Tickets? We don’t need no stinkin’ tickets

On Monday Rob received a e-mail from one of our associates at another newspaper here in the mid-state area, asking if he or I had to pay to get in at a certain district tournament going on last week.

Of course, the answer to the question was no.

Apparently this sports reporter was stopped at the gate and was told they would have to pay if they wanted to cover the game. The only media that was going to be allowed to enter the gate for free were the ones from the town in which this tournament was being played.

Now, I know to most of you this isn’t a big deal, and you’re asking yourself why not just pay your $5 and go on in?

For one, that’s why we have press passes issued by the Tennessee Press Association. If Rob or I are going to a ball game, 99.999 percent of the time it’s because we’re going there to cover the game. That’s what we do so if you didn’t go you can read about it in the paper.

Still not convinced it’s not a big issue? Then what if every time you went to work, you had to pay a $5 admission fee to get in the door. You wouldn’t do it, would you?

I would like to believe this was just a simple mistake made by some parent who was stuck at the gate to take up the money and just didn’t know any better. But then how would you explain, letting in the local press and not anyone else.

Now it is a little more difficult to get into district tournaments and region contests. and when it comes to state championship rounds you have to apply for a special pass from the TSSAA.

But considering the town this happened in, it really doesn’t surprise me. In fact I’m more shocked that Cookeville doesn’t make people pay a fee just to park, or even to enter the gates of their great campus.

I guess next year they’ll offer season press passes for out-of-town media to buy.

Now before I blow this whole thing out of proportion, I’m sure it was just a simple mistake that was fixed the next day.

‘ Just a reminder to parents of all upcoming seventh- and ninth-graders who plan on playing any type of school sport in 2008-09: Be sure to get your new mandatory physical as soon as possible.

As reported a few weeks ago the State Board of Education added a new requirement for pre-participation sports physicals.

All up coming seventh- and ninth-graders must undergo a Well Child Exam starting May 1. The goal of this new medical exam is to ensure that all students receive the recommended annual comprehensive medical exam that addresses their physical, emotional and social well-being.

I believe this is a positive step in helping to ensure high school athletes are physically strong enough to participate in sports programs. This new physical requirement may also help save a child’s life down the road.

Early detection is the key to any health problem and with a more through examination, which includes blood testing and urinalysis, healthcare professionals will have more information to detect any life threatening illnesses.

The one thing which might be a problem is the added cost to parents. Not many insurance companies will pay for this physical, which I don’t understand.

Insurance companies tell us prevention and early detection is the key to a healthily life, and we pay these high premiums every month, but still they’re not willing to pay for an athletic physical to make sure don’t have some type of underlying medical condition.