderson. The Coors Field press box, as it usually is, was pretty empty. So obviously there was no room to allow a visiting member of the media in. They should have been happy to have someone of Behler's stature take in a game at Coors Field. So I'm not too upset about the crappy season the Rockies are having.
I'm really sick and tired of media departments or PR departments of professional sports teams in which you have to jump through hoops just to get a credential. Public relations people for pro teams are just difficult to deal with, so I try not to deal with them.
On the flip side, college sports information directors always seem to be appreciative of the media and are very accommodating. They actually have friendly dispositions instead of antagonistic ones. Imagine that.
One of the best media relations people I've ever met is Dave Plati at the University of Colorado. I've never, ever had a problem with him. He's a true professional and I wish there were more like him in professional sports.